Honestly, I love mac and cheese. I could eat it almost every day – no seriously, I could. Here’s the only recipe you’ll ever need!

Ingredients

6 cups of cooked pasta (elbow macaroni works best)

1 stick of butter

4 tablespoons of flour

3 cups of half and half

1 cup of heavy cream (optional)

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of pepper

1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon of onion powder

1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika

4 cups of shredded cheese – your choice (for this, I used what I had left over Havarti, Parmesan, White Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Gouda, and Velveeta)

1/2 cup of sour cream

*shredded cheese for topping

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Melt the butter.

3. Then stir in the flour and cook for about 60 seconds while constantly stirring.

4. Add in half and half and heavy cream and continue to stir periodically while on high heat. When the mixture comes to a boil, it should start to thicken.

5. Fold in cheese, salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder and sour cream.

6. Allow the cheese to melt down into a smooth sauce. This should take about 3 minutes on low heat.

7. Mix with the cooked pasta and pour into a baking dish and top with more shredded cheese.

8. Bake until golden brown and bubbly. Enjoy warm!

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

145 COMMENTS

  2. I could so eat mac and cheese everyday!!! I’m so excited to try this recipe. …it’s going to be my treat to myself once I lose another 10lbs! ! Keep praying for fat cells to leave!!! 🙂

    • God Bless you Darius! You are a man who cooks and enjoys cooking and sharing. My hubby burns water ~ seriously! I was raised cooking great foods and love to even see and learn more.
      I do add garlic powder and bread crumbs with the top layer of grated chesse…it gets crispy.

  3. Wow thank you for sharing this recipe. I saw you posted a picture of it a while ago on Facebook!!!! I will be cooking this next week!! Thank you

  4. I made this last night for a house full of boys. No complaints no leftovers. Best part about this recipe is that there is no eggs!

  5. Just made this…..SO GOOD!!! I only had 3 different cheeses, medium cheddar, sharp cheddar and Monterey jack. It was great!!! I’m definitely gonna be up in the late night snacking on this. Mac & cheese is one of my weaknesses!

  6. I received my order confirmation from the Stories from My Grandmother’s Kitchen Cookbook. I am so excited!

  7. Thanks Darius I literally just put my mac n cheese in the oven 5 min ago. The cheese sauce is so flavorful. I can’t wait!!!! It’s not even 11 am here lol. I know it will be delicious.

  10. Your mac and cheese look so so good! I’m going to try my luck at it! Thanks for the recipe! My new cooking friend

  13. Omg! I do not like you for this one bit. Need all this food in my life! Especially that soul cake. I am soooo mad!

  14. I love this recipe, actually used the one in the cookbook faithfully. My only question is: How long do you actually cook this in the oven on 400? My issue with mac and cheese is overcooking it and drying it out. What’s your recommendation?

  15. I just tried this mac n cheese recipe and it…is…the…best!!! I could eat just the sauce alone, even before adding the pasta!! Next time I will try it with gouda, you can never go wrong with that! Thanks Darius for this simple, yet wonderful recipe! I love it

  20. I love Mac cheese, that’s my weakness….looks so delicious…but what is heavy cream

    • Heavy cream, also called heavy whipping cream, is whipping cream with a milk fat content of between 36 and 40 percent. Whipping cream will double in volume when whipped. Heavy cream is not the same as the British double cream. Double cream has 48% butterfat, 8% higher than the highest-fat cream available in the United States.

  21. How did u split up the cheeses with 4 cups and 6 cheeses? I loooveeee Mac and cheese ..I’m an addict for some good Mac and cheese

  22. IT LOOKS SO DELICOUS I WILL BE TRYING THIS RECIPE VERY SOON. KEEP POSTING I AM PREPARING FOR THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS DINNER. I NEED SOME DIFFERENT DISHES.

    • Macaroni, Penne, or Rotini:
      4 ounces dry = 2 1/2 cups cooked
      8 ounces dry = 4 1/2 cups cooked

      You can find just about anything using the internet. I learned something new today. Thanks

  28. This has become my only Mac N Cheese recipe! My hubby loves it and so do I. I can’t thank you enough.
    (I use Sharp cheddar, Monterrey Jack, and Velveeta. I also sprinkle panko on top for some crunch.)

  32. I would love to try this on my family members. Eighty (80) of us will be together for Labor Day. Can/will you give me the measurements of ingredients for 80 people? Thank you so much and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

  36. Absolutely love this mac & cheese recipe. Made it for dinner a few days ago and the kids requested it again tonight for dinner. I used gouda, havarti, a smoked cheese, Monterey jack, sharp cheddar and velveeta.
    This is my new go to recipe!

  37. Going to try this with fresh garlic and onion and a pinch of nutmeg. I like the idea of using what ever cheeses are on hand. Peace

  41. This came out great!! I only had two main problems… salt was lacking terribly and also I wasn’t sure how long to leave it in…dried out a little.

