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

How to Make Crispy Hash Browns

Potatoes are THE budget-friendly kitchen staple. They’re cheap and can be used in about a bazillion different ways. When I was asked for a tutorial on How to Make Crispy Hash Browns almost 9(!) years ago, I jumped on it. And all these years later, I still use this same method to get perfectly golden, crispy hash browns every time. I love making an indulgent breakfast on the weekends, and this recipe makes the perfect base for what I like to call my ultimate hash browns. Scroll to the bottom of the post to see what I topped them with to take them to the next level. 😉

Overhead view of hashbrowns in a skillet.

“Just made these with frozen hashbrowns. My husband took one bite and asked “Wow, what’s the secret to making them crispy?” I replied with “Beth.” 😂”

Erin

Easy Recipe for Crispy Hash Browns

Just like any breakfast potatoes, I’m sure everyone makes their hash browns differently. BUT, there are three things that I’ve found to be key to making really great golden brown hash browns: rinsing the starch off the potatoes, drying the potatoes well, and using an adequate amount of oil. Yes, that’s right, OIL! If you don’t use enough oil, the potatoes will dry and tend to go from white to burnt. Use enough, and you’ll get crispy yet moist potatoes with a beautiful spectrum of golden brown color.

This recipe only uses 3 simple ingredients (potatoes, oil, and seasoning salt), so each ingredient really matters! That’s why I like to keep things simple and focus on technique. And I’m happy to say this easy recipe has never failed me yet. 😁

Side view close up of crispy hashbrowns cooking in a skillet.

Crispy Hash Browns Recipe

In just a few simple steps, you can learn How to Make Crispy Hash Browns at home. Follow my tricks to make them perfectly crisp and delicious!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Total Cost $1.97 recipe / $0.49 serving

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings (1 cup each)

Calories 303kcal

Author Beth Moncel

Ingredients

2 large russet potatoes (about 2 lbs.)* $1.76
4 Tbsp cooking oil, or as needed** $0.16
Seasoning salt to taste $0.05

Instructions

Peel the potatoes, if desired. Use a large-holed cheese grater or food processor to shred the potatoes. Place the potatoes in a colander and rinse well, or until the water runs clear. Let the potatoes drain.
Squeeze the potatoes of their excess water by pressing against the side of the colander or squeezing in your fist. Or, place the potatoes in a clean, lint-free dish towel, roll them up, then press to remove excess moisture.
Heat a large cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat***. Once hot, add a tablespoon of cooking oil. Tilt the skillet to spread the oil over the surface. Add about 1/3 of the shredded potatoes or enough to cover the surface of the skillet in a solid, yet thin layer (1/2 inch thick or so). Let the potatoes fry, without disturbing, until deeply golden brown on the bottom (3-5 minutes). Season lightly with seasoning salt.
Flip the potatoes, and drizzle with additional oil if needed. Let the potatoes cook on the second side without disturbing until golden brown and crispy again. Season lightly on the second side.
If needed, flip and cook one more time to achieve the ratio of brown to white that you like. Repeat the process until all of the potatoes are cooked. Serve hot.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*I use Russet potatoes because they crisp up great in the skillet due to their texture and composition. You can certainly try another type of potato, but just keep in mind waxier varieties might not crisp up the same.

**You must use an oil with a high smoke point, like canola, corn, peanut, or sunflower oil. Butter obviously gives amazing flavor, but the butter solids tend to burn, so you’ll want to use clarified butter or ghee instead. I didn’t have the patience to clarify any butter, so I just used canola oil.

***I always use my 10″ cast iron skillet because it offers non-stick protection while giving really even heat and a nice surface for crisping. While stainless steel is also great for crisping, starchy foods (like potatoes) tend to stick a lot more on stainless, so it can be tricky. If you’re not well practiced with keeping food from sticking on stainless steel, I’d suggest either cast iron or a non-stick skillet.

Nutrition

How to Make Hash Browns step-by-step photos

Clean the potatoes: Start with two russet potatoes (about 2 lbs). You can either scrub them clean and leave the skin on or peel them. Gather the other ingredients.

Shred the potatoes: Use a large-holed cheese grater or a food processor to shred the potatoes. I found that the potatoes shredded fairly easily with the cheese grater, so it wasn’t worth cleaning out the food processor.

Rinse the shredded potatoes: Place the shredded potatoes in a colander and rinse them really, really, really well. The water running from the colander should be clear. Then, let them drain.

Dry the shredded potatoes: Making sure the potatoes are as dry as possible is my secret to keeping them crispy. If they have too much water on them, that water will turn to steam while they cook, which basically steams the potatoes and makes them soft. So, you can either let them drain a long time in the colander, squeeze them dry with your hands, or roll them up in a clean, lint-free towel and press them dry. I chose the towel method.

A hand holding a pot of tony chachere creole seasoning.

Make the hash browns: Heat a large cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add about a tablespoon of oil. Spread the oil over the surface of the skillet, then add about 1/3 of the shredded potatoes or enough to cover the bottom of the skillet in a solid but thin layer (only about 1/2 inch thick). You’re shooting for maximum surface contact here, so if they’re packed in there too thick, some won’t touch the skillet…and they’ll generate steam again and make everything mushy.

While the potatoes are cooking, sprinkle on a little seasoning salt. This is the kind I use, but you can use whatever brand you like. I love the little bit of extra flavor and kick that seasoning salt adds to the crispy hash browns compared to just plain salt and pepper.

Hashbrowns cooking in a cast iron skillet.

Now, the key here is to not touch them long enough for them to get really nice and brown and crispy. If you mess around with them, stirring or flipping too often, they won’t form a nice crust, and the long strands will kind of break down. So, LEAVE THEM BE. 😊 Then, once they’re very golden, flip them. You might need to drizzle on a little more oil at this point to help the second side crisp up.

Then, LET THE SECOND SIDE BE until it’s also golden and crispy. Now, depending on how many potatoes you have in the skillet, you may want to flip and cook one last time to get most of the potatoes crispy, but that’s up to you. Some people like a 50/50 ratio of crispy to soft, some people like almost all crispy. Repeat the process a couple more times or until you’ve cooked all the potatoes.

Overhead view of homemade hash browns on a plate, topped with a fried egg, sour cream, avocado, diced tomato, and sliced jalapeño,

These crispy hash browns are great on their own and all, but why not make them ULTIMATE by adding lots of yummy toppings? I did a fried egg, some avocado slices, diced tomato, sliced jalapeño, green onion, and a dollop of sour cream. Waffle House ain’t got nuthin’ on my hash browns.

Serving Suggestions

On those days when I don’t want to add any toppings, I like to serve these homemade hash browns with something equally delicious to make it a complete breakfast! I love piling them up alongside candied bacon for the perfect sweet-and-savory combo. Air fryer hard-boiled eggs are also great because they’re hands-off and cook themselves while I tend to the potatoes! But if I’m feeding a crowd, I’d go for something like a frittata or sheet pan pancakes since they’re both easy to make and can serve a lot of people at once.

Storage & Reheating

Let your leftovers cool and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat them in a skillet with a little oil or in the air fryer to crisp them back up again!