Easy Macaroni and Cheese
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Easy Macaroni and Cheese is a perfect recipe for Feeding Your Fam! This is a simple recipe that can be made in under 20 minutes, loaded with a creamy cheese sauce, pasta and a crunchy, melted cheese topping. Macaroni and Cheese is so simple to make at home and always so much better than anything you can find in a box!
Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
Macaroni and Cheese will become a staple on your weekly menu. It is one of those recipes that you love to order when you go out, you turn to when you are craving something comforting and the recipe you can make when only have a few minutes to make an amazing meal.
How to Make Mac and Cheese
This is an easy recipe for homemade macaroni and cheese. No matter your skill level in the kitchen, this is one recipe that any one can make.
To start, cook the pasta in boiling, salted water until it is soft, with just a little bite. The pasta will continue to cook, when it is added to the sauce. In this recipe, I use large elbow pasta, you can use regular elbow pasta if you prefer. Cook the pasta just one minute less than the package recommends.
While the pasta is cooking, in a separate, oven safe pan. Melt the butter and add in the flour, making a roux. Cook the butter and flour together for just a minute. Add in the garlic powder and stir.
Pour the milk into the pan with the roux and whisk the milk in until there are no more lumps in the milk. Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn down the heat to a simmer. Continue simmering and stirring until the sauce thickens, this will take 5-7 minutes.
Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Turn off the heat.
With the heat off, add in the shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Sharp cheddar is the best option for this recipe, it adds a ton of flavor! Stir the cheese into the sauce until it is melted and well combined.
Add the cooked pasta to the pan and stir to coat the pasta with the cheese sauce.
Lastly, top the macaroni and cheese with more shredded cheese. Just enough to cover the top of the pasta. Place the pan in the oven under the broil for 3-5 minutes, just until the cheese is melted, bubbly and golden brown in places.
This last step is optional, but so tasty! If you don’t have an oven safe pan, you can transfer the mixed macaroni and cheese to a baking dish and then top with cheese and place under the broiler.
Storing Leftover Macaroni and Cheese
If you have any macaroni and cheese left over, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This will be good for up to 3 days after storing.
To reheat, remove the serving size you would like to eat and place in a bowl or on a plate in a microwave for 30 seconds to one minute.
What to serve with Mac and Cheese:
Easy Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound large elbow noodles
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp flour
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 3 cups milk
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions.
- While pasta is cooking, in an oven safe pan, melt butter over medium heat in an oven safe pan and add in flour.
- Cook and stir together for one minute. Add in the garlic powder.
- Pour in the milk and stir with a whisk until no more lumps remain in the pan.
- Bring to a boil and turn down to simmer. Continue to cook and stir for 5-7 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
- Turn off the heat and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, stir to combine.
- Add in the shredded cheese, reserving about 1/4 cup for the top. Stir the cheese into the sauce until it is melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Fold the pasta into the cheese sauce until well combined. Top the macaroni and cheese with the remaining shredded cheese and place in the oven under the broiler for 3-5 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbly and golden.
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Easy Macaroni and Cheese is a perfect recipe for Feeding Your Fam! This is a simple recipe that can be made in under 20 minutes, loaded with a creamy cheese sauce, pasta and a crunchy, melted cheese topping. Macaroni and Cheese is so simple to make at home and always so much better than anything you can find in a box!
