World’s best Mac and Cheese recipe
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase.
(We were lucky enough to make this recipe on Saturday night, so let us just preface this post by saying, this may just be one of the tastiest things we’ve ever eaten~wht)
Editor’s Note: This is a Casserole-type mac and cheese. If you are looking for a saucy mac and cheese, keep on looking.
I love comfort foods. When I think of comfort food, one of the first things that comes to mind is good, old-fashioned macaroni and cheese. I mean, what isn’t comforting about pasta with a ton of cheese? Am I right? In my many years on this Earth, I have made it my quest to find the best recipe of macaroni and cheese possible-I have literally made over a hundred different recipes in my search. I finally found a really good one last year that I tweaked a bit and the end result is carbohydrate heaven. Enjoy!
Topping–
- 1 1/2 c. panko bread crumbs (These are Japanese breadcrumbs, which are flakier than regular breadcrumbs. If you can’t find them with the other breadcrumbs, try the aisle that carries Asian food.)
- 4 T. butter
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- a few dashes of paprika
Melt butter over medium-high heat, add salt and paprika. Add panko and coat thoroughly with butter. Stirring frequently, heat until toasted, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Mac and Cheese–
- 1lb. box of macaroni noodles (Feel free to use other noodles if you’re feeling fancy; shells, cavatappi and gemelli work well in this.)
- 2 eggs
- 2 12 oz. cans of evaporated milk (Do not use fat free evaporated milk, it will not give the same result and seriously, when you see how much cheese is in this, who are you kidding using fat free milk anyways?)
- 2 tsp. powdered dry mustard
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. Tabasco
- 16 oz shredded sharp cheddar
- 8 oz. shredded Parmesan cheese
- 8 oz. finely chopped Velveeta
(All 3 cheeses should be combined into one bowl and tossed evenly with each other) - 8 T. unsalted butter (note: see step 4 below)
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine cans of evaporated milk, eggs, mustard, salt, pepper, and Tabasco in a bowl and whisk together until ingredients are well-combined and eggs are completely beaten. Set aside. Be sure to do this before you boil the pasta because the eggs will need time to acclimate so they are not cold when being added to the pasta. You do not want the eggs to become scrambled eggs once added to hot pasta.
3. Boil pasta in salted water for the time given by the al dente instructions on the box.
4. Once pasta is cooked, drain and return to pot. Toss with unsalted butter until coated. If this is going to be eaten in one sitting, you can skip the butter. The butter helps seal the pasta and keep the leftovers from getting mushy from sitting in cheese sauce in your fridge, but if it’s being eaten in one sitting this is a non-issue. (And we really do recommend eating it in one sitting. This recipe is best fresh~wht)
5. Give evaporated milk mixture a few extra whisks and then add to pasta with half of cheese, stirring over medium to medium high heat until cheese is melted. Add remaining cheese and continue stirring until thoroughly melted.
6. Transfer to a large baking dish and top with toasted panko. Bake on top rack of oven for 20 to 25 minutes. If you use a disposable foil pan, place a cookie sheet underneath it while baking so the bottom doesn’t burn.
7. Try not to eat the entire pan.
The end result is a creamy, cheesy macaroni and cheese that is anything but bland. I usually only make this if I’m having company because it does produce quite a bit and it is like crack. I wasn’t kidding about trying not to eat the entire pan. Take a pan to your next family picnic and you will be worshipped!
Who else out there considers themselves a macaroni and cheese connoisseur?
Just a bit of cheese in there, huh? I don’t know how that could NOT be good! I appreciate your dedication to finding the perfect recipe Krista, and then sharing it with us. I’m making this this weekend, if I can wait till then!
Heh – just a little bit, Veronica! I had a nice helping of this delicious mac and cheese on Saturday night and – OMG – it is soo good! I love the little bit of hot from the Tabasco and fell in love with the panko crumbs – they were especially yummy. My favorite part of homemade mac and cheese is always the crunchy, crumbley top and these made it even better!
