This Baked Macaroni and Cheese recipe is super easy with simple ingredients!
If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you know the other day I had a craving for Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.ย And, you already know I satisfied that craving – not shamefully, either.ย 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! ๐
I’ve tried other homemade macaroni and cheese recipes in the past, but never liked the taste, consistency, or the steps included to prep.ย Mac ‘n cheese is meant to be easy.ย I love finding simple dinners to add to my menu and to share with you.ย The easier the recipe, the more likely you and I are to make it!
We first had this Baked Macaroni and Cheese at our friends’ house when celebrating their 7-year-old grandson’s birthday.ย In that family, the kids get to pick whatever they want for dinner the day of their birthday.ย Funny enough, this young boy requested steak!ย 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 easy macaroni and cheese.ย By the end of the evening, I forgot and went on my merry way.ย I later called up my friend and she quickly recited the recipe over the phone.ย 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!ย Fortunately, the dish only suffered a little (a bit dry) and was still edible and tasty.ย I’ve since made it a few more times, including ALL steps, and it is fantastic!ย It serves as a good meal for Judah, as well.
I’m glad to finally have an easy homemade macaroni and cheese recipe, and looking forward to developing different variations of it.ย 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.ย ๐
- 12 โ 16 ounces large elbow macaroni or desired pasta
- 1 lb sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 6 Tablespoons butter divided
- 2 eggs
- 1 (14 ocan evaporated milk
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Preheat oven to 375หF.
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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.
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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.
Snap a photo and tag @seededtable on Instagram so I can share!
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sueknapp@gmail.com says
January 12, 2011 at 5:19 AMWow, so happy to see an easy “mac and cheese” recipe. I will be trying it soon ๐
Dene Morgan says
January 12, 2011 at 7:12 AMWow! Wonderful recipe – I will be using this for sure! Thanks ๐
Liz @ Blog is the New Black says
January 12, 2011 at 8:41 AMOh, yum. Such a classic comfort food!
Sue Gladd says
January 12, 2011 at 8:50 AMThis sounds wonderful! I like using whole wheat pasta for the mac ‘n cheese, and I bet it would be yummy in this recipe.
gabriellemarielopez says
January 12, 2011 at 12:06 PMoooo! 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.
Colleen says
January 12, 2011 at 12:09 PMcan you tell me , you said to add 1lb cheese, so how many cups it that?
thanks ๐
Pennies on a Platter says
January 12, 2011 at 12:58 PMColleen – I think I use about 4 cups shredded cheese. Hope this helps!
-Nikki
Ashley says
January 12, 2011 at 4:25 PMWhat 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!!!!
Pennies on a Platter says
January 12, 2011 at 4:53 PMHi 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. ๐
Nikki
Colleen says
January 12, 2011 at 7:03 PMthanks for answering my question about how much cheese to use in cup instead of weight, it does help
Ashlee (ashandlewplus2.com) says
January 12, 2011 at 10:17 PMYour 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
Glen says
January 12, 2011 at 11:08 PMNikki, 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!
fashionfitnessfoodie says
January 13, 2011 at 6:00 AMI 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!!
Jenna says
January 13, 2011 at 7:29 AMI 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.
catberner says
January 13, 2011 at 9:00 AMThis 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! ๐
Miss Anthropist says
January 13, 2011 at 2:41 PMThis is how I make my mac n’ cheese! Looks delicious! ๐
Julie says
January 14, 2011 at 11:50 AMJust 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!
Doris says
January 15, 2011 at 10:16 AMYumm!
Can I just use regular milk instead of evap. milk?? Will it taste crappy then?
Pennies on a Platter says
January 15, 2011 at 12:30 PMDoris – 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. ๐
-Nikki
sara says
January 15, 2011 at 2:25 PMLove this! Can I use fat free evaporated milk?
Pennies on a Platter says
January 15, 2011 at 5:21 PMHi Sara,
You can probably use it, but again, it may not be as rich and creamy. ๐
-Nikki
Michelle says
January 30, 2011 at 8:03 PMI made this tonight as a side dish tonight. It was delicious! My son really like it!
Stephanie says
February 2, 2011 at 8:24 AMI 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.:)
Tammy says
April 2, 2011 at 7:59 PMMy 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?
Nikki says
April 3, 2011 at 7:56 AMHi 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. ๐ Very cute that your toddler gets excited to eat this. Judah loves it at well. Good luck on your contest!
Nikki
Lovie Amous says
November 23, 2011 at 5:10 AMThank you so very much! I was so happy to find this! You made my day! Thanks again!!!
Pat says
December 6, 2011 at 6:53 AMNikki
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.
Meesh says
January 27, 2012 at 1:26 PMMy favorite recipe is even easier, just cooked pasta, grated cheddar cheese and sour cream ๐ no waiting for it to bake either!
Samantha M. says
April 4, 2012 at 1:50 AMFound 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!
Patty says
September 17, 2012 at 9:37 PMLove the name of your site:) Will have to try this.
Katie says
January 28, 2016 at 10:14 AMCould you use canned cheddar cheese
Nikki Gladd says
January 28, 2016 at 10:42 AMHi Katie,
Yes, you probably can with a few other tweaks, but I haven’t tested it.