I always thought easy macaroni and cheese came from the blue Kraft box.
I know, you’re cringing, right?
Now that I know better, I am too!
The truth is my Mom isn’t a huge fan of macaroni and cheese, so it really wasn’t ever part of our family meals.
But once I ventured out into the world and discovered how flavorful and delicious a good batch of mac and cheese could taste, there was no going back for me.
My Favorite Style Of Mac and Cheese
This easy macaroni and cheese recipe doesn’t take a lot of time or ingredients to make.
What you should know is that this is not a loose, saucy kind of macaroni and cheese. It doesn’t have a sauce that simply seems like melted Velveeta.
This recipe is more like a casserole, or I’ve been told, more like a southern-style macaroni and cheese recipe. You can actually cut pieces or scoop your servings without a drippy mess.
The basics of this recipe are from my Grandmother and I played around and adapted it to what it is today.
Macaroni And Cheese Musts
If you follow any advice with this recipe, please follow this: GRATE YOUR OWN CHEESE!
You’re busy. I know. I get it. And pre-shredded cheese is soooo easy.
But it’s dry. And covered in preservatives. And doesn’t melt as well. Those are NOT factors we need in our homemade macaroni and cheese recipe, now do we?
Related: My Three-Cheese Baked Ziti is Pasta Perfection
My favorite brand/kind of cheese to use is Kraft Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp Cheddar. It has never let me down.
Here’s another tip: Make sure your water is salted really well when you cook your pasta. Maybe not ocean water salty, but close. You’ll thank me.
And one more thing with my recipe. Make sure once you’ve drained the pasta and added the butter and cheese, you let it cool a bit. Not too cold… not too warm.
When you add the egg mixture, you don’t want the heat to start cooking the eggs. Scrambled egg mac and cheese? No thanks.
Let’s Get Cooking!
There are gazillions of macaroni and cheese recipes out there. I’ll be anxious to hear how you like mine.
I’ve found it to be a nice base for other meals. Leftover ham mixed in is really yummy.
And if you need a finishing touch, a little bacon garnish never hurts!
Enjoy!
Easy Baked Macaroni and Cheese
An easy way to make homemade macaroni and cheese! Be sure to use a good, sharp cheddar to really maximize flavor!
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 c. uncooked elbow pasta
- 2 c. shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 c. shredded parmesan cheese
- 1/2 stick (4 TBSP) butter
- 1 c. milk
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 2/3 c. sour cream
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 c. shredded cheese for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente. Do not over cook pasta, as it continues to cook in the oven and you don't want it to be mushy.
- Drain pasta and then dump into large bowl.
- Add cheese and butter to pasta. Stir gently to combine. Let cool slightly.
- In a separate medium sized bowl, mix beaten eggs, milk, sour cream and salt together.
- Make sure your pasta cheese mixture is warm, not HOT. We don't want to cook the eggs when we add them in!
- Add egg milk mixture to pasta and combine.
- Put pasta mixture into a 2 quart baking dish (I use a 9x9 size pan).
- Bake in oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven and add extra 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese on top.
- Put back into the oven until cheese on top is melted. Put under the broiler for a minute or two if you want to brown the cheese on top.
Notes
This easy macaroni and cheese recipe is more of a casserole type version, as opposed to a mac and cheese that has a loose, liquid sauce. Be sure to buy a block of cheese and shred it yourself. It makes for a much more flavorful dish.
More Family Favorites
I hope your family enjoys this recipe the way mine does! And if you are a fan of down-home comfort food type meals, be sure to try my Grandma’s Best Casserole, filled with chicken, cheese, broccoli and rice.
And don’t forget a yummy dessert! If you want easy, good and feeds a crowd… nothing much better than my Chocolate Sheet Cake.
From my comfort food-filled kitchen to yours,
Jill
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