Sometimes simple is best — and nothing beats a bowl of creamy, homemade mac and cheese. With just a few basic ingredients, you can make a dish that’s comforting, cheesy, and loved by kids and adults alike. In this, my 4th mac and cheese post (can you tell I love mac and cheese?), I’ll walk you through the essentials of making mac and cheese from scratch, along with why each ingredient matters.
Related: 50 ways to upgrade mac and cheese
Ingredients
Milk: Creates a creamy base for the sauce and helps bring all the ingredients together smoothly.
Noodles: Elbow macaroni is classic, but any short pasta shape works to hold onto the cheesy sauce.
Cheese: The star of the dish! A good melting cheese like cheddar adds that rich, gooey flavor everyone loves.
Flour: Whisked with butter to make a roux, it thickens the sauce so it’s smooth and velvety.
Spices: A pinch of salt, pepper, or even paprika enhances the flavor and keeps the dish from tasting flat.
Instructions
In a large pot, boil water
Once boiling, add noodles
Reduce heat to medium low and cook for 5-7 minutes
In a separate large saucepan over medium heat, heat milk, flour and spices until simmering
Add in cheese and stir until thickened
Once the noodles are cooked, drain them and add them into the cheese sauce
Great spices to include:
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic
- Onion powder
- Italian seasoning
- Parsley
- Paprika
- Dry mustard
- Nutmeg
- Fresh dill or chives to top it off
Related: Healthy Green Mac and Cheese
Basic Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 cup Milk
- 3 tbsp Flour
- *Spices
- 2 cups Cheese
- 5 cups Noodles
Instructions
- In a large pot, boil water
- Once boiling, add noodles
- Reduce heat to medium low and cook for 5-7 minutes
- In a separate large saucepan over medium heat, heat milk, flour and spices until simmering
- Add in cheese and stir until thickened
- Once the noodles are cooked, drain them and add them into the cheese sauce
