If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you know the other day I had a craving for Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. And, you already know I satisfied that craving – not shamefully, either. This macaroni and cheese recipe is almost as easy as making it out of a box, but much better for you and dare I say more delicious! 🙂
I’ve tried other homemade macaroni and cheese recipes in the past, but never liked the taste, consistency, or the steps included to prep. Mac ‘n cheese is meant to be simple. I love finding simple dinners to add to my menu and to share with you. The easier the recipe, the more likely you and I are to make it!
We had this first at our friends’ house when celebrating their 7-year-old grandson’s birthday. In that family, the kids get to pick whatever they want for dinner the day of their birthday. Funny enough, this young boy requested steak! His grandmother decided to accompany it with a fruit mixture (we were told he would not eat it if it was called fruit salad – hilarious!) and this homemade macaroni and cheese.
While the steak was definitely delicious, I was waiting all night to request the recipe for the macaroni. By the end of the evening, I forgot and went on my merry way. I later called up my friend and she quickly recited the recipe over the phone. After writing down the steps, I remember thinking “that’s it?”
Ironically enough, although the recipe is short and easy, for some reason my delinquent brain decided it wasn’t easy enough and completely forgot a step when making it for Judah’s party! Fortunately, the dish only suffered a little (a bit dry) and was still edible and tasty. I’ve since made it a few more times, including ALL steps, and it is fantastic! It serves as a good meal for Judah, as well.
I’m glad to finally have a simple homemade macaroni and cheese recipe, and looking forward to developing different variations of it. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll still cave in to those crazy Kraft cravings once in a while, but hopefully Judah will grow up with this homemade version and crave this when he’s my age instead. 🙂
Easy Mac ‘n Cheese
Yield: 8-10 side dish servings
12 – 16 ounces large elbow macaroni (or desired pasta)
1 lb sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
6 Tablespoons butter, divided
2 eggs
1 (14 oz) can evaporated milk
Preheat oven to 375˚F.
Prepare the pasta according to the package directions; cook to al dente. Meanwhile, melt 2 Tablespoons butter and pour into the bottom of a 9-x 13-inch pan. Layer half of the pasta into the pan, then top with half of the cheese. Dot with 2 tablespoons of the remaining butter. Repeat layers, ending with dotted butter.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the 2 eggs and evaporated milk. Pour evenly over the pasta. Bake for 20 minutes.
*To make this in advance, prepare all steps just before adding the eggs and milk. Refrigerate and pour milk/eggs over casserole right before baking.
Source: Alana Combs, friend of Pennies on a Platter
(This month we are giving back to the King family. Visit Pennies on a Platter from January 1st to 31st to increase the blog hits which will in turn raise more money for Veronica and her children. Please read this post for more information. You may also make a monetary donation by clicking on the PayPal button in the left hand column above.)
Wow, so happy to see an easy “mac and cheese” recipe. I will be trying it soon 🙂
Wow! Wonderful recipe – I will be using this for sure! Thanks 🙂
Oh, yum. Such a classic comfort food!
This sounds wonderful! I like using whole wheat pasta for the mac ‘n cheese, and I bet it would be yummy in this recipe.
oooo! I love that this recipe calls for evaporated rather than fresh milk. I never have fresh milk on hand but there’s always a can of milk in my pantry.
can you tell me , you said to add 1lb cheese, so how many cups it that?
thanks 🙂
Colleen – I think I use about 4 cups shredded cheese. Hope this helps!
-Nikki
What a great stumble for me!!! Is the cheese in this more like a cheese sauce because of the evap milk? I love homemade mac and cheese but for some reason my boyfriend hates it and will only eat the stuff out of the box. Which leaves us strained on nights I would like to make some. This would totally solve that problem! Thank you so muchhhh!!!!
Hi Ashley,
The cheese is thicker than a cheese sauce, but not as thick as other m&c recipes I’ve tried. The evaporated milk does give it a partial saucy consistency, though. Just don’t overbake it or it will dry out and not be as runny. 🙂
Nikki
thanks for answering my question about how much cheese to use in cup instead of weight, it does help
Your dish looks fun to make. I had some mac and cheese in Whistler in December and have been craving it ever since. I am going to have to try this dish and see how it works for me. Thank you
Ashlee
Nikki, I’ve been visiting your website on Veronica’s behalf, but I’m also glad to have found this great recipe! I may very well give this a go tomorrow for lunch! Thanks, and thanks also for what you’re doing for Veronica and the kids!
