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Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and Cheese

Family friendly, creamy macaroni and cheese casserole from scratch.

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword Mac and Cheese, Macaroni and Cheese
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Author Heather @ thecookstreat.com

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

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.