This is a quick and delicious version of an American classic made with sharp Cheddar. Add diced ham or tomatoes, or top with more cheese and broil for a crispy Cheddar crust.
this was very delicious, added a but more milk. I packed the cheese down when I was grating, so it came out more cheesier, also I would advise to wisk every 1 minute when in the micro, this makes it less lumpy.
Read MoreI initially prepared this recipe as shown, but with the tiny additions of some of my faves from another recipe, a few drops of worcestershire sauce, and a pinch of ground mustard. After the microwaving, the consistancy was very creamy, even a little runny. However, the taste was quite bland. Kinda reminded me of Stouffers, which I think is just kinda so-so. I ended up about doubling the sharp cheddar cheese. After this, the dish had better flavor, but a somewhat gritty texture that worsened as I ate and it cooled. An OK recipe, maybe better with some work.
Read Morethis was very delicious, added a but more milk. I packed the cheese down when I was grating, so it came out more cheesier, also I would advise to wisk every 1 minute when in the micro, this makes it less lumpy.
Really yummy exept I omitted the butter and used 3/4 T of flour instead of 3 T and I added 2 slices of american cheese. I also wisked it on top of the stove instead of microwaving. It took about 15 minutes. It was smooth and creamy.
This is a staple in our home. Creamy sauce and easy to make! I add a little bit of onion and chopped ham.. I go lighter on the flour and use SHARP cheddar for best flavor (IMHO). Cooking time was about half in my microwave so be sure to watch it and BE SURE TO WHISK IT EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, per the directions, or you will get lumpy goo. Good quick meal.
I really like the ratios used in this recipe, except for the flour. I use just a touch less and cook this on the stove instead of the microwave. Super creamy and cheesy, yum! I tried this recipe a second time using pepper jack (instead of cheddar) and adding corn, black beans, chopped grilled chicken, jalapenos and cilantro... to die for! Thanks : )
I usually follow Alton Brown's Stovetop Mac 'n Cheese recipe but didn't have evaporated milk, so I tried this one instead. It was really good and super easy! I did reduce the flour to 2 TBS (the basic rule for a sauce is 1 unit of thickening agent to 1 unit of fat) and that worked perfectly. I did double the recipe b/c when I measured out the pasta it didn't seem like enough. I ended up with enough pasta but a lot of cheese sauce leftover (about 3/4 cup). To make one recipe's worth, I'd probably use 1-1/4 cups of pasta. It makes a good base cheese sauce and would taste great with any mix of cheeses. Sorry Alton, but I think you've been replaced!
This recipe is quick, easy and tastes great. It is an excellent dish to attempt, if you are a novice in the kitchen! Using a microwave oven, to prepare the cheese sause, is a tremendous way to save time. (Remember, however, it is important to adjust microwave cooking times,in terms of the appliance model you are using. Otherwise, the cheese sause may be overcooked.)
Very simple recipe to follow, although I modified at bit. Added 1/4 cup parm cheese which gave some extra flavor. Also, after I combined the macaroni with cheese sauce, I topped with some crushed ritz crackers and baked at 350 for additional 10-15 min.
This was a very good guideline recipe! I needed to upscale the recipe for 10, but it only fed 6 of us. So I will triple it the next time. After reading reviews I decided to use Colby(2/4), Sharp (1/4), American (2 slices) and cream cheese(1/4) and wow! Really creamy and tasty! I used a little less flour and a little more cheese. And I added a touch of onion powder. My kids loved it!! Easy, Fast and delicious! Also, after adding the noodles, let it sit for 5 minutes so the pasta can soak up some of the cheese sauce. We will be using this recipe again and again!!
Good recipe, especially when used as a starting point for your own tastes and ideas- I added more cheese, and some different kinds, for example. Also could use a little more salt. Overall- quick, easy, and yummy!
