I will let you in on a Momma Chef secret- when my kids were younger, they ate boxed mac and cheese, more than I would like to admit. I made sure to buy the all-natural, organic brands, as not feel too guilty, but I knew there had to be an easy way to make homemade mac and cheese. What I really wanted was to be able to throw it all together, without needing to use an extra pot to boil the noodles, just a 1-bowl dish. It definitely took a while to master this recipe, but I finally got a big thumbs up from boys! This is so unbelievably easy, you don’t even need to boil the noodles first, it makes the boxed mac and cheese look difficult! Hope your kids love this as much as mine do!
Easiest Homemade Mac and Cheese
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: Momma Chef
Serves: 8
Ingredients
- 2 Cups elbow macaroni, regular or gluten-free
- 4 cups 2% or Whole Milk
- 1 tsp. salt
- 3 tbsp. salted butter, melted
- 5 cups shredded cheese (I like using a mixture of Sharp Cheddar and Mexican Blend)
Instructions
- Add macaroni, milk, salt, melted butter and 3 cups of shredded cheese into a large bowl and mix well.
- Pour into a 9-by-13-inch greased baking dish.
- Sprinkle remaining 2 cups of cheese over mixture and cover with foil.
- Bake covered at 350 degrees for 35 minutes then remove foil and bake an additional 20 minutes uncovered.
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Homemade mac & cheese is a staple in my family! I’ll have to give your recipe a go one of these days! 🙂
Is 2 cups pasta the equivalent of a 1lb bag?
You should measure it out, as every bog/box can vary. This is a good rule of thumb.. https://www.barilla.com/en-us/help/measuring-pasta#Short-Shapes
Oh goodness this is some great comfort food for sure. Loads of cheese and pasta are just what I’ve been looking for.
Such a simple and tasty side dish! Great for BBQs this spring and summer!
Mariah
http://www.likehoneyblog.com
my kids love mac and cheese, and I, too, am not a fan of the boxed (even though I do it more than I’d like to admit)- I will give your recipe a try soon- thank you!
I’ll have to try this method. Always up for a good mac & cheese recipe!
Will it work if you half the recipe? Or if not, does it freeze well? Probably a little too much for one. I love the ease … and no mess!
Hi Cody,
Thanks for the question. I would not half this recipe since you need the milk to cook the noodles, but you can absolutely freeze half of the meal once it’s cooked.
Oh thank you, I have been looking for an easy mac and cheese dish. I’ll be trying this for sure!
mmmm this looks so tasty! i wish I wasnt allergic to dairy!!! i miss mac and cheese the most!
This looks like the kind of weekday side dish we look for. One dish and done.
Oh I love this classic so much! Thank you for sharing your delicious recipe! Mmm.
Waaa??? I didn’t realize I could make this without pre-boiling the noodles! Totally going to try this with my boys this weekend.