  42. I was in the store the other day asking people if they knew how to cook mac and cheese. No one knew so I did my own feeble attempt. Now I’m going to do it right! I love mac and cheese. Oh my goodness! I now have a great recipe! Thank you Darius. Shalom ahch

  46. I absolutely was overjoyed to try this recipe….the flavors combined was impeccable and my family loved it. The pan didn’t survive 2 days. This will definitely be the recipe I will be using from now on.

  49. Just finished cooking this with beef ribs and saute asparagus. .of course every cook adds their touch but the best I’ve ever had or made..thank you

  51. I made the mac and cheese as a side dish for Sunday dinner. It was a hit! I’m looking forward to trying some more of your recipes… putting in my order for your cookbook asap.

    • When it say’s fold in the cheese and the ingredients such as all the season do that means that you pult all that in with the butter,flour, half and half,heavy cream,etc..do you surppose to mix all this stuff together… I really needs to know

  57. O…M…G!!!!! I made this yesterday and returned to an empty casserole dish! It was going to be my lunch for today…epic fail! Everyone raved about how creamy and flavorful it was. I guess I’ll be making some more. I thank you for this recipe. My children thank you for this recipe. Heck, even my mom thanks you for this recipe. 🙂 Keep up the good work!!!!!

  60. To everyone asking how many uncooked cups of elbow pasta you use to yield 6-cups cooked, the answer is about two & two-thirds (2 2/3) cups.

    And, if you like a little spice, put some red pepper flakes in the sauce along with the onion and garlic powders. I also top with breadcrumbs and a light sprinkling of smoked paprika (right on top of the shredded cheese layer).

  61. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE this recipe. I will definitely be using this one from now on. The cheese sauce was delicious by itself. My kids loved how it was very creamy and flavorful. My family loved it and ate it all the first night.

  62. This looks really good but greasy. Grease make my tummy hurts. Can I decrease the amount of butter. Maybe to 1/2 of stick. Not tryna make it healthy just decreasing the butter.

  64. Your mac and cheese looks great I did mine that way cheese got thick I added pasta it was OK but I like it little thinner what can I do ty love your recipes wish you had a TV show

  66. The mac & cheese in used to make was smoking BUT this….. babes this is delish…. on top of it being good already I added 5lbs of lobster claw meat! When I say SMOKING!!!! THIS IS DEFINITELY A HIT!!!

  67. I tried this recipe and it’s flawless, OMG! It tastes so good! Thank you for sharing the recipe and I will be making this again.

  70. This recipe yeilds how many servings? I want to try it Saturday and compare it against my own recipe lol. Hope I don’t embarrass myself lol

  72. Omg!!! This recipe was awesome and I was a total hit with the family. The mac n cheese came out perfectly! Thanks!

  73. It brought tears to my eyes and water to my mouth to see that home cooking southern style I miss so much in my family…..and a good man cooking too like my grand pap would just brought back memories of how he loved to cook for the family (of course my Gma checking on things) but she too would make her mac and cheese and sweet butter biscuits…..Mmmm dang man!!!! But i will purchase your book cause I need to get back to my roots from time to time thank you and stay blessed with those good looks and good feeling food your magic touch makes….one love

  76. I have been trying to perfect oven baked mac-n-cheese for about 13 years now… Since my oldest son was born. I have NEVER been able to make a good batch! I made this last night after seeing this recipe posted on Facebook last week. All I can say is OH MY GAWD!! It was absolutely delicious! I used Gouda, Havarti, sharp cheddar, and American cheese. My mother-in-law said it was better than hers!! and hers is REALLY GOOD! I am so happy I found this recipe and I will be using it from now on!

  78. Hi yall,

    Is this with unsalted or salted butter? Someone in the comments mentioned salt content so that got me curious.

    Thanks!

  81. How long do you leave it in the over? Also, do you cook it covered or uncovered? Please please please respond. Thank you.

  83. I am having trouble finding the gouda cheese, and how much of it do I need to make a good pan especially for thanksgiving? I was thinking they may have it the deli, but as I stated I am unsure of how much to get.

  85. Questions to those who have successfully tried this recipe. Do you use 4 cups of each cheese or 4 cups for all the cheeses.

  87. Made this tonight and it’s delicious. Recipe was easy to follow. I know what I’ll be making for Thanksgiving. Ordering the cookbook. Thanks.

  88. Love love love it. Looks yummy, but I would love to know an estimated prep and cook time and how many it serves. I can’t wait to try it!

  89. Ok I have to tell ya right from the start I am not a cook by any stretch of the imagination. I am 56 years old and never really been a cook except for the grill. Very recently the wife took on a job working night shift and we have granddaughters we are raising so it has now fallen on Pawpaw to start doing some evening and weekend cooking. I ran upon this recipe on face book and decided to give it a try since it looked very easy to make and very tasty However since I like to try one pot dinners I kind of altered it just a bit. I used your recipe with three different cheeses and I also made it into a Bacon cheeseburger recipe. added a bit more half and half and a bit more heavy cream a bit more cheese and 1 1/4 lb burger and a large hand full of bacon bits most in the mix but used some to decorate the top. My wife and granddaughters came in and smelled it in the oven last night and the first thing they said is oh my god he is going to try an poison us again. Gratitude for trying right? They were teasing of course but I have to say some of my earlier experiments didn’t go over very well. Anyhow it was done and we all sat down to eat and I waited until they were seated and eating waiting for a response. They were all eating without saying one word and I finally asked well how is it. Well one granddaughter just smiled the biggest smile I had ever seen on her and one the youngest just said Pawpaw you are a chef and the wife said you better never lose this recipe. So I want to say thanks for this recipe it is a big hit. The wife also wants me to just make it in the mac and cheese version for thanksgiving dinner. I think I screwed myself but oh well it is a great dish.

