Vegetarian Recipes

Homemade Mac and Cheese

If there’s one recipe that all cooks need to have under their belt, it’s a classic Homemade Mac and Cheese recipe. Straight-up creamy, comforting, cheesy goodness! This classic stovetop macaroni and cheese recipe is made with a simple but creamy roux-based cheese sauce that will satisfy all of your cheesy pasta cravings. It’s amazingly delicious on its own straight off the stovetop, but we also have instructions for baked mac and cheese and a list of fun add-ins and other ways you can make it your own.

Overhead view of mac and cheese in a sauce pan, with some on a serving spoon.

I have tried so many Mac and cheese recipes and my kids haven’t liked a single one. I gave this one a try tonight and they all came back for seconds. We will definitely be adding it to our recipe book.

Jillian

How to Make Mac and Cheese Extra Creamy

For this extra cheesy homemade mac and cheese recipe, I used slightly more roux and added about 30% more cheese than I generally do to my simple stovetop macaroni and cheese recipes. The thicker sauce and extra cheese made this recipe so lusciously creamy and cheesy that I couldn’t stop sneaking forkfuls between photographs. AND the best part is that it even stays smooth and creamy when reheated in the microwave. Mac and cheese heaven! 🙌

Here’s what you’ll need to make this super creamy and cheesy homemade mac and cheese recipe:

Macaroni: Of course! But you can actually use any pasta shape you like or have on hand and it will still be an amazing vehicle for this cheesy sauce.
Butter & Flour: Butter and flour make a “roux” which thickens the sauce and helps the cheese melt into the sauce smoothly. Without a roux, the water in the milk will repel the fat in the cheese and you’ll get a lumpy sauce.
Cheddar Cheese: I used sharp cheddar because it gives the most flavor punch, but you can use a medium or mild cheddar if you prefer. Always buy cheese in block form and shred it yourself for the smoothest sauce. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in starch and doesn’t always melt properly.
Seasoning: Because we want the flavor of the cheese to be the star of the show, I season the sauce simply with a little onion powder, hot sauce, and salt. That’s it! But we have plenty of ideas for more flavor add-ins below.

What Kind of Cheese is Best for Mac and Cheese?

Cheddar is probably the most popular cheese for macaroni and cheese and sharp cheddar provides the most pronounced flavor. But if you want to experiment outside of the confines of cheddar, there are a ton of other cheeses that are great in macaroni and cheese! You can use one or a combination of cheeses to make this recipe your own.

Here are some other cheeses that work great with macaroni and cheese:

Parmesan
Gruyere
Smoked Gouda
Parmesan
Chevre
Cream Cheese
Brie
Monterey jack or pepper jack

To get the smoothest, creamiest cheese sauce for your mac and cheese, follow these tips:

Do not use pre-shredded cheese, which is coated in starch and doesn’t melt smoothly.
Use whole milk for the richest sauce.
Make sure the milk has come to a simmer and fully thickened before beginning to add the cheese. If the starches in the roux have not plumped and thickened the sauce yet, the cheese will not melt in smoothly.
Do not let the cheese sauce boil. Overheating the cheese sauce can cause it to separate and become grainy, so after the milk has thickened, turn off the heat before adding the cheese.
If your pasta appears to be drowning in cheese, don’t worry! I’ll be the perfect consistency soon as the macaroni absorbs the sauce and thickens up.

What is a Roux?

This classic stovetop mac and cheese recipe starts with a roux, which is a cooked mixture of flour and fat (in this case, butter). The roux thickens the sauce and helps the cheese melt smoothly into the sauce instead of clumping up as it melts. While there are ways to make a cheese sauce without a roux, taking this extra step definitely creates the creamiest, dreamiest cheese sauce for your mac and cheese.

Variations to Try!

Here’s where the recipe can get really fun. In addition to changing the cheeses, you can switch up the herbs and spices, add in some veggies, or your favorite protein to make your own creation. Here are some other fun ingredients to add to your mac and cheese:

Proteins: Cooked chicken, Bacon, Sausage, Tuna, Ham
Vegetables: Broccoli, Spinach, Peas, Pickled jalapeños, Rotel
Sauces & Condiments: Kimchi, Pesto, Sriracha, Salsa, Buffalo sauce

Storage & Reheating

Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. It’ll get a bit thicker the longer it’s stored because the pasta will absorb more of the creamy sauce, but it’s still delicious! I usually reheat it in the microwave until heated through.

