How To Make Macaroni Cheese From Scratch (Inexpensive Ingredients!)

Macaroni and cheese is one of the simplest, most delicious comfort foods! Making mac and cheese from scratch is easier than you think and tastes SO GOOD!

What Is Macaroni And Cheese Actually Made Of?

Macaroni cheese is an old-school classic. Proper comfort food! Cooked macaroni pasta tossed and coated in a rich, flavourful cheese sauce, topped with crispy breadcrumbs and baked in the oven. It's just packed with flavor.

Think of it as a really cheesy, delicious pasta bake (just better!)

Why You'll Love This Mac n Cheese Recipe

Simple, basic ingredients - there's nothing fancy in this recipe. All basic ingredients you'll probably already have in at home, or be able to pick up from the shop easily.

Low cost - this is a low cost recipe, inexpensive to make, so it's great for family dinner.

Versatile - you can eat this as a main course, when we do this we serve with salad or just some frozen veggies cooked from the freezer. Or you can serve it up as a side dish alongside fried chicken, hotdogs, burgers, roast chicken... anything at all really.

Macaroni Cheese Recipe From Scratch

Serves – 4 as a main course or 6-8 as a side dish

Prep Time – 15 minutes 

Cook Time – 30 minutes

Total Time – around 45 minutes - but only 15 minutes hands on

Our Most Popular Alternative – Tomato Pasta Bake

Make It Quicker - use shop bought ready to use cheese sauce

Equipment Needed

• Saucepan - for boiling pasta

• Saucepan - for making cheese sauce

• Colander

• Ovenproof dish

• Grater

• Teaspoon

• Tablespoon

• Cooking spoon - or whisk if you prefer to make cheese sauce with a whisk

• Measuring jug

Ingredients For Macaroni Cheese From Scratch

You'll just need a handful of basic ingredients to make this tasty pasta dish

• Macaroni - the little elbow macaroni, if you can't find this just use any other short/small pasta shapes

• Butter - we usually use unsalted butter as we add seasoning to the cheese sauce

• Plain flour - to make the roux for the cheese sauce

• Whole milk - you can swap this to half fat milk, or add in part cream, part milk.

• Grated mature Cheddar cheese - we use a sharp Cheddar cheese but feel free to swap this for any other good melting cheese.

• Grated Parmesan - Pecorino cheese also works well in this recipe

• Garlic powder - to add flavour to the cheese sauce

• Onion granules - add some flavour to the cheese sauce

• Pinch paprika -gives the sauce a nice taste and just a little colour

How to Make Mac and Cheese 

Step One - cook the macaroni pasta shapes

• Cook the macaroni in boiling water with a pinch of salt as per the packet instructions. Once it's cooked drain and put to one side.

Cooks Note - whilst the pasta cooks make the cheese sauce

Step Two - preheat the oven

• Preheat the oven to 200C / 400F / Gas Mark 6 / 180C fan - grab our super handy oven temperature conversion chart - with printable you can keep in the kitchen.

Step Three - make the cheese sauce

• Firstly you need to make a roux (and it's easy!) Just melt the butter in the saucepan, when it starts to sizzle, add in the plain flour and mix into a thick paste. Stir constantly over a low heat for at least a minute.

• Then slowly pour and stir in the milk. Do this just a little at a time and mix well into the floury paste. Every time it's totally mixed, add a little more until you've used it all. (this way you won't get a lumpy sauce and it'll be smooth)

• Stir the sauce constantly as you warm it through over a low heat, you want it to be almost bubbling, but not quite. During this time the sauce should thicken up nicely.

• Then remove from the heat, tip in garlic powder, onion granules and pinch of paprika. Add the grated Cheddar cheese and mix well to make a really lovely, smooth cheese sauce.

• Taste the sauce and then season as you like with salt and black pepper.

Step Four - make the cheesy breadcrumb topping

• Simply toss the panko breadcrumbs and grated parmesan cheese into a shallow bowl and mix them together with your fingers.

Step Five - put together the macaroni and cheese

• Stir the cooked and drained pasta in the cheese sauce and mix well so that all the macaroni is coated in the tasty cheese sauce.

• Wipe the inside of the baking dish with a little butter, this will help stop the pasta from sticking as it bakes.

• Tip the cheese sauce coated macaroni mixture into the oven proof dish. Then sprinkle the cheesy breadcrumbs over the top.

Step Six - bake the macaroni and cheese

• Put the macaroni cheese into the hot oven and bake at 200C for around 20 minutes or until the top is turning golden brown and the cheese sauce bubbling up at the edges.

How Do You Make Macaroni Cheese Sauce?