Huh, you tasted the Tabsco, T? I didn’t notice it. This def. is the creamiest mac and cheese I’ve ever had. And yeah, that Panko topping is insane. This whole dish tastes like it should be illegal!
Good stuff Krista, thanks for this.
I have to pass this on to my Mac and Cheese lovin’ friends. It sounds Amazing!!! Perfect Summer Picnic food! Or Winter Comfort. YUMMMM!
I just want to know if that’s an actual picture of the product? And I have to ask, “Why the eggs?” it seems like the melted cheese should hold the casserole together…. add some protein to the carbs?
Sounds delish, though. Will make and report back.
Nope, not the actual picture. I took a pic, but by that point of the evening, after a long day of socializing, it was a bit…blurry. But it’s as creamy as this. Krista is on a bit of a break right now, but when she comes back we’ll find out why the eggs.
LOVE panko bread crumbs. This sounds so off my diet, but I think I need to splurge and try out this recipe. Thanks Krista!
Best. comfort. food. ever. LOVE mac and cheese, and this recipe was amazing! Now, I’m hungry!
Mmmm, panko crumbs are so good. Why did I never think to use them on mac and cheese? I can’t wait to try this recipe!
I will explain the eggs. Have any of you made a custard? The thickening/binding agent in that is the eggs. It’s the same thing here–it thickens and bonds the milk and cheese. I so could use a pan right now…
I want to eat this every day! Krista it sounds amazing.
I’m making it tomorrow! Is it crazy I want champagne with it. It’s so fancy I must have a fancy drink to join it! :) YUMMMM
Oh, Wednesday, you are gonna get so addicted…you’ve been warned :)
yummy!!! love cheese!!! how can you not???
Awesome recipe and love to use panko in just about every recipe.
Panko is a chef’s best friend. Great idea to incorporate it with mac and cheese.
it sounds delicious, ill give it a try!
Made the dish yesturday for thanksgiving. FIrst off, taste was a little sharp for my liking. That being said, here are my observations. I would only put about a 1/2 cups of Panko crumbs on the top maximum. Otherwise, it tastes like your eating bread crumbs. I personally like a wet macaroni and cheese. You can only get this taste if you dont bother baking it like the directions say. Once baked for 20 minutes the cheese coagulates with the macaroni and not the same thing. I wouldnt make this dish again. I had a wet macaroni and cheese at a restaurant that was creamy and didnt have as much cheese bite to it…so thats what im looking for, but I can see how some will like this. Good luck in your quest.
i just made this recipe for my boyfriend and he loves it and he is a huge!!! mac n cheese fan. i did not use velveeta because it was only sold in 32 ounces and i knew it would not get used at my house since i dont like the way it taste. and its still wonderful!!!
Hooray for Lauren – Another happy mac&cheese customer. The nice thing about a recipe like this is that you can remove/add ingredients like the cheeses and still get an amazing dish. Glad your man enjoyed this and thanks for sharing your success!
.-= Tyna Werner´s last blog ..Cooking 101 – Marinara Sauce =-.
world’s BEST mac & cheese !
Sussi – did you try this amazing recipe? It really is awesome, isn’t it? Glad you tried it out.
.-= Tyna Werner´s last blog ..Our guide to Awesomely Bad Teen Television =-.
I am a mac and cheese-aholic, but just can’t seem to find the right recipe to make that is the “Yes! This is it!” recipe. This, however, could do it. I will definitely try it soon.
I made the Mac and cheese yesterday, and I would suggest not baking it. I tasted it befor I put it the oven, and it was the best ever. However after I baked it, it became too dry. I would also cut down on the Panko crumbs a little. Over all the taste and flavor were awesome.
I’ve made this several times now and its the most amazing recipe ever. I just bought to a pot luck and it was eaten in about 3 minutes. Thanks!!!!
Happy to hear that mostly everyone is enjoying this recipe!
