It doesn’t get much better than this Pioneer Woman’s Mac & Cheese Recipe!! This is the best ever Mac & Cheese! You have to try it at least once!
I would love to take credit for this recipe! It has been made in my house nothing short of gazillion times! I have walked many miles on the treadmill so that I could enjoy a big creamy bowl of THE BEST EVER Mac & Cheese. This is simply the best you will ever make; Pioneer Woman’s Mac & Cheese.
Now while I try to share 30 minute or fewer recipes, this one comes in at around 35 if you choose to put it in the oven. We may just have to let it slide.
I have tried many Mac & Cheese Recipes to find the absolute best! I will save you all the effort and the ingredients. Just print this one, duct tape it to the fridge, and you are good to go. You are not going to find a better recipe! PROMISE!
Need a dish to take to a potluck? DONE
Need a side dish for dinner? DONE
Are kids hungry? DONE
Need to leave something in the fridge for the hubby to reheat? DONE
Plus the leftovers are perfect to use to make these for an appetizer. I am not saying you will have leftovers though. You may have to make a second batch!
Can I Make this Ahead?
Yes, you can! This is a great dish to make ahead of time and keep in the fridge until ready to bake. You can keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days before baking or just enjoying it.
If you are going from the fridge to the oven you are going to want to add to the baking time to heat the dish. I would say around 35 – 40 minutes.
Can I use Other Cheeses?
Please do! I recommend you play around with recipes and make them suit your family’s tastes. Change up the cheeses. Create your own special blend. In our house, we love the Monterey Jack Mix or Mexican Blend. Make this more than once and try it with different cheeses and do a taste test. It’s a hard job but someone has to do it.
What size baking dish?
This is a great question because there really isn’t a right answer. I like to put this in a 13×9 baking dish because I can fit more toppings across the top. This means extra cheese and breadcrumbs (if I am using them). However, any casserole dish 3 qt or larger should do the trick.
Vegan Mac & Cheese
Because Mac & Cheese should be enjoyed by everyone! Try this delicious that is just as yummy!
Gluten-Free Mac & Cheese
While I am sure Ree Drummond didn’t intend this recipe to be made gluten-free there are only a couple of quick substitutions that need to be made. Simply use a gluten-free macaroni and a gluten-free flour for the roux.
Pioneer Woman’s Mac & Cheese
It doesn’t get much better than this Pioneer Woman’s Mac & Cheese Recipe!! This is the best ever Mac & Cheese! You have to try it at least once!
1poundcheddar cheeseshredded (Monterey jack mix is good too)
1/2teaspoonSaltMore To Taste
1/2teaspoonSeasoned SaltMore To Taste
1/2teaspoonBlack Pepper
SpicesCayenne Pepper, paprika, thyme / optional
Instructions
Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.
In a small bowl, beat egg.
In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn.
Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.
Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth.
Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth.
Add in cheese and stir to melt.
Add salt and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! DO NOT UNDERSALT.
Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine.
Serve immediately (very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 350 degrees F or until bubbly and golden on top.
Gluten Free
Use gluten freemacaroni and replace the flour with a gluten freeflour mix.
Video
Notes
You can leave out the mustard or reduce it. I like to add a little garlic salt. Delish!
What Is the Best Cheese for Mac and Cheese? Sharp cheddar is the overwhelming popular choice, but for extra-creamy results, we think medium cheddar is even better. Other delicious options include Gruyère, smoked Gouda, and Monterey Jack.
How to Make Boxed Mac and Cheese Taste Better. To improve the tang and overall cheesiness of your boxed mac, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt to the cooked and drained pasta while it's still warm. Toss to combine, then stir in the cheese powder until it's uniformly blended.
Cut back on cream. While cream can add a lot of flavor, too much of a good thing is just that: too much. A lot of heavy cream can create too thick of a sauce that doesn't contain enough water content to keep everything saucy.
Milk: Keeps our cheese sauce super creamy. I use whole milk or reduced-fat milk. Mustard and spices: A combination of Dijon mustard, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and salt makes this macaroni and cheese extra delicious. Cheese: I use white cheddar and parmesan or pecorino cheese.
Unsalted Butter + All-Purpose Flour: The combination of these creates a roux, which thickens the cheese sauce. Milk: The base of the cheese sauce! I recommend using whole milk for a richer, thicker sauce, but 2% will also work. Cheese: We use a combination of American and cheddar cheeses for a classic, creamy flavor.
Finally, using a plain yogurt is one of the best options for replacing milk in kraft mac and cheese! A plain whole milk yogurt or a greek yogurt would work well. Mix it in the same way you'd mix in sour cream, until it is well incorporated. This may have a slightly tangier flavor, but that is a personal preference.
According to The Kitchn, cooking your noodles in milk instead of water makes the sauce creamy before you even add the cheese sauce. The starches in the noodles get released as you cook them, helping to thicken the mixture from the start.
Try adding a little more salt first, because that might fix it. If the problem was the cheese you use doesn't have much flavor, then try adding some other flavors, such has mustard or hot sauce. The next time you make it, try to find some more strongly flavor cheese, or adding more cheese.
Kenji illustrates this effect beautifully in his 15-Minute Ultra-Gooey Stovetop Mac and Cheese and Nacho Cheese Sauce. The cornstarch yields a smoother, creamier, more velvety texture than flour or cheese alone.
"Stir in about 2 Tbs. of milk per 1 cup of mac and cheese and reheat," he says. The milk loosens up the pasta and helps create the creamy sauce as it's reheating. Heavy cream works well in this case too and adds an extra touch of richness to the mac and cheese.
For baked mac and cheese, I'll generally cook the pasta for about five minutes in boiling, salted water, before I mix in the cheese sauce and bake. It will absorb all that creamy goodness and fully cook in the oven. It will never be al dente, but it definitely should not be mushy, either.
Kraft Grated Three Cheese Blend – Add a sprinkle of zing to your favorite pastas, pizzas, seafood, salads and more with the bold taste of Kraft grated Parmesan, Romano & Asiago cheeses.
What is the best melting cheese? Cheeses with more moisture and lower melting points - cheddar is one of the most popular choices, but Swiss and Gruyère are also terrific options.
Introduction: My name is Fr. Dewey Fisher, I am a powerful, open, faithful, combative, spotless, faithful, fair person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.