I initially prepared this recipe as shown, but with the tiny additions of some of my faves from another recipe, a few drops of worcestershire sauce, and a pinch of ground mustard. After the microwaving, the consistancy was very creamy, even a little runny. However, the taste was quite bland. Kinda reminded me of Stouffers, which I think is just kinda so-so. I ended up about doubling the sharp cheddar cheese. After this, the dish had better flavor, but a somewhat gritty texture that worsened as I ate and it cooled. An OK recipe, maybe better with some work.
Great for a Mac and Cheese fix. And soooo fast. The recipe as is, is a little bland. I used American Cheese, garlic power, worcestershire sauce and mustard powder. It was a big hit with my boyfriend as a quick and easy lunch. I also served this with an organic turkey hot dog octopus. Delish!
This is a great recipe! Ready in under 15 minutes and I'm sure healthier than a boxed kind. I didn't microwave again for 4-5 minutes because mine was already smooth and steaming hot.
Really good recipe, and easy in the microwave too! Since I had it on hand, I used half velveeta cheese, and it was super creamy. Will make again!
Fantastic late night crave dish. Reduced flour to 2 tbsp., added dehydrated onion and substituted Velveeta cheese. I love mac & cheese, and this was great, easy and above all, fast.
I was really hungry and I found this quick and easy recipe. Instead of putting the mac and cheese sauce in for 4-5 minutes the second time, I only put it in for 1 minute and it tasted very very yummy. :)
I made this on the stovetop, as well. It was fantastic! I needed a quick and easy side dish and this was exactly what I was looking for. It makes a ton of cheese sauce. Will be making this again. My 3-year-old is loving it.
Excellent! I used less flour and half and half instead of milk - sooo creamy and delicious!
Pretty good! Really rich at first, but it was a hit! The only thing is if you're reheating leftovers, you'll probably want to add some milk to it or it'll be sticky and dry. I used spiral pasta. Wonderful!
My family loves it! It is more like a gourmet mac n' cheese. I do make it on the stove, though, and not the microwave and feel like it tastes better. I also use sharp cheddar and add garlic salt and a dash of mustard with it.
What an easy way to make mac and cheese. And easy to adapt to one's own taste. My husband thought this was great and he loves mac and cheese. I boiled the macaroni in the microwave, too. I didn't have any problem with it being too much flour. However I did nuke and whisk the mixture without the cheese a couple of times. I then added the cheese after the mixture was smooth and thickened. I also added 1/4 tsp. dry mustard to the flour and added a little more cheese.
Quick and easy and did I mention really good when you add your own little extras. I added more cheese and milk and also onions and jalepenos. I love a little spice so the jalepenos and crushed red pepper did the trick for for me. Thanks for the receipe...will be keeping it from now on.
I think this recipe is fab!! I was looking for something that I could make with ingredients I had on hand... and this was perfect!!! I used extra sharp cheddar cheese and more of it than the recipe calls for... and I agree that all the microwaving isn't really necessary! It seemed like a lot of sauce, but all I did was put it in a baking dish and stuck in the oven for a few minutes... and it thickened up perfectly! The flavor is perfect for such an easy dish, even my picky husband who would only eat Velveeta Shells n Cheese loves it! The leftovers don't look great but it actually tastes even better the next day. I'll never buy boxed macaroni again!!!!
very yummy. added a bit more milk because the sauce was a little too thick for my liking. great recipe!!
After getting off to a really late start with making supper, but still having the "hankerin" for mac and cheese, I was searching online thinking to myself, There has GOT to be a quickie recipe for mac and cheese... and there is! After making mac and cheese this quickly and easily... why would anyone want to make it any other way! I, personally, will never make it any other way again! This was incredible! The only thing I had to do was add a little bit more milk and butter at the end, but this one is definitely a KEEPER!
This was very easy and quick but it didn't taste as good as some others. This is good in a pinch but not a family favorite for us.
This recipe is definitely quick and easy. I made the cheese sauce in a saucepan over the stove and it took a lot less time than the recipe called for with the microwave (less than 5 minutes). I agree with another reviewer that there is way too much cheese sauce for 1 cup of elbow pasta. I might add an extra 1/2 a cup or 3/4 cup pasta next time.
this was so quick and easy. The taste was a little bit bland so I'll probably add more cheese as well as a few other additions next time
I only added 2 tbsp of flour per other reviewers recommendations, but it still tasted a bit grainy. Other than that texture, the flavor was good. Next time I may try adding 1 tbsp flour.