Seth–this does seem to be popular at potlucks and get togethers. Three minutes is probably a new record, though :)
For those of you who wish this ended up creamier after baking: I use a large, oval ceramic baking dish when I make this and it maintains quite a bit of creaminess while thoroughly heating everything together. If you’re using a metal pan, you’re probably conducting more heat through the dish and it probably cooks some of the moisture out? In any case, as long as you thoroughly heat this over the stove when you add the cheese—cooking it in the pot for a few minutes to make sure the eggs are no longer raw, you can probably skip the baking altogether if you want to. My hubby is just a fan of the baked version w/ the panko, so that’s how I do it.
Both my husband and I loved your recipe! Though my husband suggested passing on the topping next time, I thought it was delicious (1/2 topping next time …)! Thank you for sharing!
Verrrry sharp tasting, and I only used half the cheese. I didn’t enjoy the Velveeta taste…I think this recipe would be o.k. if the Velveeta was completely taken out.
I’m surprised you could weed out a Velveeta taste w/ all that sharp cheddar :)
For anybody who doesn’t like a sharp, cheesy mac and cheese, this isn’t for you. I’ve noticed in New England that most restaurants think Macaroni and Cheese is elbow mac in a pool of unseasoned milk and butter and a little cheese melted on top. This is so not that kind. This is very rich and fairly creamy (if you use a ceramic baking dish) and you can definitely taste the sharpness of the cheddar. I can’t wait until it gets cooler b/c there’s nothing better than a cold day and a pan of this :)
Is it possible to freeze this? I’d like to make it ahead for a picnic.
OMG. This has to be the WORST mac and cheese recipe I have ever tried. I made it a day ahead for a potluck at work. I did add the butter, but it turned out solidified and simply tasteless. A few bites were taken but I threw out the rest. Not sure why everyone else is so thrilled with this………..
Maggie & Jan–This is definitely best when it is fresh.
I second that fresh recommendation. It’s like a totally different dish the next day. And I stand by this being the BEST! I love this recipe. But hey, opinions are always welcome…
I made this for my boyfriends birthday yesterday. HOLY &#@!&% !!! AMAZING!!! Never again will I look for a mac and cheese recipe! I used fettuccine noodles and it was incredible! Thanks for sharing!!
My family and I are always looking for a great homemade Mac and Cheese. We’ve tried numerous recipes and normally end up unhappy with the results. Well, I cooked this recipe last night. After the first mouthful I received the grunt. Yes, the grunt. In teenage boy dialect the grunt is a form of approval(I think, at least he didn’t get mad and leave the room or yell at someone, have teenage boys always been like this?). The rest of my family used much more commonly seen communication techniques, the smile, the head nod or the too much food in their mouth chewing head nod and lastly, the napkin swipe(ok that’s getting crazy, at least my husband used a napkin). Oh, there was even some verbal communications. Comments such as “mhhhagood”(apply caveman grunting to that), “this is a keeper” and “what’s that crunchy stuff on top? oh it’s a breading do you like it, hhhhhhhm”.
My husband and I really enjoyed this recipe a lot. My younger two loved it. My oldest …, well let’s say that I know 4 out of 5 in my house were happy with it. In a year or so my oldest will ask for it again and grumble that I haven’t made it in forever which will be a very high endorsement.
Thank you,
Kristin :-)
This is a fantastic recipe. I made it for my neighborhood’s Mac N’ Cheese cookoff and won first place! I personally loved its sharp flavor, but for mass appeal, I might suggest either substituting the sharp cheddar for mild cheddar,or you could substitute 8 oz of the sharp cheddar for 8 additional oz of Velveta. ***** all the way!
This sounds amazing. I’m going to make this along with chicken pot pie tonight. Just the right combo for a chilly fall day.
Kate–I’ve got a good chicken pot pie recipe, too. Courtesy of Paula Deen :)
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/lady-and-sons-chicken-pot-pie-recipe/index.html
I suggest skipping most of the heavy cream and using low fat half and half instead. Best. Chicken Pot Pie. Ever. :)
IMO, anything made with Velveeta is not the worlds best. Try this one, it really is awesome.
http://www.beechershandmadecheese.com/recipes_WBMacncheese.php
To each his own Mitchel! “World’s Best” is subjective. In truth, we have not tried every Mac and Cheese in the world…But wouldn’t that be awesome?!