Overhead view of a plate of mac and cheese.

Homemade Mac and Cheese Recipe

This incredibly creamy and cheesy homemade mac and cheese recipe features an easy cheese sauce made with sharp cheddar, milk, and butter.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Total Cost $3.60 recipe / $0.90 serving

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 20

Total Time 25

Servings about 1.25 cups each

Calories 612kcal

Author Beth Moncel

Equipment

Measuring Cups Spoons
Liquid Measuring Cups
Whisk

Ingredients

8 oz. macaroni $0.49
3 Tbsp butter $0.39
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour $0.06
1/2 tsp onion powder $0.03
2 cups whole milk $0.36
1/2 tsp hot sauce* $0.02
1/2 tsp salt $0.01
8 oz. block sharp cheddar, shredded $2.24

Instructions

Cook the macaroni according to the package directions (boil for 7-8 minutes, or until tender). Drain the macaroni in a colander.
Place the butter, flour, and onion powder in a medium pot. Whisk and heat over medium until the butter is melted and the mixture begins to bubble. Once bubbling, continue to whisk and cook for one minute.
After cooking the butter and flour roux, whisk in the milk. Continue to cook and whisk over medium heat until the milk begins to gently simmer, at which point it will thicken to the consistency of heavy cream or gravy.
Turn the burner off. Season the white sauce with the salt and hot sauce.
Begin to add the shredded cheddar, one handful at a time, whisking it in until completely melted before adding more. Continue until all of the cheese has been melted into the sauce. If the sauce becomes too cold to melt the cheese, place it back over low heat only briefly to continue melting the cheese. Overheating the sauce can cause it to break and become grainy.
Add the cooked and drained pasta to the pot with the cheese sauce and stir to combine. Serve hot and enjoy!

Baked Mac and Cheese

Preheat the oven to 350ºF
After combining the drained pasta and cheese sauce, transfer it to a casserole dish.
Top with more shredded cheese, then bake for 15 minutes.
To achieve a golden brown crispy cheese crust, turn on the oven’s broiler for just a few short minutes, watching it closely to prevent burning.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*This amount of hot sauce does not make the macaroni and cheese spicy. It just brightens the flavor a bit. You can also accomplish this with Dijon mustard (same amount).

Nutrition

How to Make Homemade Mac and Cheese – step by step photos

Start by shredding an 8oz. block of sharp cheddar. It’s very important to shred the cheese yourself instead of using pre-shredded cheese. Gather the other ingredients.

Boiled macaroni pasta on a slotted spoon.

Boil 8oz. of macaroni according to the box directions (boil for 7-8 minutes, or just until tender). Drain the macaroni in a colander. (I used the Walmart ”Great Value” brand).

You can start the cheese sauce either while the macaroni is boiling, or wait until it’s draining and just make it in the same pot to save on dishes. Add 3 Tbsp butter, 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour, and ½ tsp onion powder to the pot.

Place the pot over medium heat and allow the butter to melt. Whisk the butter, flour, and onion powder together as the mixture begins to get bubbly and frothy. Cook and whisk for about one minute after it becomes bubbly.

Whisk 2 cups of milk into the butter and flour roux. Continue whisking as the milk begins to heat (keep the pot over medium heat).

Mac and cheese sauce coating the back of a spoon.

Allow the milk to come up to a gentle simmer, at which point it will thicken to the consistency of heavy cream or gravy. Turn the burner off at this point.

Hot sauce added to the sauce pan with mac and cheese sauce.

Season the sauce with ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp hot sauce, or the seasonings of your choice (other great options are dry mustard, pepper, smoked paprika, pesto, etc.).

Shredded cheese added to mac and cheese.

Begin adding 8oz. shredded cheddar to the pot, one handful at a time, whisking until it is completely melted before adding more. If the sauce cools down too much to continue melting the cheese, you can put it over low heat briefly, but avoid allowing the sauce to simmer again. Overheating cheese sauces will cause them to break and become grainy and oily.

A whisk dipped into the creamy sauce for mac and cheese.