I had been using a different mac & cheese recipe for a while & decided it didnt have enough flavor & tried this and WOW its realllly good my little brother is eating like ALL of it! It's so much flavor for such an easy recipe. I kept all the measurements as they are, except took somkeones advice & added 2 slices of American cheese & it was so creamy adn good!
This was really rich and it strangely tasted just like Stouffer's macaroni and cheese! It was so quick to make, though, with just boiling 1 cup of noodles and making the rest in the microwave. With all of the sauce I could have easily boiled another 1/2 cup of noodles. I did only microwave it once for a total of 4 1/2 minutes and it looked done. I used butter with canola oil, which whisked in easily, 2% milk, and reduced fat mild cheddar cheese. I used about 1/4 tsp of salt, or maybe a little less, but no black pepper. I only did get about 2 servings and not 5, which makes sense, with only 1 cup of noodles.
Great recipe! No need to open that mac'n'cheese box anymore. The first time around, I scaled it down to 2 servings but forgot to scale down the microwave time. Made this recipe a few more times and figured that for 2 servings, 1+1 minute,stiring in between, gets the sauce smooth and creamy. My 3 year old helps me make this dish and totally enjoys the dish.
i made this a long time ago and it stuck in my mind as SO yummy and had to search for it again. I just found it and needed to rate it. So easy! Personalize it and add garlic or other spices. I like doing italian seasoning and garlic along with fresh veggies stirred in after it's done. (tomato / mushrooms/ green onions) Things are always better with a personal touch!
I love this recipe! Very fast and easy to make. Perfect for Mac and Cheese and over green beans, cauliflower or broccoli. Kids love it too! I used medium cheddar cheese and was extra generous with it. I also use this recipe on my stove-top. This is the perfect comfort food and a new staple in my home.
I like this recipe because it is quick and easy but I like to add a parmesan cheese, dry white wine, and broccoli to 'kick it up a notch.'
I thought this was bland. I would maybe try again with some seasonings like ground mustard. I made this as a last-minute side dish with chicken wings and it served its purpose, but I wasn't very impressed with it.
My 12 month old loved this but alas I found it a little too 'floury' in taste. Seemed like I was making a bechamel sauce for lasagne rather than mac and cheese. Next time I will use less flour.
This was quick and easy. My 1 year old and 4 year old both LOVE it. It's tastes great, but it is a *little* gritty. I doubled the recipe to use up the rest of my pasta, and added 1/4 tsp each Worcestershire sauce and mustard powder. I will definetly make it again, on the stove if I have time, and will use less flour.
Great, I just used different cheeses! Fantastic! Just what I was looking for!
Not bad. I used mozzarella cheese and added 2 slices of American cheese. It's a great base to add your own spices for taste.
Was ok...added garlic powder, all purpose and cayenne for an extra kick. Next time I'll use less milk and less flour - it had a soup like consistency. Needless to say, the kids liked it and is the reason why I'm giving it 4 stars.
even though it was goopy, grainy, and not very pleasing to look at, it tasted amazing. i do believe there is a correct way to do it that is not what i did.
Great recipe. I use 2 Tablespoons of flour. By the time you cook your macaroni you have your other ingredients in the microwave. This recipe gets used alot when we get off work and "whats for dinner" Thanks for posting
This recipe calls for to much flour. I only put 2tbs of flour in it. I also added some nutmeg for flavor. Next time I'm also going to put worchestire for taste. Great Recipie
i wish my kids liked this as much as i do! i've always wanted a simple and quick mac & cheese like they serve at our fish fry's. this is IT! i've made this for a quick filler when family drops by and many of them have asked for the recipe. you can experiment with hot sauce or cayenne pepper or even chili powder. or it's just great by itself. great recipe. thanks.