Good, but too sharp. Mixed in chopped up bacon just before putting it in the baking dish which gave it an awesome flavor. No need to brown the panko, just heat butter up in oven for a minute or so then dump into panko, add paprika and some fresh ground black proper and mix thoroughly.
Try mixing in some chopped green onion or chives in w/ the bacon next time, Celina…
You’re welcome *hushed, creepy whisper*… :)
P.S. Apparently my oven runs cool—I made this using a hotter oven and it was ready to go after 12 minutes at 400. If your oven runs hot, make adjustments or this won’t end up as awesome…
I’m trying this tonight for an open house. Can I assemble this a few (3-4) hours in advance, let it sit, and throw it in oven for baking right before serving?
It depends on what kind of pan you’re using. I wouldn’t refrigerate glass or ceramic and then bake b/c they can crack. If you stick to a metal pan and maybe pull it out to acclimate a little bit (20 min.) before baking, I would think it would still turn out well. If the pasta is cold before baking it, I think you might want to reduce the temp to 350 and then bake for at least 30-40 minutes to heat through (check center to make sure it’s heated throughout). I’ve never made this beforehand and then heated it, but I wouldn’t do the 400 degrees to bake when it’s cold because it’ll overcook the outside and leave the inside cold (400 is only good for baking this when it’s still hot from having the cheese melted). Hope that helps!
Ok, so I got this recipe via an email. I’m always looking for a good Mac N Cheese recipe and I think that this is a keeper. I made some modifications with the cheese, I used monetary jack cheese instead of the velveeta (since I don’t like velveeta) and then I used 8 oz of Extra Sharp Cheddar and 8 oz Sharp Cheddar and kept everything else the same. I don’t think that it was too sharp at all and I usually don’t like sharp cheddar and I tend to buy the medium cheddar. My husband I and thought this was the best Mac N Cheese that we’ve tried. I had made Paula Deen’s Mac N Cheese one time and used medium cheddar and it did not taste good at all. Now I’ve had Paula’s other recipes, so I know that I should’ve used the sharp like it said. I am definitely going to make this again.
Thanks!
I hope this isn’t a silly question but I am only just starting to cook & bake. I’ve tried a few Mac N Cheese recipes and they all seem too bland, so I’m excited to try this. Anyhow, what size and type of pan would you advise using to bake the pasta?
Thank you in advance!
Hey, Lorraine! Not a silly question–I’ve used many different pans to make this. I’ve used 9×13 (ish) foil pans for neighborhood parties–those require reducing the cooking time to about 10 minutes w/ a cookie sheet under them while baking. A metal 9 x13 (ish) cake pan–this seems to require a reduction in cooking to about 10-12 minutes. I typically use a ceramic oval baking dish that’s a little over a foot long and almost a foot across–it’s a weird shape I found at Ikea years ago. The ceramic seems to give me a creamier result than the metal pans, which I prefer. Hope that helps!
Also, just an update for this recipe in general: I tried using pre-shredded sharp cheese instead of shredding a block by hand (how I usually make this) and the sauce ended up gritty, so I don’t know if I’d recommend a pre-shredded cheddar on this b/c hand-shredded cheddar cheese gave a much smoother result. I used a pre-shredded parm and had no problems with that cheese, though.
Krista, I’m researching like over 100 Mac&Chz rec. Your’s is going to be the first one I make. I feel I must give u insight on the pre shredded cheese situation. These pre shredded cheeses come with a white coating to prevent them from sticking together. They’re meant to be used on top of salads in tacos ect. This same principle applies to semi sweet chocolate chips. They’re not made to melt all the way so your cc cookies look like cc cookies. Baker’s chocolate & powdered cocoa are to be used for puddings, cakes ect. I’m a chef this is how I know.
