This smooth and creamy mac n cheese dish is a classic! It’s a simple recipe that takes pasta, butter, cheese, milk, and seasonings and turns it into a comfort food that the whole family will be requesting.
I’m always looking to reduce processed foods in our home but buying the box mac n cheese was so convenient and easy and making the decision to ditch the box and make our own was a sensitive one with us all. This required more work for me and the kids were wary of it tasting weird but it’s been worth it and we’ve successfully made the transition! The kids all get excited and gobble it up when I serve it and after making it a couple times it becomes pretty easy and routine to make, just like the box was. And it tastes so much better!!!
It only takes a couple ingredients to make this creamy recipe. It’s basically just pasta in a butter, milk, cheese sauce. So yummy!
Ingredients needed:
- shell pasta, you can use any shape of pasta you like
- butter, I always use salted butter
- all purpose flour
- whole milk
- salt
- pepper
- garlic powder
- shredded cheddar cheese, you can use any kind of cheese combinations to mix up the flavors to your taste preference
Let’s make it:
- Cook the pasta in boiling water until soft. Drain in colander.
- In the pasta pot, melt the butter and stir in flour. Sauté for a couple minutes till browned and aromatic.
- Whisk in milk and salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Heat and whisk till bubbly and starting to thicken.
- Add the cheese and stir till melted and smooth. Stir in the cooked pasta. Taste and season if needed and add more milk if desired.
I like to add a pound of browned ground beef at the end to make it an entree. A one pot wonder! Of course we like to serve it with homemade applesauce on the side (our favorite!). Often, I also make a veggie and serve homemade bread to round out the meal.
You can adjust the amount of cheese and milk to your liking. Experiment with different seasonings and spices. This is an excellent base mac n cheese recipe and this is how my kids like it but you can personalize it anyway you’d like.
~Rachel Ballinger
“A lot of living happens in the kitchen.” ~Rachel
Homemade Mac n Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 lb. pasta shells
- 1 stick of butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in boiling water until soft. Drain in colander.
- In the pasta pot, melt the butter and stir in flour. Sauté for a couple minutes till browned and aromatic.
- Whisk in milk and salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Heat and whisk till bubbly and starting to thicken.
- Add the cheese and stir till melted and smooth. Stir in the cooked pasta. Taste and season if needed and add more milk if desired.
Notes
