mac and cheese recipe. this is a delicious homemade macaroni and cheese recipe with step by step pics.

macaroni and cheese is a classic american dish that is popular with everyone including kids. there are some american recipes, we are fond of like hash brown potatoes, eggless pancake, veg burger, baked beans, apple pie, eggless waffle.

so on occasional days, i prepare these dishes. i have made mac and cheese many times before, but never took pics. so this time i decided to take pics and add the recipe too. as always, the mac and cheese was savored by everyone at home.

this mac and cheese recipe is creamy and cheesy with a light crunchy topping of breadcrumbs and gooey melted cheese. a comfort food.

the method to make mac and cheese is very easy. you need to prepare cheese sauce. making white sauce or cheese sauce is easy but you do need to keep a few tips in mind to get a creamy, cheesy and smooth sauce.

tips to make mac and cheese

1. cook the entire sauce right from the beginning on a low flame.
2. use a thick bottomed pan, so that the flour or milk does not scorch or burn.
3. use chilled milk or cold milk.
4. keep on stirring the sauce mixture often with a wired whisk or balloon whisk.
5. if the sauce becomes thick, then drizzle some hot milk to thin it down.
6. when adding shredded cheese, keep the pan on your workplace and not on the stove top or burner.
7. cooking pasta is easy and once the sauce is done, then just mix both of them together. now you can have the mac and cheese or bake it further.

i always bake macaroni & cheese further. but if you don’t have an oven, then just mix and serve. also you can add seasonings or herbs-spices of your choice. i keep it simple with crushed black pepper and a bit of ground nutmeg. a dash of mustard powder also perks up the flavor. to add some fibre in the dish, you can add steamed veggies.

if you are looking for more pasta recipes then do check:

• white sauce pasta
• red sauce pasta
• macaroni recipe
• arrabiata pasta

mac and cheese

4.57 from 16 votes

Prep Time:20 mins

Cook Time:30 mins

Total Time:50 mins

this mac and cheese recipe is creamy and cheesy with a light crunchy topping of breadcrumbs and gooey melted cheese. the recipe includes both stove top mac n cheese and baked mac and cheese. 

Course:main course

Cuisine:american,world

Servings:3 to 4

Author:Dassana Amit

INGREDIENTS FOR mac and cheese

(1 CUP = 250 ML)

for cooking macaroni or pasta

• 1 cup elbow macaroni or shell pasta - 100 grams or 3.5 ounces
• 4 cups water or 1 litre + ½ teaspoon salt

for mac and cheese sauce

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour (maida)
• 2 cups cold milk or 500 ml cold milk
• ½ teaspoon crushed black pepper (kali mirch powder) or as required
• 1 to 2 pinch grated nutmeg or nutmeg powder (jaiphal powder)
• 150 grams or 5.3 ounces - mix of shredded cheddar, mozzarella and gouda cheese or any cheese, about 1.25 cups of shredded cheese
• ⅛ teaspoon salt or as required

for bread crumb mixture

• 1 teaspoon butter, melted
• ⅓ cup breadcrumbs

toppings for mac and cheese

• ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon crushed black pepper (kali mirch powder) or as required
• 2 to 3 tablespoons shredded cheese

HOW TO MAKE mac and cheese

cooking macaroni or pasta

• cook the elbow pasta as per the instructions on the package till they are al dente. i first heated 4 cups of water water + ½ tsp salt to a vigorous boil and then added the pasta.
• cook them till they are al dente or just cooked. they should not get too soft or mushy or break.
• drain them in a colander or strainer.
• now grease a baking pan with some softened butter. skip this step if you do not plan to bake the mac n cheese.

making bread crumbs topping

• in a microwave safe bowl, melt 1 tsp butter. then add ⅓ cup breadcrumbs.
• with a spoon mix the breadrcumbs with the melted butter very well. keep aside.

making sauce for mac and cheese

• heat 3 tbsp butter in a thick bottomed sauce pan on a low flame. also preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius/390 degrees fahrenheit.
• the butter should heat up well. then add 2 tbsp all purpose flour.
• using a wired whisk stir the flour quickly as soon as you add it.
• keep on stirring so that no lumps are formed.
• the frequent stirring helps the flour to cook evenly.
• you will see the flour frothing and bubbling up while stirring.
• saute the flour till you get a nice cooked aroma from the flour and a pale golden color. don't brown the flour.
• keep the flame to the lowest and then pour the milk in a gentle stream. pour the milk with one hand and stir the sauce mixture with the other. the milk has to be chilled, so that lumps are not formed. if you use hot or warm milk or milk at room temperature, lumps can be formed.
• do stir frequently while the milk warms and heats up.
• the sauce would begin to thicken, so do stir often.
• when the sauce has thickened well and coats the back of a spoon, switch off the flame.
• keep the saucepan down and wait for a minute. then add 150 grams shredded cheese. i used an equal mix of cheddar, gouda and mozzarella cheese. you can also use just cheddar cheese or processed cheese or your favorite cheese.
• again mix and stir so that the cheese melts.
• the cheese has to melt well in the hot bechamel sauce or white sauce. so now what you have is a cheese sauce.
• add ⅛ to ¼ tsp crushed black pepper and a pinch or two of grated nutmeg or nutmeg powder. you can also add a bit of mustard powder.
• add very little salt. about 2 to 3 pinches. stir again.