John, does that coating have a flavor? Or maybe even worse, dilute existing flavor? I think that shredded cheese never has as much flavor as freshly shredded.
Stef, I just know that it’s not meant to be melted. It’s much more expensive too. Just take the time & shred. I never paid attention to the flavor cuz I’ve never tried it. Krista tried & the results were not good.
has anyone made this by substituting one of the cans of the evap. milk with whole milk or buttermilk? Thanks
Sorry, John—never tried it with anything but evaporated milk. I’ve never heard of someone using buttermilk in mac and cheese, so you’ll have to tell me how that goes for you :)
Krista, thanks for the quick feedback. I’ll let u know how it turns out when I do it. Once again thanks for posting this. :)
Seriously this is amazing…best I have ever made. I subbed coconut milk for evaporated milk since I had run out…still unreal and have been craving it every day since we had it!
This recipe rocks! I will be making again for a picnic this week and have decided to add sauteed chopped jalapeno to half of the recipe for some nice contrast of flavor. Yum-E!
That sounds awesome! I love chopped jalapeno!
WOW, After failing to get the secret recipes of friends who made the best macaroni I’ve ever tasted, I started to search ALL OVER for the best mac and cheese recipe. I’ve made several and they all taste the same and just didn’t have that punch or kick that I was looking for. I tried recipes that were given 5 stars, and had exotic cheeses and they were all over rated. I’m not a mac&cheese fan, and usually don’t take the time to comment unless something is 4stars or better. I give this 5
ok…well I lost my family recipe somewhere in my travels and this looks like the closest…wish me luck I am trying it tonight :)
Krista,
I fixed this recipe for my family and they LOVED it! We thought it was perfectly creamy albeit very rich. I have joined a blog challenge in search of the ultimate mac-n-cheese recipe and I hoped to spotlight yours. Please check out the challenge link below and let me know if you mind. Of course, I will link to your post and give you the kudos for the recipe!! Thanks and Yum-o, Danette
http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/p/crazy-cooking-challenge.html
Go for it, Danette! Crush the competition!!! Bwahahahahaha…*twirls handlebar moustache because all great villains have a moustache*
WOW! I served this at the feast day last week and the ladies fell over! They went crazy! After I confessed what was in it – they said they needed to go to confession for all the fat and cheese – but I am all in, go big or go home gal! BEST EVER KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OVER MAC AND CHEESE! My kids eat the whole pan even with the tabasco – I went with 1/4 tspn to start but went up to the 1/2 tspn and WOW! My hubby said it’s even better than his mother’s…. I sent it to the entire parish ;) You need to write a comfort food cookbook, not tell me (so I can eventually fit in my pants), and sell millions.
Happy to hear everyone loved it! This is definitely a crowd pleaser. This is also definitely not a health food! I usually only make it when we have company and I’m happy to report that company is coming over on Saturday! The hubby and I did a detox (no sugar, flour, dairy, gluten, or eggs) for the last 3 weeks and I’m looking forward to having all that cheese and pasta this weekend. I’m going to serve it to some house guests with some pulled pork sandwiches topped with cole slaw. I should have some happy people on my hands :)
As for the comfort food cookbook—you flatter me, lady :) I’m all for selling millions and thus, making millions. God, but I love comfort food *sigh*.
I am going to try making this in a crockpot and skip the bread crumb topping as I’m not sure when my guests are going to arrive. I think if I reduce the egg to one and then add a little more evaporated milk, it’ll stay warm without drying out or getting too thick. I’ll report how that turns out.
YUMMY! My family loved your recipe. I just wanted to send you a little note letting you know that I featured you and your recipe today on my blog! We are searching for the ULTIMATE Macaroni & Cheese recipe and I choose to use this recipe! Thanks so much for posting & sharing this. I hope you stop by and read all about it.
