This recipe for classic baked macaroni and cheese is one of the most popular on Kitchen Treaty. It’s super creamy – not dry like some homemade mac and cheese can get.

1. Bacon Cheddar Cheese From Trader Joe's. I Will Use This For Mac Download

Bacon Cheddar Cheese From Trader Joe's. I Will Use This For Mac Download

It’s rich, ooey, gooey, and, yeah – in my humble opinion – the best macaroni and cheese recipe ever. Seriously. This mac and cheese recipe will knock your socks off. Then go put ’em back on and run a marathon, quick! I say it’s the best macaroni and cheese recipe ever not because I have tried every single mac and cheese recipe in the world (though I have tried many) (and wouldn’t it be an incredibly noble cause to try every single one?!).

It’s because whenever I take a glorious melty bite, I simply cannot imagine a better classic mac and cheese. I can also say it’s the best macaroni and cheese recipe ever because this one is not really even my recipe. I tweaked it a tiny bit – basically made it even more fattening – but otherwise, it’s someone else’s. It’s from someone named Bev, who posted her recipe on Recipezaar (now Food.com) and to whom I am eternally grateful.

Always has been. Cases in point:. One of my first-ever memories is of sitting down in front of the TV with a bowl full of macaroni and cheese and watching Emergency! – and feeling pure bliss.

Not long after that was when I realized that a single macaroni and cheese noodle was actually not called a “macaroni and chee.” Major epiphany. Every birthday, my wonderful Gran actually used to wrap up boxes of Kraft dinner for me. Best presents ever! I should probably stop there.

I have a sneaking suspicion I’m coming off like a total freak. So back to Bev. Bev posted a recipe that will forever be my go-to recipe for homemade mac and cheese.

Before that, I had only experienced dry homemade mac and cheese. Goes into the oven wet, comes out dry. I love you Bev!

Bev is probably totally creeped out now too. Anyway, mac and cheese lovers, come hither – this is the real thing!

Feast your eyes on this Now go forth and cheesify!. Boil the pasta until al dente, according to package directions.

Drain and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking, and return to the pan you boiled it in. (Mix in a little butter to keep the noodles from sticking if it’s going to be awhile before you make the sauce). Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. To a over medium heat, add the butter. When the butter has melted, add the flour, salt, dry mustard, pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika.

With a wooden spoon or whisk, stir constantly for three minutes. Add the milk in a thin stream, stirring constantly with a whisk. Continue to stir constantly until the sauce thickens, about 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat and add 2 cups of the cheese, stirring until melted. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and toss gently until all of the pasta is coated.

Add half the pasta to a (I like a tall 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish). Sprinkle on half the cheese.

Add the rest of the pasta. Sprinkle on the rest of the cheese, then dust lightly with the smoked paprika. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, until the mac and cheese starts getting a slightly dry and a tiny bit brown on top. Serve, topping individual servings with cooked, chopped bacon if desired. Meat option Add cooked and crumbled bacon to the top of individual servings (or the whole thing if your whole clan is carnivorous). Please resist adding more pasta and cheese!.Please resist the urge to add more pasta to stretch the recipe.

You need a lot of sauce with that pasta because the pasta soaks so much and it otherwise cooks down. Over-dry mac and cheese is such a disappointment – don’t do it!.Also resist the urge to add more cheese to the sauce. This can do weird things. Sprinkle more in between and on top if you must have more cheese. Doubling this recipe I (and many others) have doubled this recipe with success – no changes needed other than a bigger pan!

Make-ahead notes When you make this recipe ahead of time, please know the result may be a tad more dry. Still delicious! But a little less saucy. I recommend assembling it up to the point of baking, refrigerating, then, before baking, let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Then proceed with baking. I made this one night a few years ago now, and my husband instantly proclaimed it “his favourite food ever.” I’ve since made it for neighbourhood get-togethers and potlucks. Never, ever, ever has it failed to get the response that is one of my three favourite compliments: “Can i have that recipe?” In fact, we’ve had to make a rule: we’re only allowed to have it once a month, and only in months that have an “r” in them.

(To quote Sheldon from Big Bang Theory, ” Because what’s life without a bit of whimsy?”) Without this rule in place, my husband would request this weekly if not daily. As it is, he can barely get to the beginning of the month without getting excitedespecially in August, which he keeps calling AR-gust.

