Homemade mac and cheese is the best comfort food that all families love. It's got a heavenly creamy white cheddar cheese sauce mixed with cooked pasta and topped with breadcrumbs for a crunchy finish. White cheddar mac and cheese is easy to make and ready in 1 hour.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius) and grease a large casserole or baking dish.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta to package direction, minus one minute to be al dente, then drain it and set aside.
Mac and Cheese Sauce
In a large heavy-bottomed skillet or pan over medium heat, melt butter and whisk in the flour until it browns and thickens.
Add in the milk bit by bit, constantly whisking until it resembles a smooth, silky, thick cream sauce. It usually takes 7 to 8 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
Take the white sauce off the heat and stir in the shredded cheese and cooked macaroni. Combine well and put the pan back on the heat for a few minutes to let the cheese melt.
Melt the remaining butter and mix it with the breadcrumbs.
Pour the mac and cheese mixture into the prepared baking dish and top with the breadcrumbs.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the breadcrumbs turn golden brown.
Recipe Notes
Lumpy sauceIf you get any stubborn lumps when whisking the sauce, pour it through a sieve, clean the pan, and add the sieved sauce back.ThicknessDon't let the cheese sauce thicken too much, or else it will end up dry after being baked.Don't use pre-grated cheese.Buy block cheese and grate it yourself for a creamier texture for best results. Pre-grated cheddar cheese has a coating that prevents it from melting properly.Don't rush the cheese sauce.Making the sauce can take around 10 minutes, so don't be afraid if it doesn't look right after a few minutes. Once the butter is combined with the flour, whisk the milk constantly when adding it as it will thicken quickly, and towards the end of the 4 cups of milk, it will become smoother.Al dente pastaYou want the macaroni to be slightly hard in the middle when boiling them so that when they're mixed with the cheese sauce and baked, they will become soft and chewy. Otherwise, if they're overcooked first, they will become too soft without any chew after being baked.