making mac and cheese

• now add the pasta in the cheese sauce.
• with a spoon stir and mix very well.
• here the mac and cheese is done. if you want you can serve it at this step or proceed further to bake it.

making baked mac and cheese

• pour the mac and cheese in the prepared baking pan.
• top evenly with the breadcrumbs+melted butter mixture.
• now sprinkle 2 to 3 tbsp of the shredded cheese on top.
• sprinkle some crushed black pepper.
• bake in a preheated oven at 200 degrees celsius/390 degrees fahrenheit for 15 to 20 till cheese melts or gets golden. do keep a check while baking as oven temperatures vary.
• wait for 5 minutes and then serve mac and cheese hot.

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how to make mac and cheese

cooking pasta

1. take 1 cup macaroni pasta or elbow macaroni (100 grams or 3.5 ounces).

2. then cook the elbow pasta as per the instructions on the package till they are al dente. i first heated 4 cups water + ½ tsp salt to a vigorous boil and then added the pasta.

3. cook them till they are al dente or just cooked. they should not get too soft or mushy or break.

4. drain them in a colander or strainer.

5. whilst the pasta is cooking, grease a baking pan with some softened butter. skip this step if you do not plan to bake the mac and cheese.

making bread crumbs topping

6. then in a microwave safe bowl, melt 1 teaspoon butter.

7. now add ⅓ cup breadcrumbs to the melted butter. for the breadcrumbs, just take 3 to 4 bread slices ( 2 to 3 days old bread slices). tear them and grind in a dry grinder or mixer.

8. with a spoon mix the breadcrumbs with the melted butter very well. keep aside.

making sauce for mac and cheese

9. heat 3 tablespoons butter in a thick bottomed sauce pan on a low flame. also preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius/390 degrees fahrenheit.

10. the butter should heat up well. you should see the frothing effect on the butter before you add the flour.

11. then add 2 tablespoons all purpose flour.

12. using a wired whisk stir the flour quickly as soon as you add it.

13. keep on stirring so that no lumps are formed.

14. the frequent stirring helps the flour to cook evenly.

15. you will see the flour frothing and bubbling up while stirring.

16. sauté the flour till you get a nice aroma from the flour and a pale golden color. don’t brown the flour.

17. keep the flame to the lowest and then pour the milk in a gentle stream. pour the milk with one hand and stir the sauce mixture with the other. the milk has to be chilled, so that lumps are not formed. if you use hot or warm milk or milk at room temperature, then lumps can be formed.

18. do stir frequently while the milk warms and heats up.

19. the sauce would begin to thicken, so do stir often.

20. when the sauce has thickened well, switch off the flame. a test is that the sauce should coat the back of a spoon. below pic showing the consistency of the white sauce.

21. keep the saucepan down and wait for a minute. then add 150 grams (5.3 ounces) shredded cheese. i used a mix of cheddar, gouda and mozzarella. you can also use just cheddar cheese or processed cheese or your favorite cheese. the flavor and taste largely depends on the kind of cheese you use.

22. again mix and stir so that the cheese melts.

23. the cheese needs to melt well in the hot bechamel sauce or white sauce. after adding the cheese what you get is a cheese sauce.

24. add ⅛ to ¼ tsp crushed black pepper and a pinch or two of grated nutmeg or nutmeg powder.

25. add very little salt. about 2 to 3 pinches or about ⅛ tsp. cheese already has salt in it, so add accordingly. you can taste the sauce first and then add salt as per your taste preference.

26. stir again.

making mac and cheese

27. now add the pasta in the cheese sauce.

28. with a spoon stir and mix very well so that the sauce coats the macaroni very well.

29. here the mac and cheese is done. if you want you can serve mac n cheese hot, at this step or proceed further to bake it.

making baked mac and cheese

30. pour the mac and cheese in the prepared pan.

31. top evenly with the breadcrumbs+melted butter mixture.

32. now sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons of the remaining shredded cheese on top.

33. sprinkle some crushed black pepper.

34. bake in a preheated oven at 200 degrees celsius/390 degrees fahrenheit for 15 to 20 minutes till cheese melts or gets golden and the mac & cheese is bubbly and hot. do keep a check while baking as oven temperatures vary.

35. wait for 5 minutes. then serve mac and cheese hot.