Tired of that plain old boxed mac and cheese? This best-ever homemade mac and cheese recipe is the ultimate comfort food & is sure to be your new favorite!

Mmmmmm…is there any comfort food quite as, well, comforting, as homemade mac & cheese? Sure, it’s a little more effort than, say, that stuff in the blue, but oh man, is it worth the extra time!

The best part about this recipe is that it will either feed a crowd or make enough to freeze half of it for an easy meal later. Twice the reward for the same amount of work? I’ll take it!

Best-Ever Homemade Mac & Cheese

Best Ever Homemade Mac & Cheese ingredients

Here is what you need:

16 ounces macaroni pasta
1 pound sharp cheddar cheese
8 ounces Gouda cheese
5 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 cans evaporated milk
½ cup heavy cream
¼ teaspoon ground mustard
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
bread crumbs (optional)
2-3 tablespoons melted butter (optional)

Shred cheese into a bowl and set aside for later.

Step 1:  Shred cheese into bowl; set aside.

Cook pasta for about 6-7 minutes, be careful not to over cook!

Step 2: Bring large pot of water to a boil; add pasta and cook until just barely al dente, 6-7 minutes. Do not overcook!

Drain cooked pasta and set aside. Step 3:  Drain pasta and set aside.

Mix flour and butter in a medium saucepan until golden brown.

Step 4:  In medium saucepan, melt 5 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour to make a roux. Stir for 30 seconds more.

Slowly add evaporated milk to flour mixture.

Step 5:  Slowly add one can of evaporated milk, whisking constantly, until mixture begins to bubble and thicken. Add second can of evaporated milk, whisking constantly, until mixture again begins to bubble and thicken.

Add cream and seasonings to mixture, stirring constantly.

Step 6:  Add heavy cream, dried mustard, cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt, whisking constantly. Bring mixture to just boiling, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 more seconds.

remove sauce from heat and immediately add cheese. Mix until all cheese is melted.

Step 7:  Remove from heat and quickly stir in cheeses until cheese is completely melted.

Pour cheese sauce over macaroni noodles.

Step 8:   Place pasta back in pot. Pour in cheese sauce and mix well.

Divide macaroni and cheese into casserole dishes. You can wrap these with plastic wrap and bake later for an easy freezer meal.

Step 9:  Spoon mac and cheese into casserole dish or dishes. If you plan on freezing one, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap, label and place in freezer.

Sprinkle bread crumbs over macaroni and cheese; bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

Step 10:  Sprinkle noodles with bread crumbs, then drizzle with melted butter. Bake at 400ºF for approximately 20 minutes, until crumbs are golden brown.

Best Ever Homemade Mac & Cheese | Macaroni & Cheese | Mac and Cheese Recipe | Easy Macaroni and Cheese | Cheesy Macaroni | Baked Macaroni and Cheese | Pasta Recipe
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Best-Ever Homemade Mac & Cheese

The ultimate comfort food!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword Homemade Mac & Cheese
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Author Ruth Soukup

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces macaroni pasta
  • 1 pound sharp cheddar cheese
  • 8 ounces Gouda cheese
  • 5 tablespoons butter
  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cans evaporated milk
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ¼ teaspoon ground mustard
  • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • bread crumbs optional
  • 2-3 tablespoons melted butter optional

Instructions

  1. Shred cheese into bowl; set aside.
  2. Bring large pot of water to a boil; add pasta and cook until just barely al dente, 6-7 minutes. Do not overcook!
  3. Drain pasta and set aside.
  4. In medium saucepan, melt 5 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour to make a roux. Stir for 30 seconds more.
  5. Slowly add one can of evaporated milk, whisking constantly, until mixture begins to bubble and thicken. Add second can of evaporated milk, whisking constantly, until mixture again begins to bubble and thicken.

  6. Add heavy cream, dried mustard, cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt, whisking constantly. Bring mixture to just boiling, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 more seconds.

  7. Remove from heat and quickly stir in cheeses until cheese is completely melted.
  8. Place pasta back in pot. Pour in cheese sauce and mix well.

  9. Spoon mac and cheese into casserole dish or dishes. If you plan on freezing one, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap, label and place in freezer.

  10. Sprinkle noodles with bread crumbs, then drizzle with melted butter. Bake at 400ºF for approximately 20 minutes, until crumbs are golden brown.

Recipe Notes

Number of servings (yield): 12

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Ruth Soukup

Ruth Soukup

Founder at Living Well Spending Less
Ruth Soukup is dedicated to helping people everywhere create a life they love by follwing their dreams and achieving their biggest goals. She is the host of the wildly popular Do It Scared podcast, as well as the founder of Living Well Spending Less® and Elite Blog Academy®. She is also the New York Times bestselling author of six books, including Do It Scared®: Finding the Courage to Face Your Fears, Overcome Obstacles, and Create a Life You Love, which was the inspiration for this book. She lives in Florida with her husband Chuck, and 2 daughters Maggie & Annie.
Ruth Soukup

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