Okay so, there's a few ways to make the macaroni cheese sauce - you can either use the roux method above.

Or you can use instant cheese sauce granules that just need boiling water pouring onto them and a good mix. Or you can buy tubs of ready to use cheese sauce if you want to make dinner faster.

Make Breadcrumb Topping (Optional, Use If Baking)

When it comes to making the breadcrumb topping, we always cheat and buy Panko bread crumbs or a box of breadcrumbs ready to use. You can of course make your own using dried bread and a grater. Or whiz up dried bread in a food processor.

Flavouring the breadcrumb topping - we usually just add some grated Parmesan cheese or Pecorino cheese. But you can also add in some herbs or spices. Just choose your favourites - try Italian mixed herbs, red pepper flakes, pinch of nutmeg, or just some black pepper.

What Goes With Mac and Cheese? 

Here's 10 DELICIOUS things to serve up with your homemade Mac And Cheese

1. Roast Chicken: Try a quick and easy air fryer roast chicken, it cooks in just 1 hour and is great with cheesy pasta!
2. Crispy Bacon: The saltiness of bacon is just SO good with this creamy pasta dish.
3. Roasted Vegetables: Roast a tray of colourful vegetables like carrots, courgettes, and bell peppers for a healthy side dish.
4. Garlic Bread: Would it even BE pasta for dinner if there wasn't at least one garlic baguette on the table?!
5. Side Salad: Lighten up that dinner plate with a nice garden salad - toss together lettuce, baby salad leaves, cherry tomatoes and cucumber.
6. Sausages: Use the air fryer to cook sausages and slide a few of your favourite bangers on the plate with that creamy, cheesy pasta dish.
7. Baked Beans: The tangy tomato sauce from the baked beans, mingles with the creamy Mac and cheese sauce and well... it's just total comfort food!
8. Cajun Chicken: Serve the cheesy pasta alongside some juicy cajun chicken breasts.
9. Sautéed Spinach: Sauté spinach with some crushed garlic and a squeeze of lemon for a nutritious side that pairs well with the cheesy pasta.
10. Roasted Mushrooms: Use the air fryer to quickly and easily roast some mushrooms, then serve alongside the Mac and cheese.

Variations Of Mac And Cheese

There's loads of ways you can pimp your Mac-n-Cheese, we've popped a few of our favourites below!

Add some meat - you can add cooked ham, bacon or sausage to the cheesy pasta.

Add some veggies - turn this into a broccoli and cauliflower macaroni cheese and add some cooked florets of broccoli and cauliflower in with the pasta and cheese before topping with breadcrumbs.

Add a kick of heat! - scatter some candied jalapeño over the top for a sweet burst of spice!

Tips and Tricks

How long to bake mac and cheese?

Mac and cheese usually takes around 20 minutes to cook through form being freshly made. Just keep an eye on it in the oven and remove when the top is golden brown and the cheese sauce bubbling hot.

How do you keep mac and cheese creamy?

Just make sure that you add plenty of cheese sauce to the pasta. If you put too much pasta in, the Mac n cheese will be dry. And if you're trying to rescue a dry macaroni cheese, then add in some warmed heavy cream and mix.

How do you spice up macaroni and cheese?

You can add chilli flakes, a pinch of cayenne pepper, some dry mustard powder, or some freshly chopped chillies or jarred jalapeño to the dish to spice things up. You could also use a spicy pepper jack cheese in the sauce.

Can you make macaroni cheese in advance?

When we make this dish in advance, we hold off with the breadcrumb topping and only add that just prior to baking, otherwise it gets soggy. Also if you're cooking this straight from the fridge then lower the cooking temperature and cook for longer, this gives it chance to reheat thoroughly.

Can macaroni cheese be frozen?

Homemade macaroni cheese can be frozen and keeps okay in the freezer for 2-3 months.

Storage instructions

Cool the macaroni cheese down thoroughly prior to storing in the fridge or freezing and store in an airtight container. (you can do this for leftovers)

The Mac and cheese will keep in the fridge for a day, and the freezer for 2-3 months.

Make-ahead instructions

When making ahead, don't add the breadcrumb topping. Leave this and add it just before baking. Store the make-ahead Mac and cheese in the fridge covered tightly with aluminum foil. You can make it up to a day in advance.

How to reheat mac and cheese 

To reheat Mac and cheese, pop the oven on 180C and cook for around 30-40 minutes or until the pasta dish is heated through properly to a minimum core temperature of 75C.

Best cheese for mac and cheese 

You really want a good melting cheese, so mature cheddar, Red Leicester, Gouda or gruyere all work well. But you can experiment and find your favourite combination. You could also use mozzarella for the topping if you liked.

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