This simple 5 ingredient macaroni and cheese recipe is the base of all great cheesiness. Eat it straight from the pot or bake it in the oven for an easy baked mac and cheese. Either way, it's delicious!
Recipe: $3.64 | Per Serving: $0.36 | Servings: 10
I adore mac and cheese—who doesn't? It's a comfort food classic that's constantly sought after for the perfect recipe.
Among the many out there, this one's my favorite! It strikes the right balance of creaminess without turning into a cheesy soup.
Consider this recipe a base, perfect for adding your own twists and flavors. It's beginner-friendly too, offering the experience and confidence to make mac and cheese from scratch.
Explore the suggestions below for tasty variations to customize your dish. And if you have leftovers (a rarity), try making Mac and Cheese Quesadillas the next day!
For more mac and cheese delights, try my 3 Ingredient Spinach Artichoke Mac and Cheese, Mac and Cheese Tuna Casserole, and Homemade Hamburger Helper.
Jump to:
🍯 Why This Recipe Works
- It takes less than 30 minutes. With this fast and simple creamy stovetop mac and cheese recipe, you can have a tasty dish in no time. It's one of our favorite Cheap Family Meals Under $10, and the fact that it's quick makes it a double winner in our books.
- It's ready for anything! Serve it as a main dish or a side dish, and enjoy this quick and easy comfort dish for any occasion!
- Perfect consistency. It's filled with great cheesiness, it's an easy recipe, and it's not too wet or too dry. In my opinion, these things are what make it perfect!
🥘 Ingredients
Ingredient Notes:
Butter- You'll need to use butter (although margarine works too) to start the homemade roux sauce. You can use salted or unsalted butter, depending on what you have on hand.
Shredded Cheese- I like to use sharp cheddar cheese, but any good melting cheese works perfectly here!
Milk- To make the sauce smooth and creamy, use a fattier milk. Unsweetened almond milk, evaporated milk, or even soy milk may be used in a pinch, but it just doesn't feel the same.
For specific ingredients and measurements, please see the recipe card below.
🧂Seasonings
This mac and cheese recipe serves as a basic foundation, ideal for beginners or those looking to add their own flavor twists.
To enhance flavor without adding heat, consider incorporating a few dashes of cayenne pepper into the cheese sauce. This addition provides a subtle color boost and elevates overall flavor profiles.
For additional seasoning options, you can experiment with:
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Paprika
- Smoked paprika
- Ground mustard
🧀What cheeses to use
Medium or sharp cheddar cheese adds robust flavor and rich color to mac and cheese. Experiment with other cheeses like Colby jack or mozzarella for different taste and texture.
📖 Variations
For a richer flavor, increase the cheese quantity by up to another cup. Mix different cheeses for added complexity; for instance, use 8 ounces of cheddar cheese in the sauce and incorporate miscellaneous cheeses like deli slices, mozzarella chunks, or shredded parmesan. It's an excellent way to utilize leftover cheeses!
🔪 Instructions for 5 Ingredient Mac and Cheese
Step 1: Boil noodles according to package directions (Image 1).
Step 2: Drain into a colander and set aside (Image 2).
Step 3: While the noodles are cooking, melt your butter over medium heat in a medium-sized pot (Image 3).
Step 4: Add in the flour (Image 4) and whisk until combined. It will create a few flour lumps. This is okay.
Step 5 Slowly add in the milk and whisk together until smooth (Image 5).
Step 6: Keep whisking until the mixture thickens (about 2-3 minutes) (Image 6).
Step 7: Add in the cheese (Image 7).
Step 8: Continue whisking until it's well-mixed and smooth (Image 8).
Step 9: Pour the cheese sauce over the noodles (Image 9).
Step 10: Stir to combine (Image 10).
Scoop and serve.
Enjoy!
🍴 Recipe Tips
To bake macaroni and cheese in the oven, follow these simple steps:
- Prepare the macaroni and cheese according to the recipe, using half the requested flour. This allows the noodle starches to help thicken the sauce.
- Transfer the cheesy noodles to a baking dish, spreading them out evenly.
- Optionally, top the noodles with additional cheese for an extra cheesy layer.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Once done, remove the macaroni and cheese from the oven and let it cool slightly before serving.