This is a delicious recipe! It's the only one my kids really like that doesn't come from a box. I always add a bit more cheese because I like it that way.
The flour was overpowering...maybe use less next time. I also baked it with cheese on top.
This is an awesome recipe, exactly what I was hoping for. I cooked it stovetop to keep it smooth and added some paprika and parm to the cheese sauce. Really fabulous.
7:00 pm, no idea what to make for dinner...and we're hungry for something fast & cheesy. This recipe was excellent! I also added garlic and onion powder and another 1/2 cup of cheese. Also, it didn't need another full 5 minutes of micro time, so I only cooked it another 2 min. A small whisk worked perfectly for keeping the mixture creamy. We'll definitely do this one again!
Delightfully quick and easy! I want to avoid boxed mac-n-cheese because I don't want all the preservatives and artificial flavors (not to mention the inferior taste) for my toddler, but I need quick, and this fits the ticket!
I made this mac & cheese tonight for dinner. I won't heat up my kitchen in the summer by using the oven, so I thought I'd give this recipe a try. I was very surprised by how tasty it was. I used a little less flour and bought shredded sharp cheese. Very good. I will make this again.
I only had a 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar, so I used 3 slices of white american too. We loved it.
I love this recipe it's as easy as making Mac'& Cheese from a box only better. I used almost 2cups of Rotini noodles when I made it cause thats what I had on hand. I liked how the cheese sauce collected in the noodles.
Easy to make but very bland! I added more cheese and still was alittle bland. I added crushed FF ritz on top and poped in oven as it was already on for my chicken.
Edible but just barely. It wasn't necessarily bad, it just didn't really taste like anything.
It was REALLY creamy, but I mixed extra sharp cheddar and marble colby. It served as an awesome base for my chili mac and my nephew loved it! I would make it again for sure! Quick and easy!
To add an extra little zip, I added a little parmesan cheese to the cheddar cheese.
I ran across this recipe today, i thought 'why not..i have all the ingredients'..WOW! for a quick and easy mac n cheese...this was great! I added some Havarti cheese and some Velveeta..Very creamy and tasty! I am keeping this recipe!!
I used Velveeta for the cheese and followed the rest of the recipe to the T.... but I ended up with mac n cheese soup, so I'm cooking another cup of mac to add to it, should be great then! Thanks you for the recipe!!
Made some modifications but it turned out delicious! Will definitely be making this again! First, I doubled the recipe but only used 3 tablespoons of flour since other reviews complained about too much flour. Next, I combined all the ingredients (the noodles were uncooked) and baked it in the oven at 350 for 35-40 minutes (though my oven cooks fast). The double recipe fits a 9x9 pan well. I would recommend using a non-stick pan to make serving and cleaning easier.
Great recipe! Based on other reviews, I only used 1 tbsp of flour. I am too impatient to make the roux on the stove and always ruin it, so this was the perfect solution. I will experiment with adding herbs and spices for flavor and also try baking it since that is what I'm used to.
I doubled the milk and cheese (so 2 cups of each, instead of 1 cup of each), and cooked it on the stove. Came out SO creamy and yummy. We all had thirds.
This recipe was very simple to make. I followed it exactly, except I made it on the stove. I was a little disappointed. It turned out chalky. I'm not sure if this was from the flour or the shredded cheddar. If I do make this again, I will definately use less flour and maybe velveeta instead.
I threw in some halved cherry tomatoes with the pasta just before draining it. I used zoo pasta. Because the zoo pasta was of a larger size, I used one and 1/2 of the recommended amount of pasta. I should have used double the recommended amount as I had too much sauce.
I made this using the microwave. It was good, but had a raw flour taste. I tried on the stovetop. MUCH better. No raw flour taste. I combined the flour, milk, and butter in a pot. Cook until thickened (make sure you stir and keep an eye on it). I added the cheese (always extra) once the sauce was thick. Stir until cheese is melted, add to pasta. Sauce was made in the time it took to boil pasta.