  90. made it but changed it just a bit to a bacon cheeseburger recipe and I was called a chef by my family. Just added 1 1/4 lb burger and 1 large handful of bacon bits and little more half and half and a bit more heavy cream and 1 more cup of cheese. The wife told me I better never lose the recipe.

  92. I tried t he recipe just looking at the video on facebook and it was a home run! I am a new fan my brother and I will be getting the cook book and coming to one of the parties.

  94. I want to try this recipe, however it’s just me and my husband. It would be nice if the website had a tool where you could halve or quarter the recipe.

  96. Use this recipe today for Thanksgiving. This is officially the best ever! Mac-n-cheese will never be cooked any other way in my house!

  98. Mannnnn, I was eating the cheese sauce before I poured it over the macaroni. This is a KEEPER! Thank you Darius.

  99. I made this mac n cheese for thanksgiving it was everyone’s favorite dish!!!! I just doubled the recipe and used 2 boxes of mac n cheese. The cheeses I had was gouda, gruyere, mozzarella, sharp cheddar and velveeta. Came out perfect. Everyone was waiting for it to come out the oven. This will definitely be my new mac n cheese recipe. Thanks Darius!!!!

  101. I’ve made this recipe SOOOOOOOO many times that I made my Ma make it for Thanksgiving. She made a sheet pan full. There was only 10 of us. It was ALL gone by the time Thanksgiving was over. That and the sheet pan of dressing never saw the light of day! Everyone raved of how good it was.

    Thanks!!!

  103. In the Mac & cheese and with the grated ,chesse, dry bread crumbs for the topping, I use at least a tablespoon of garlic powder….it adds so much flavor! Don’t be afraid of it! Watch Darius making his apple barbecue sauce , Cole slaw, etc., he uses a lot of it!

  104. Omg, I made this macaroni and cheese on Wednesday, that jawn was off the chain, I will be making it this way from now on . Thank you for sharing. I want your cookbook for Christmas.

  105. OMG!!! I made this for Thanksgiving for my youngest daughter and it was “LIFE” as she would say. I’m making it again for Christmas so my other daughters can add this one to their collection of good eating. Thanks Darius for a wonderful tasting mac and cheese. My grandsons are going to kill this one.

  106. Love , love, love this recipe! Guaranteed easy clean up with no left over. I used Havarti, sharp and medium cheddar cheeses. Don’t worry about what cheeses to use just have fun and experiment. I used the whole 16 oz box of rotini pasta and it was more than enough cheese sauce for it. For those who ate the cheese sauce before mixing with the pasta I am loling because I thought I was the only one! The sauce is just that good.

  108. ONG,I had given up on making Mac and Cheese, I decided to give this recipe a try, I was so proud of myself, During the night, I could here my daughter going downstairs, and I knew why, I told her to slow down , we need to save it for dinner again, I really don’t think it will make it! Thanks again Dariius.

  109. I’ve always thought I had the best mac and cheese out there — but I would use egg and milk “mix” to go on top of the pasta and layered cheeses– and it would dry out sometimes. Not to mention the “eggy” taste. I tried this on Christmas Day – OMG!!! Off the chain good!!! My hubby, who loves mac and cheese, devoured this!!! A large pan was nearly 1/2 gone the same night between the three of us!! To answer some questions: I didn’t limit myself to 4 cups of cheese but used six different cheeses and used 6 cups total — didn’t change it one bit. I also added 1/4 tsp. of cayenne pepper (as hubby likes spicy) and it certainly brought it up a notch! Used medium cheddar for the topping cheese and put crispy onions on top for flavor and crunch (only for the last 10 minutes). I will only use this recipe from now on, and use variations of spices for flavor — and it NEVER dries out (unless it was WAY overbaked).

  110. Mac n cheese has an awesome flavor. Next time I will thin my sauce out more. This is better than Patti Labelle’s Mac n cheese and is so easy to make. I’m so glad I ran across you on the Facebook! Will definitely try other recipes by you. I hope this reheats well!

  111. I really enjoyed this recipe I love the flavors I added chicken and bacon to it and OMG ITS A BLESSING THENK YOU SO MUCH !!!!

  113. Again no left overs. Cooked your cornbread dressing and this mac and cheese. Like i said no left overs. That never happens in my house. Thanks again Darius

  115. This is my son’s favorite meal for me to fix him. He’s 26 & married! Lol You have a fam for life with him!

  116. So delicious! I served this recipe to a group of 8 and there were no leftovers! Thank you for sharing your recipe. Even my toddler loved it!

Comments are closed.