I share your recipe (via this website) often. On behalf of myself, my husband, my neighbours and my students, THANK YOU.we add just a bit of Velveeta because it makes the sauce stable even if one “accidentally” adds too much cheese. I’m in the process of making this tonight for a potluck, but am a little confused on the cheese amount. I feel slightly stupid asking this, but about how many ounces of cheese is 3 cups? I know ounces are different depending on what type of dry ingredient you are using, so I just don’t know exactly how much cheese to use. I bought a 32 ounce pack of cheddar just to be safe.

I initially converted cups to liquid ounces (which is 8 ounces to 1 cup), but that seems like a bit much, especially since I’m tripling the recipe. I make a large batch of Mac and Cheese for my family for Christmas Eve every year (approximately 25-30 people). I’m going to try your recipe this year but I have a couple questions (if by chance you happen to see this before tomorrow!!! If not, I’ll wing it!) First question, would you quadruple it? Making 2 pounds of macaroni? I always end up making WAY too much because it’s not the only thing on the menu.

Or do you think I should use 3 pounds? And knowing that, does everything else just multiply in the same way? (I know that with some recipes it seems that you don’t always multiply every ingredient the same.) Thanks for any help you can give me!

Always looking for the best mac and cheese recipe. Sometimes they seem grainy, sometimes they’re too strong, too weak, too cheesy, too whatever.

Made this for bunco nite and when I say EVERYONE raved about it – I’m not kidding. By far the best mac and cheese I’ve ever eaten. Perfection in my mouth. And I’d like to compliment the recipe writer. By letting me know approximately how long it would take for the sauce to thicken – it really helped. Also, by mixing the spices with the butter it immediately thickened and I thought I did something wrong – but I waited the whole 3 minutes like it said, and it was amazing how it transformed.

If you seriously follow the directions, you will have the most delicious mac and cheese ever. I doubled the recipe. Perfect for a 9×13. Who needs bacon?!?!? I’ve made this three times now with one small addition that my husband RAVES about. Caramelized cauliflower right in with the pasta!

I’d been working more veggies into his diet and with this he doesn’t mind one bit! Also for those who are commenting that it’s not cheesy enough: taste your cheddar. I’ve made it with three different qualities of cheese and you can really taste the difference between a good aged cheddar and a brick of Kraft.

Not that it has to be expensive. Some of the best cheese I’ve found was pretty cheap! I just want to say that I’ve made this the last 2 years for Thanksgiving and Christmas and it is amazing. My husband requests it each time! The first year I made it, when I told my MIL and GMIL what I was bringing they said “ohh. We don’t usually DO that. Maybe the KIDS will eat it though” Well due to your FABULOUS recipe, both GFIL, husband, and husbands uncle ate the CRAP out of it (along with all the kids) proving them WRONG that mac and cheese is only for kids!

Loved the look on their faces when my 13×9 was EMPTY. I have a.: Comment.

When making traditional mac, you start off with a roux – butter and flour. Well, that’s simple enough. Vegans have already mastered butter.

TSV TIP: My favorite vegan butter is Earth Balance. Next, we’ll add in some non-dairy milk (unsweetened, of course – we don’t want vanilla flavored sauce) and vegan cream cheese. Cream cheese is another ingredient that I think vegans have mastered.

TSV TIP: My favorite vegan cream cheese brands are Trader Joe’s,. This is going to make the sauce super creamy and give it that cheesy texture. At this point, other vegan recipes would call for a butt-load of nutritional yeast. I know I may stand alone in the vegan community when it comes to my opinion on nutritional yeast, but that stuff tastes NOTHING like cheese. I know it has nutritional value, but I can’t get past the weird flavor. SO, to achieve that cheesy flavor, we are going to use vegan parmesan. There is only one brand that I can recommend and that is.

I’ve tried other brands and this stuff tastes the closest to traditional parm, in my opinion. The final step is just to add in your spices.

And this is where you will make this dish your own. Start off with my recommended measurements and then adjust to your liking. Want more spice?

Add in some red pepper flakes (I also like ). Need more acid? A little more lemon juice will do the trick. You could also throw in some to make this even heartier. Whether you add anything or keep it exactly as written, this is sure to be one of your go-to comfort meals!

Need more mac and cheese inspo? Check out my with a bacon and shallot breadcrumb crust!