Just wanted to let you know that your recipe (re-posted by The Shady Porch) WON the CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE!!! Read all about it here and if you wish take the ULTIMATE RECIPE BUTTON!
http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/2011/09/ultimate-crazy-cooking-challenge-recipe.html
Krista, we won the Crazy Cooking Challenge! Check out the announcement link for the Challenge Winner!
http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/2011/09/ultimate-crazy-cooking-challenge-recipe.html
Thanks for a great recipe.
I’m excited we won!
In other news, I finally got a chance to serve this to my mother-in-law, who NOT ONLY complimented me on it, but for ONCE didn’t offer any “improvements”–another victory in and of itself :P
Woo-hoo!
Hi Krista! I popped over from The Shady Porch to tell you how much my family LOVED your recipe!! I have been tweaking my mac & cheese to no avail so was thrilled when your recipe was a MAJOR hit with the family :) I LOVED how easy it is to prepare too. We also LOVED the panko crumbs on top & that extra crunchiness TOTALLY added to the yummy goodness :) Thank you for a GREAT recipe followed by smiles at the dinner table!
How many servings does this receipe make? I did not see that anywhere in the receipe or comments. Thanks.
One ;-)
No clue. I usually make a big pan, turn my back and it’s gone. I took it to a block party once and all 25 people there had some. Let’s say at least 2 dozen servings. Probably more than that, but people tend to pile it on their plates. Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful :)
I made this for dinner for my girlfriend and then I got an epic BJ afterwards. Coincidence? I think not.
I think you may have deserved it! I never had a boyfriend make me anything this awesome.
I too have made it my mission since graduating college to find the BEST macaroni and cheese recipe. I haven’t tried 100 recipes, but I have tried at least 20 different recipes and this is BY FAR the best I have had. I have sworn off all other macaroni and cheese recipes after making this one. It was delicious! Thanks for sharing.
Wow!! This was the perfect combination of cheesiness with a little crunch. YAY MAC N CHEESE!
Made this tonight but with a few small cheese changes. Loved the recipe and your description was spot on. Totally loved it.
http://www.hopelesslytechie.com/2012/01/mac-cheese-and-well-bacon-of-course.html
I just made this, and found the flavor was a bit strong (I used extra sharp instead of sharp maybe that was my problem) and it also wasn’t that creamy. I think I’ll cook it less next time and forget the eggs. I also had too many breadcrumbs and it was very crumby, so I’ll eliminate a lot of those or maybe leave them out completely since I’m not a fan of crunchy on my mac n cheese. Overall very good though!
I have noticed that in the years I’ve been making this and in 4 different homes with 4 different ovens, the cook time varies quite a bit. My current oven is as hot as the sun, so I only bake for about 10 minutes, which is half the cook time I have typically used. As for the egg— I have found that without the egg, while this is creamy when you first serve it, future reheating makes the cheese separate in the sauce, leaving it almost gritty. Hope that helps!
If you don’t plan on using breadcrumbs and want creamy, I recommend cooking this on a stovetop until heated through and skip the oven altogether :)
Tried this for the first time today! AMAZING rich but very good, my boyfriend loved it (better than his moms) :)
Thanks!!
How can you go wrong, I love this recipe.
Would love to try this but can I substitute Velveeta for another cheese? And how many does this feed? Thanks!
I think I mentioned this in earlier comments, but the Velveeta is key for texture, especially in reheating. If you use only cheddar, I find that I get some separation/grittiness in the cheese when this is reheated. The Velveeta keeps it creamy, but you don’t really taste it, just the cheddar. As for how many this feeds, I think I mentioned this previously, as well, but I’ve served this at block parties and this yields about a couple dozen servings when used as a side dish.
This looks incredible! I love a mix of cheeses. Panko bread crumbs would add extra flavor. Can’t wait to try this!!! (Laughed at your line about not eating the whole pan.)
This looks so rich and good.
Awesome recipe! Thank you. After preparing this once I wanted, I tried something different the 2nd time. I substituted 1 10 oz can of Campbell’s nacho fiesta cheese for 1 can of the evaporated milk; added 1/3 cup sour cream; and I also used a few dashes of Tony Chachere’s seasoning in place of the tabasco.