When all of the cheese is melted into the sauce, the cheese sauce is complete. You can give it a taste at this point and adjust the seasonings if you’d like. Remember, you want the sauce to be seasoned well because the flavor intensity will be diluted a bit once the macaroni is added.

Overhead view of mac and cheese in a sauce pan with a slotted spoon.

Add the cooked and drained macaroni back to the pot and stir to combine with the cheese sauce.

And that’s it! Your homemade mac and cheese is done. Don’t tell me you don’t want to dive right into that pot and swim around a bit. 😂

Crockpot Mac And Cheese

$7.54 recipe / $1.25 serving

Creamy Pesto Mac with Spinach

$3.27 recipe / $0.55 serving

Simple, delicious, and totally comforting, this White Cheddar Mac and Cheese is the perfect quick fix for weeknight dinners. Budgetbytes.com

White Cheddar Mac and Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli

$6.66 recipe / $1.67 serving

Miracle Mac and Cheese

$2.72 recipe / $0.68 serving

Our homemade mac and cheese was originally published 12/6/21. We updated and republished it 12/31/24.

The post Homemade Mac and Cheese appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Vegetarian Recipes

Cherry Blondies

Whenever I’m craving something sweet, but I’m sick of the same old same old, I whip up a batch of these fudgy, chewy, fragrant Cherry Blondies! The creamy white chocolate, tart cherries, and crunchy almonds make this recipe stand out. This is not your typical blondie! I don’t use almond extract too often, but pairing its flavor with cherries and white chocolate is just a no-brainer to me. (But a little goes a long way, so use it sparingly!)

Easy Recipe for Cherry Blondies

Blondies are like brownies, just without the cocoa. Instead, they’re made with brown sugar and vanilla, and have the BEST buttery flavor and chewy texture.

For these cherry blondies, I mix in canned cherry pie filling (it adds a sweet-tart cherry flavor without a lot of fuss or cost), slivered almonds, and white chocolate chips. I also brown the butter first to bring out a nutty, almost toffee-like richness that’s totally worth the extra few minutes. A mix of brown and white sugar strikes the perfect balance of moisture and structure, while a splash of almond extract adds a frangipane-style flavor. Bake them once, and you’ll see why I keep coming back to this combo. 😋

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Cherry Blondies

These easy Cherry Blondies are loaded with white chocolate, almonds, and cherry pie filling for a sweet treat that’s simple to make and hard to resist.

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Total Cost $5.82 recipe / $0.64 serving

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1

Chill Time 20

Total Time 1 30

Servings slices

Calories 429kcal

Author Jess Rice

Equipment

8×8” Baking Dish
Parchment Paper
3 Mixing Bowls
Sauce Pan
Hand Mixer

Ingredients

1¾ cups all-purpose flour $0.28
½ tsp baking powder $0.02
¼ tsp salt $0.01
1 large egg $0.29
1 tsp vanilla extract $0.47
½ tsp almond extract $0.15
½ cup cherry pie filling $0.73*
1½ sticks salted butter cut into cubes, $1.48
½ cup granulated sugar $0.19
1 cup brown sugar $0.91
¼ cup white chocolate chips $0.42
¼ cup slivered almonds $0.87

Instructions

Grease and line an 8×8” baking dish with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350℉.
Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine the egg, vanilla, almond extract, and cherry pie filling. Mix together and set aside.
Cube the butter and melt over medium heat until frothy, whisking once in a while to make sure the milk solids don’t stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.
Once butter is browned, it will have a nutty aroma and darken in color. (Babysit it! Don’t let it burn!) Remove from heat.
Combine browned butter with granulated and brown sugar.
Mix with a hand mixer on low until combined. Then, add the wet cherry mixture and continue to mix until combined.
Finally, gently mix in the dry flour mixture little by little until a batter forms.
Fold in white chocolate and almond slivers.
Transfer batter to greased and line baking dish and add some extra white chocolate and almonds on top, if you have them.
Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool for 20 minutes before cutting. The interior may still be a little gooey. These are chewier than your typical brownie! Enjoy.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*The ingredients in a can of cherry pie filling are pretty simple, but I have found the Duncan Hines Comstock brand “Simply Cherry” in a can to have fewer ingredients and no added coloring, so if you see it next to the regular cherry pie filling, you may want to spring for that can instead. You could try making these with fresh cherries, which I skipped because I couldn’t find any at my local grocery store, just make sure you pit them first!