I’ve been trying to find a Mac n cheese recipe to get my kids off the blue box. I think we found the winner! This made an excellent creamy sauce, and it was super easy to make.
Wow! Yummy! My 13 year old son told me he would make this for his family when he grows up! :D The cheese was super thick so I thinned it out a bit with extra milk. Very good though and very easy!
This is quite good; although the sauce was a little watery, probably given the fact that I used almond milk. So I'll either use less milk or more flour. I love Mac and Cheese.
I've been looking for a great Mac and cheese. From the picture, this looked like it. Maybe I did something wrong, but the cheese consistency was off. Mine was too flour-y and thick. I had to add a lot of milk at the end to make it runnier. Next time I will reduce the flour, add more cheese, and reduce the time the cheese cooks the second time in the microwave. That should improve the consistency. Also, double the batch. This barely fed 3 of us. Thanks for the recipe though!
I wouldn't try this recipe again. It was bland, even with more salt added. Also, I didn't like the consistency of the cheese sauce. It was too lumpy & gooey.
This is great and so easy! Like mom's oven mac & cheese in one-fifth the time.
This was really easy and tasty too. Its always a pain to find good quick side dishes and this fits the bill. I made it exactly as the recipe indicated. A weeknight keeper.
the food was great and very easy to prepare. kids like me will really like it because it is cheezy and they can prepare this by themselves with a litle help from their mom. you can even use other kinds of cheese like parmesan, but it will still turn out great. - cutie pie =)
Delicious, reminds me of home. Also try with Gouda cheese.
This is a good base - it lacked flavor as it is. I wasn't sure about 1 cup of noodles: 1 cup cooked or uncooked? I cooked 1 lb of mostaccioli and decided to double milk, flour and cheese...added dash of worchester, some roasted garlic (had some extra from previous meal) and spoonful of cream cheese (1/2 c?). Cheeses I mixed: shredded sharp cheddar and some pepperjack. Still lacked some deep flavor but still good stuff. BTW: doubling sauce+ 1 lb of pasta made a little too much cheese but suspect it will be perfect when reheated.
very good. most similar to what you would get in the box, only better! Very easy to make, kids loved it! Definitely a keeper
I found this to be a little thick and bland at first. I added a little more milk and a pinch of garlic powder and nutmeg to give it a little more taste. It is easy and quick and healthier than a box mix. I'll try it again with a different cheese.
I am not a big pasta or cheese eater yet found myself chowing down on this recipe. Came out perfect. I added a 1/4 cup more milk for a creamier texture. Good stuff
very good and helpful I used half cheese and added cheese wiz ! kids love it !
I didn't use the best cheese so it was a little greasy, but it's a brilliant recipe beyond that. Totally 5 star.
Loved it! Even my picky mddle son loved it! I added an extra cup of pasta and a half cup of milk as it was too thick!
This recipe is delicious, I would definitely make it again. I added 1/4 cup extra cheese and made the sauce on the stove, and it turned out smooth and creamy.
Great! Cheese very creamy ~ next time I'll use sharp cheddar instead of mild :)
Very great recipe! I made this one night because I couldn't decide what I wanted to eat and figured that I would try this and I'm happy I did! Although, I did add a bit more cheese than the recipe said but it turned out amazing. Even my mom who can be a picky eater loved it too and she is having me make it again but in a bigger portion for a family get together :)
Great recipe! Super simple and very creamy. I didn't have shredded cheese so used Kraft sliced cheese ripped in pieces. I cooked the butter and milk till butter melted, then whisked in flour salt and pepper. Stirring after every thirty seconds and adding a slice of cheese every thirty seconds as well. Came out great, although really thick (maybe the cheese I used) I will probably use less flour next time and maybe a sharp cheddar shredded. Thanks for the recipe.
Good for mac & cheese fix. My microwave heats fast & therefore sauce thick, but added abit if milk to thin. I added worchestire to taste, but a great quick recipe.
The kids didn't like this. It doesn't have enough flavor. Easy to make but just not our style. Good try though.