I LOVE Mac and Cheese – Sunday night I had a craving and settled for Velveeta. I had all of these ingredients and could’ve made this…Oh well, next time!!
I was always a fan of mac and cheese from the box too. Then I tried Ina Garten’s Lobster mac and cheese and I was converted.
This is exactly how my Mawmaw has always made her mac and cheese! It’s the one thing that she absolutely has to bring to every family gathering, so I can say from experience that this recipe is delicious! 🙂
This is how I make my mac n’ cheese! Looks delicious! 🙂
Just finished devouring this for lunch with my 4 kiddos. Baby is still working on hers. I agree – don’t overcook – my kids would have like it a little saucier. Yummy flavor – wish I’d added a little salt to the egg/milk mix so I didn’t have to salt at the table. Or maybe since I used a cheese mix (not enough cheddar in the house) it wasn’t saltly enough. SOOO satisfies the cheesy carb craving!
Yumm!
Can I just use regular milk instead of evap. milk?? Will it taste crappy then?
Doris – Haven’t done it, but you can give it a try! It won’t be as creamy, rich and thick, so I wouldn’t recommend it. 🙂
-Nikki
Love this! Can I use fat free evaporated milk?
Hi Sara,
You can probably use it, but again, it may not be as rich and creamy. 🙂
-Nikki
I made this tonight as a side dish tonight. It was delicious! My son really like it!
I made this recipe this past week and both me and my husband loved it. Super quick and easy and delicious! Thx for sharing this great recipe! Excellent for cheese lovers like myself! I’ll definitely be making it again.:)
My friend Stephanie C. posted this on her FB wall, & it’s become a family favorite. I love that my not-quite-2-year-old son gets so excited when he sees it. He smiles and says “cheese,” and always cleans his plate when we have it for lunch! I’m making it for my church’s fellowship meal tomorrow, too. I always come here to get the recipe, too, so you get blog hits each time.
Anyhow, another blog I follow hosts a recipe contest each Wed., for something simple that uses a few great deals & coupons. I doubt anyone uses a truly original recipe, but I thought I’d ask before using this one. So could I?
Hi Tammy,
Sure, no problem. You can use the recipe. If there is a way to credit my site and link back, that would be much appreciated. 🙂 Very cute that your toddler gets excited to eat this. Judah loves it at well. Good luck on your contest!
Nikki
Thank you so very much! I was so happy to find this! You made my day! Thanks again!!!
Nikki
This is very similar to the recipe I use, however, I omit the butter and just use a little olive oil to grease the pan and to mix with the cooked pasta so it isn’t all sticky. I often am too lazy to grate the cheese so I buy pre-grated cheddar and sometimes mix in different kinds of cheeses. I only use one egg mixed with about a cup of no-fat milk, salt and pepper. And after pouring this over the pasta and cheese, sometimes add a bit more milk so I can see some liquid down among the pasta. I bake it at 350 to 375 until the top is golden brown and no free liquid is seen when you tilt the pan. I am sure that your mac and cheese is much creamier and richer but my family likes the crunchiness and there is much less fat….not that the dish is low-fat anyway.
My favorite recipe is even easier, just cooked pasta, grated cheddar cheese and sour cream 🙂 no waiting for it to bake either!
Found your blog through Pinterest for a different recipe, and looked for easy mac n’ cheese recipes here and found this. Made it for a family get-together, and it was a huge hit! I mixed about a half-cup of breadcrumbs with some garlic and onion powder, and then mixed them with couple tablespoons of melted butter to go on top, which gave it a lovely breadcrumb topping that we really liked! =D Thanks for sharing this deliciousness!
Love the name of your site:) Will have to try this.
Could you use canned cheddar cheese
Hi Katie,
Yes, you probably can with a few other tweaks, but I haven’t tested it.