Nutrition

how to make Cherry Blondies step-by-step photos

The ingredients to make cherry blondies.

Gather all of your ingredients and preheat your oven to 350℉. Grease and line an 8×8” baking dish with parchment paper. Set this aside for now.

Flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.

Mix the dry ingredients: Add 1¾ cups flour, ½ tsp baking powder, and ¼ tsp salt to a mixing bowl and combine. Set this aside.

Cherry pie filling, egg, and vanilla extract in a bowl.

Mix the wet ingredients: In a different mixing bowl, combine 1 large egg, 1 tsp vanilla, ½ tsp almond extract, and ½ cup of cherry pie filling. Set this aside for now as well.

Brown the butter: Add 1½ sticks of cubed salted butter to a saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter until frothy, being sure to whisk it once in a while to avoid the milk solids from burning and sticking to the bottom of the pan. Babysit it, and don’t let it burn! It typically takes about 5-8 minutes for butter to brown.

When the butter is browned, it’ll smell nutty and be darker in color. There will also be flecks of brown throughout (those are toasted milk solids, and they’re full of flavor). Remove it from the heat once done.

Brown and white sugar added to a bowl of browned butter.

Make the batter: Pour the browned butter into a mixing bowl and add ½ cup granulated sugar and 1 cup brown sugar.

The wet ingredients for cherry blondies added to the creamed butter and sugar.

Use a hand mixer on low to combine the browned butter and sugars. Once mixed, add the wet cherry pie filling mixture and keep mixing until thoroughly combined.

Dry ingredients added to the wet ingredients to make cherry blondies.

Now, gently fold in the dry flour mixture a little at a time until a thick batter forms.

Slivered almonds added to the batter for cherry blondies.

Finally, fold in ¼ cup white chocolate chips and ¼ cup slivered almonds.

The batter for cherry blondies in a lined baking dish.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. If you have any extra, top the batter with a few white chocolate chips and slivered almonds to make it look extra pretty.

Finished homemade cherry blondies in a baking dish.

Bake: Place the baking dish into the preheated oven and bake for 50-55 minutes. They’re done once a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let your homemade cherry blondies cool for 20 minutes before cutting for the best results. They may still be a little gooey! They’re definitely chewier than your average brownie but just as delicious. Enjoy!

Overhead view of a baking dish of cherry blondies with one missing.

Tips for Browning Butter

I brown the butter in this cherry dessert recipe because it gives the blondies the most amazing, deep, nutty flavor that plain melted butter can’t match. You could skip this step and just melt it, but it definitely wouldn’t taste the same.

It’s honestly so easy to brown butter, and only takes about 5-8 minutes from start to finish! Here’s how to do it right (we also have a step-by-step breakdown with photos on how to brown butter you can check out, too!):

Use a light-colored pan if you have one. It makes it easier to see the color change.
Watch it closely. Browning happens fast, and it can burn before you know it. Stay nearby and use medium heat.
It’ll start to froth. That’s normal. Just keep gently stirring so nothing sticks to the bottom.
Look for brown flecks. Those are the milk solids toasting, which is exactly what you want.
Pull it off the heat right away. As soon as it smells nutty and the color deepens, about 5 minutes, take it off the heat! It’s ready to use.

You can even make a big batch of browned butter and keep it in the fridge for 1-2 weeks and use it in future recipes. It’s obviously delicious in my cherry blondies recipe, but it’s also amazing tossed with plain pasta, drizzled over roasted veggies, or mixed into oatmeal.

Line your pan with parchment paper. It makes it way easier to lift the blondies out and slice them cleanly once they’ve cooled.
Let them cool in the pan. As good as they smell fresh out of the oven, I let my blondies cool for at least 20 minutes to help them set up properly. They’ll slice neater, and the texture will be just right.
Check for doneness with a toothpick. You’re looking for a mostly clean toothpick when inserted into your white chocolate cherry blondies. If you hit a cherry or a melty white chocolate chip, it might smear a bit, so try a second spot! Don’t forget, they may still be a little gooey on the inside rather than cakey.

Storage Instructions

Personally, I enjoy these cherry pie blondies cold! I like to keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator and grab one whenever I need a sweet pick-me-up. They’ll be good for up to 3-4 days when stored this way. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container.