Family friendly, creamy macaroni and cheese from scratch that adults and kids both like? Yes, please! This macaroni and cheese oven casserole is a family favorite.
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I have a love-hate relationship with mac ‘n cheese. When it’s good, it’s really good. And when it’s bad, I can’t even stand to be in the same room with the stuff. The kind that you get it the box falls on the latter end of the spectrum for me. Oh boy does it ever. But my kids love mac and cheese and I knew I needed to find a recipe that I could feed them that I actually enjoyed eating too.
I’ve tried many from scratch recipes over the years but I when I tasted this one a few months ago I was so excited because I knew it was the recipe I’ve been looking for all my life. It was love at first bite.
My favorite baked macaroni & cheese
I had to adapt it heavily to meet all of my taste and ingredient requirements. And the end product is amazing. I think you’ll agree too.
No crusty weird breadcrumb topping. The texture is just something that’s never worked for me.
Real cheese. Yes sir. That is absolutely a must.
Flavor. Um. Pretty basic requirement here, but it’s gotta be interesting to my taste buds.
And creamy. Not sticky and gooey. But melty and creamy.
Well, guess what my friends?
I’m pleased to say that this recipe meets all those requirements and I’m excited for you to try it.
It is simply delicious. This is a recipe I am happy to feed to either adults or kids alike. This creamy macaroni and cheese is true a family friendly comfort food.
Another family favorite macaroni and cheese recipe is this Instant Pot Mac and Cheese.
Macaroni and Cheese
Family friendly, creamy macaroni and cheese casserole from scratch.
Ingredients
- 4 cups elbow macaroni pasta
- 4 cups (16 ounces) grated cheddar cheese see note
Sauce Ingredients:
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 garlic clove minced
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth see note
- ⅛ teaspoon sage
- ⅛ teaspoon marjoram
- ⅛ teaspoon thyme
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon dried parsley
- ⅛ teaspoon paprika + more for sprinkling
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 ⅓ cup milk
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
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Cook elbow macaroni according to package directions until still firm (al dente). In my experience this is usually a minute or two less than the package suggests.
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While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce. In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Then add the garlic and sauté for about a minute until you can smell it. Then whisk in the flour making a paste and let cook for 1 to 2 minutes to develop the flavor. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and cook until it starts to thicken (about 5 to 8 minutes). Stir in the spices and milk. Heat until it returns to a bubble and thickens slightly (about 3 to 5 minutes). Then taste and add more salt and pepper, if desired. Turn off the burner and set aside.
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After macaroni is cooked, drain it and add half of it to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle 2 cups of the grated cheese evenly over the macaroni. Repeat with the remainder of the macaroni followed by the remainder of the cheese. Then pour the sauce evenly over the top and sprinkle with paprika.
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Cover baking dish with tin foil and bake in preheat oven for 40-45 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and hot.
Recipe Notes
1. For the cheese I usually use mild or medium cheddar, but I think sharp cheddar would also be tasty.
2. For the chicken broth I usually use 1 ½ cups water plus 1 ½ teaspoons this chicken bouillon substitute.
Recipe Source: Heather @ The Cook’s Treat
All images and text ©The Cook’s Treat
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