Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Easy Homemade Mac and Cheese
A spoonful of creamy macaroni with cheddar and Gruyère is a familiar comfort with a little extra savory depth. The sauce stays soft around the elbows, ready to scoop into bowls. Taste after the cheese melts and enjoy it while everything is warm and creamy.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 20 min
- Original yield
- Serves 6
- Ingredients
- 10 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Cuisine
- American
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
A few quick notes
1. Reserve some liquid
Begin with two cups each of broth and milk or cream, keeping the rest for additions if the macaroni needs more liquid.
2. Stir pasta often
Cook the dry macaroni under cover, stirring often and adding the reserved liquid gradually as needed until it reaches al dente.
3. Let cheese finish melting
If needed, cover and rest the pan a few minutes off heat after adding cheese, then stir until the sauce comes together.
Get to know the ingredients
Cheddar and Gruyère
Both shredded cheeses melt into the cooked pasta. You can use more cheddar or another available cheese if Gruyère is unavailable.
Whole milk or light cream
Either gives a creamy result. You can use low-fat milk, though the sauce will be thinner.
Dry macaroni
The dry pasta cooks directly in the seasoned milk-and-broth mixture rather than being boiled separately before the cheese is added.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 6. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 4 steps completeMake room for Easy Homemade Mac and Cheese
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Taste after the cheese
Once both cheeses melt and the sauce is smooth around the macaroni, taste, adjust the seasonings and serve warm.
A little more help as you go
A gentle first simmer
Bring the broth, milk, butter, bouillon and seasoning mixture to a gentle simmer before stirring in the uncooked macaroni.
Adjust the final consistency
If the cheese sauce is too thick, gradually stir in more broth, milk or cream until it coats the pasta how you like.
A few questions you might have
Can I use vegetable broth?
You can use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth for the milk-and-broth mixture used to cook the macaroni.
Can I use a different short pasta?
Any short pasta is allowed, but its cooking time and liquid absorption can differ. Check tenderness and add liquid as needed.
Does the hot sauce go in after cooking?
It goes into the initial simmering mixture with broth, milk, butter, bouillon, salt and pepper before the pasta is added.
Is all the liquid added at once?
The directions begin with part of the broth and milk, keeping the remainder for gradual additions while pasta cooks or after cheese melts.
Should the macaroni be very soft before cheese?
Cook it al dente first, then stir in the cheddar and Gruyère and let them melt before tasting the finished dish.
Any more cooking tips?
If you don’t have gruyere cheese, feel free to substitute with additional cheddar cheese or another cheese you have on hand. Ingredients and Substitutions : Chicken broth : I like to use a mix of broth and milk or cream because it keeps the sauce smoother and not as heavy. You can sub vegetable broth to make this recipe vegetarian. Whole milk : whole milk or light cream will make this macaroni and cheese recipe nice and creamy. You can use low fat milk to reduce the fat if necessary, but it will not be as thick. Macaroni : any short pasta will work here! Keep in mind that different types require different cook times and may absorb more or less liquid.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: thereciperebel.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
