Homemade Mac and Cheese

Mac and cheese is the BEST and the most comforting dish there is and there is not arguing about it! Adults and kids love it alike and that’s why I make it every single week! I’ve tested and re-tested dozens of cheese combinations for mac and cheese and came to a set of favorites that kids and adults love. Sharp cheddar provides great sharp flavor, Monterrey Jack melts beautifully but also has extra flavor, and cream cheese provides extra creamy texture. It’s a similar combination that I use in my baked mac and cheese and cauliflower mac and cheese because it never fails to satisfy!

Must-Have Ingredients and Substitutions

Pasta options for mac and cheese – macaroni is a given of course, it’s a classic option and it’s right in the name. But of course, you can always use other pasta to make it more fun like pasta shells, bowties, corkscrew pasta, cavatappi, and penne.

Milk – I usually stick to either whole milk or 2%. Whole milk will give you riches and creamier consistency while 2% will be a little lighter.

Seasoning – keep it simple with salt and pepper and I always bring in a little something extra with addition of paprika. Remember to taste your sauce as you cook to know if you need to adjust the seasoning.

Cheese Options & Substitutions

When choosing cheese, remember how well it melts, how smooth it melts, and the flavor:

• If you want sharper, stronger flavors, then choose sharp cheeses. Note that the harder the cheese, the lower melting point. Parmesan and other hard cheeses don’t melt as well. Hard cheese can be a flavor addition but not the main cheese.
• For smoother melted cheese, choose cheeses like cheddar, Monterrey Jack cheese, Colby Jack, and even Mozzarella. These cheeses all melt very well because they are not soft cheeses and not too hard.
• My favorite cheese combination for this easy mac and cheese is extra sharp cheddar, Monterrey Jack cheese, and a little cream cheese.

Tips To No Fail Homemade Mac and Cheese

Grate cheese off the block! It’s always best to get a good brand of cheese and use a BLOCK not pre-shredded cheese. Pre-shredded cheese always had additives like separators and preservatives that will affect the texture of your sauce.

Best way to achieve smooth cheese sauce for mac and cheese and avoid lumps is to first whisk the flour and melted butter well to form a roux and then, slowly pour in the milk while constantly stirring. (Roux is a smooth combination of butter and flour that’s mixed well.)

Avoid grainy cheese sauce: your cheese sauce can be grainy if the flour didn’t get a chance to cook well and thicken the milk or the type of cheese you used. When letting the milk heat through, before adding the cheese, make sure you give it several minutes to heat through completely and thicken. Don’t add cheese too soon.

Never let the cheese sauce or mac and cheese boil! Cook the cheese sauce over medium to medium-low heat to let the milk heat through and the cheese melt. After adding the pasta, you will only cook for additional couple of minutes to heat up the pasta.

Don’t over-cook! Most likely the cause of cheese sauce separating is overheating. Never let your cheese sauce or milk boil. Cook over medium to medium-low heat the whole time. Don’t over-cook either, as soon as the cheese is melted and smooth, add in pasta. As soon as pasta is heated through, take the pot off heat.

Step by Step Photos To Make Mac and Cheese

Cook macaroni according to the package instructions in salted water, drain, and set aside.

While pasta is cooking, grate cheese and start to prepare the cheese sauce:

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Whisk in flour and once it’s combined, start pouring in milk while constantly stirring. Keep whisking slowly until all incorporated. 

Cut cream cheese into small pieces and add it to the pot. Stir and let cream cheese mix into the sauce. Add cheeses, one handful at a time, while slowly stirring. 

Season with paprika, salt, and pepper. Once all cheese is melted and smooth, add pasta. Stir until all completely combined. Let it cook on medium-low for a couple of minutes and serve. The point if to heat the mac and cheese through after adding the pasta.

How To Make Mac and Cheese Gluten Free?

Mac and cheese is very easy to make gluten free with just two easy substitutions. First, use gluten free pasta. (I prefer the Tinkayada brand of gluten free pasta. Its texture is the least crumbly and tastes the most like regular pasta.)

As far as thickeners, you have two options. Option one is substituting flour for gluten free flour, and option two is using cornstarch instead of flour.

If choosing to use gluten free all purpose flour, simply substitute it for regular flour and mix it with melted butter.

When using cornstarch instead of flour, it has to be mixed with cold milk first and then added to the pot to heat through. (1 tablespoon of cornstarch is enough for this recipe.)

How To Make It Lactose Free?

Did you know that you can easily enjoy mac and cheese even if you a lactose free? Many people who are lactose intolerant are actually not aware that they can still eat cheese. Cheese that is aged 6 months and longer is naturally lactose free through the aging process.

Soft cheeses like blue cheese, Brie, feta, cream cheese, and a few others are not lactose free but cheeses like cheddar, Parmesan, Monterrey Jack cheese and even some Mozzarella are lactose free.

Many brands will put lactose content right on the label, under the nutritional information. Look for words like “contains 0g of lactose per serving.” If the wording is not there, you can look at sugar content. If sugar is 0g, that will indicate there is very low chance for lactose.

Cream cheese can be substituted for vegan (plant-based) cream cheese. I haven’t tried all brands but a few brands that I’ve tried do melt and mix into the sauce well.

Instead of regular milk, use lactose free milk. (Tip: Fairlife brand is not as sweet as Lactaid. I recommend that one in savory dishes.)

Storing and Reheating Instructions

Storing: Keep any leftovers you have mac and cheese in an airtight food storage container, in the refrigerator. You can also use the same pot you used to cook it but cover it air-tight. Properly stored, this dish should stay good for about 3-4 days.

Reheating a whole pot: While you can reheat individual portions in the microwave, you can also reheat the whole pot on stove-top. Make sure to reheat it over medium-low heat and add about 1/4-1/3 cup of milk. Cover the pot as mac and cheese reheats and stir every few minutes.

Reheating single portion: When reheating individual portions in the microwave, add a couple of tablespoons of milk to the bowl with pasta and use a microwave cover if you have one. Reheat the mac and cheese in 30-45 second increments, stirring in between. Make sure to reheat only until heated through.

PRO TIP: you will need to add some milk when reheating, to invigorate the pasta and cheese sauce again. Pasta tends to soak up moisture from the sauces as it sits, so adding a little milk will help refresh it.

More Mac and Cheese Recipes To Try

• Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
• Smokehouse Mac and Cheese
• Parmesan Baked Mac and Cheese
• Lobster Mac and Cheese
• Baked Mac and Cheese
• Crab Mac and Cheese

Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles on February 1, 2019.