🥗 Side Dishes
This recipe tastes incredible as a main dish on its own (especially if you sprinkle little bacon bits on top or mix diced ham into the noodles!
Meatloaf with Ritz Crackers and Cast Iron Green Beans are some great dishes to serve alongside this creamy macaroni recipe!
⏲️Make Ahead Instructions
If you plan on making this 5 ingredient mac and cheese in advance (like a few hours or a day in advance of dinner), you'll want to keep it covered in the fridge until you're ready to heat and eat. In this case, I'd keep it in a covered baking dish and heat it in the oven because it's super simple to do.
Also, make sure to reduce the flour in the sauce by half (so only use 2 tablespoons) and cook the pasta until al dente, so it doesn't become too soft before serving.
👩🏻🍳 Storage
Fridge- Mac and cheese can be left well covered or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 or 5 days in the fridge. You can reheat it a single serving at a time on a plate in the microwave for about 1-2 minutes.
Freezer- This is a great dish to make and freeze for future meals! Simply make it as directed and then place it in a freezer friendly baking dish, covered in the freezer, until you're ready to eat.
You can bake it from frozen or let it thaw in the fridge overnight or on the counter for a few hours before baking.
💭 Recipe FAQs
Oh, that's a tough question! Making mac and cheese with whatever noodles you have on hand can always be a winner with the kids. Even crazy rainbow rotini noodles can be seen as fun and exciting (although I'm not a fan of the color combination). Use whatever is on sale or that you have on hand and you can't go wrong.
Yes, you can! I often find myself using rice noodles when my sister comes over for dinner and I swap out the flour for gluten free flour instead of all-purpose. This would make the dish gluten free (and celiac friendly).
No, you shouldn't need to cover your macaroni when baking it. You want the top to become a nice golden brown color. If you notice the top is getting too dark for your liking, you can gently lay a piece of foil over the top to prevent further browning.
❤️ More Delicious Pasta Recipes
If you tried 5 Ingredient Mac and Cheese, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your feedback in the 📝 comments section below. I would truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
5 Ingredient Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese (2 cups) ($1.98)
- 1 box (16oz) elbow noodles ($0.98)
- 2 cup milk ($0.40)
- ¼ cup all purpose flour ($0.03)
- 2 Tablespoons butter ($0.25)
Instructions
- Make the noodles according to the package directions, drain and then set aside.
- While the noodles are cooking, begin making your cheese sauce. In a small sauce pot, melt your butter over medium heat.
- Add in the flour and then whisk to combine. It will create a few flour lumps, but this is okay.
- Slowly add in the milk and whisk to combine. Whisk until the flour has dissovled and the mixture is smooth and thickened. (About 2-3 minutes)
- Add in the shredded cheese and continue to whisk until melted and thick.
- Pour the cheese sauce over the cooked noodles and stir to combine. Scoop and serve.
For baked mac and cheese
- Place the cheesy noodles in a baking dish and then top with additional cheese(optional). Bake in the oven at 350F degrees for 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Nancy says
I made this tonight for dinner. First time making it from scratch. It turned out Fantastic!! Thanks for a great recipe.
Nicole Durham says
So happy to hear that! Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing!
Heather Aguirre says
This was so good 😊 Will make again but use a cheese with more flavor. Make sure you add seasoning! It will have no flavor otherwise. I added salt, pepper, chicken bouillon powder, paprika, mustard powder, onion powder, and garlic powder. Delicious 🤤
ROBERT R BYERLEY says
I misplaced my go to mac n' cheese recipe so I thought I'd try this one. It is so good and even a tiny bit better than my old recipe and it was easy to make. This may be my new go to:) Thanks for sharing.
Robert
BeeyondCereal says
I'm so glad you liked it!
S.Luna says
We made it work with shells instead of elbows, used heavy whipping cream & half n half in place of milk. We didn't have cheddar but Mexican blend worked too, added cajun and chipotle seasoning salt and pepper. Overall good base recipe just needed more flavor.
Nicole Durham says
This is a base recipe to customize and make your own, which is sounds like you did. Glad you liked it! 🙂