Baked Macaroni and Cheese
About This Recipe
“Mac and cheese is one of the all-time comfort foods. When my kids’ taste finally outgrew the boxed stuff, I came up with this recipe to satisfy their need for cheese (my daughter, in particular, is a cheese junkie). I’m sure this recipe contains influences from my Mother and Grandmother. It goes great with other comfort food staples like meatloaf, roast, pork roast, etc.”
Ingredients
Directions
Reviews
“This was great, I don’t like Velveeta cheese and I still enjoyed it.This has helped me on my way to “mastering” mac and cheese!”
“I loved this recipe.I used Velveeta Light and it still tasted delicious.Also, 1 cup of cheddar cheese was enough for us, but 2 cups would be good for a real cheese fanatic.This is a good make-ahead macaroni and cheese.Pop it in the oven 30 minutes before you’re ready to serve.”
“This was a surprise hit. I was sure I wasn’t going to like any sauce made with Velveeta, but a large brick of it bought at a bargain price was sitting in my fridge so I needed to start using it. I was unsure of the amount of dry macaroni to use (I had a 900-gram bag), so I tried 5 1/4 cups … but I think that was a tad too much and next time will use 4 cups. This recipe was very easy to prepare, came together quickly, and was a HUGE hit with both my husband and teenage son. I liked the mild creamy/cheesy sauce; it was very old-fashioned and definitely qualifies as comfort food. I substituted a few shakes of Tabasco for the white pepper; that was the only change I made. Thanks for the recipe, Mark!”
“This was the very first time I ever made mac and cheez that did not come out of a blue box.I have never been too fond of the cut out chunk o’stuff that I had come to associate with homemade.I jumped into this with both feet and made it exactly as directed and WOW, great recipe.It was even better the next day with a little milk added.Thanks Mark!”
“I have to admit, that of all of the mac & cheese recipes that we’ve tried, this is the first one that everyone loved.It has a great flavor to it.Good job, Mark.Knew I could count on you for a great recipe.Wish I had tried it sooner.”
“Great recipe! Nice and creamy. My son loved it. Very filling, I didn’t eat a full serving and I was stuffed.”
“I’ve been trying to find a macaroni and cheese recipe that isn’t too dry and I found one!Easy to follow directions and quick to make. “
“This was really really good and a definite kid pleaser. I have experimented with a number of other mac and cheese recipes on this site, and while they were all great, my daughter and her friends kept asking for the boxed version. Consequentially,my husband and I,were stuck with the leftovers. Not so with this recipe, the kids all wanted more, and there was hardly anything left for us!!! But that’s ok, I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
“This was my second attempt at Mac n Cheese that doesn’t come in a blue box!And this attempt was VERY succesful!Absolutely delicious and oh so creamy.I took Lennie’s advice and used 4 cups of noodles and that seemed perfect.But, WARNING!!!This makes a full-to-the-top 9 x 13 pan.Mine bubbled over so you’ll want to place some aluminum foil underneath it. It’s also VERY filling! I’ll halve the recipe next time for my family of 4 and that, too, will still be plenty.The only thing I might do differently next time is to maybe add a handful or two of shredded sharp cheddar to give it a little zing. Thanks Mark!!”
“I’ve made this a few times for family gatherings and it is ALWAYS a hit! The key to this recipe is patience. The thicker the better so take your time! I also added way more cheese. But that’s how we like it. I also added about a teaspoon of pepper. This is my go to recipe! :)”
“This recipe is good, it makes a TON of mac&cheese.Like everyone has said, it’s very moist unlike a lot of recipes I’ve tried in the past.I do have to agree that it’s a bit bland, and I added lots of sharp cheddar, extra worcestershire sauce, salt, you name it.I think if I halve the recipe next time, it’ll be easier to flavor a smaller amount of pasta.Also, I will add bread crumbs or something to the top b/c we like that extra crunch with our mac & cheese.”
“I took this to a Thanksgiving potluck and it was a big hit. It was very moist and tasty! Thanks Mark :)”
“Made this last night because I had a half a loaf of Velveeta left from another recipe that I wanted to use up.I was hopeful of this recipe, because it is almost identical to the one I normally make, but mine uses extra sharp cheddar cheese.However, I don’t think the Velveeta has a strong enough flavor to hold its own with all of the milk.Even though I salted the water, it seemed like it needed salt and was very bland…I even used extra cheddar on top.A couple of my kids didn’t even finish but I am sure that this was because they are used to Mom’s “normal” macaroni and cheese which has a sharper flavor.I will say this is very creamy and I am sure would be enjoyed by people who like a more mild flavor, it just didn’t happen for us.Sorry I couldn’t give a higher rating, but trying to be honest.P.S.My husband and daughter covered theirs with Pepper Jack cheese and seemed to enjoy it like this.”
“What a great recipe! I have tried to figure out a great baked m&c recipe on my own with no luck. I halfed this and it was still more than a family of 4 could eat but I’m sure it will make great leftovers. I am on the Weight Watchers program so I made it with Velveeta Light, 1% milk and reduced fat cheese. I also topped it with slices of Healthy Choice smoked sausage. The only thing I would recommend would be to add a little salt to the cheese sauce mix. This will be repeated! Thanks!”
“This was my first attempt at “home made mac & cheese and all I can say is this is way better than the “Blue box”…a little harder but definetly worth the effort!Thanks Mark!”
“This recipe is definitely a keeper! My family and i have made it several times since finding it on food.com. It even impressed my incredibly picky and stuborn sister! I sometimes stir in a little of the cheddar into the sauce instead of just sprinkling on top. A repeat in our house :)”
“Absolutely amazing recipe.I made it vegan friendly and add different chopped veggies with the below ingredients and the same recipe, and it turned out perfect. 🙂 Lots of my non-vegan/vegetarian friends like the taste. It’s not as rich, but just as satisfying.Vegan Ingredients:
*One packet of any pasta you like.
*1/2 cup (1 stick) of vegan butter (Earth Balance brand is great)
*1/2 cup flour
*4 cups unsweetened soy milk (rice milk was too watery)
*Salt and Pepper to taste
*2 cups soy cheese, grated
*One 6oz (I think) block of Vegan brand cheese (Whole Foods sells this), cut into cubes
*Different frozen/fresh veggies. Add as much as you like for more color and texture.
*About 1 cup of Panko bread crumbs (makes a very crispy top)”
“turned out great!!!!”
“I don’t really care for Velveeta but this was nice. Velveeta makes for a saucy-cheesy macaroni rather than a sticky-cheesy macaroni. I prefer a sticky-cheesy macaroni but this was definitely one of the best saucy-cheesy macaronis I’ve ever had (if that makes sense). Instead of doing just Velveeta and cheddar, I did Velveeta, cheddar and mozzarella and the sprinkled mozzarella on top before baking.”
“I used this recipe as a starting point. I used tricolor rotini, half halfnhalf and half water instead of milk, and a mix of colby, mozarella and cheddar cheeses.I probably used closer to 2lbs than 1. Made a delicious sauce unlike the baked macaronis that you cut a serving from. So good that my DH had some just fresh unbaked. Is in the fridge, waiting to be baked tomorrow on location at the party its for. But there are already a few servings eaten!”