The Best Macaroni & Cheese Recipe

With Easter Sunday quickly approaching I needed to figure out what we were going to have for dinner.  At Thanksgiving and Christmas it seemed like I spent the entire day in the kitchen and my kids could have cared less about the result.  I think they would have been happy to have cereal!

I did not want to go out to eat.  Way too crowded and it’s not that much fun for the kids, they would just end up ordering something simple like a grilled cheese or cheeseburger.  At that point it kinda hit me that I needed to find something simple for me to make that everyone loves to eat.  That way we all win!

Hands down my family’s favorite dish is homemade Macaroni and Cheese.  I don’t make it that often because it’s not the healthiest meal, plus in general we don’t eat much dairy.

If you are looking for a waistline friendly Macaroni and Cheese, this is NOT the one for you!

If you are looking for an easy to make and super delicious Macaroni and Cheese, you have come to the right spot!

I have adapted the recipe from here, to make it work for our family.

The Best Family Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

Ingredients

Kosher salt

Vegetable oil

1 pound elbow macaroni or cavatappi

1 quart milk {4 cups} I use non-dairy milk and it tastes great

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

12 ounces Gruyere, grated (4 cups) – I use plain old whatever I can find shredded

8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (2 cups)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don’t boil it. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

Enjoy!