This easy cheddar cheese sauce recipe is prepared with a simple white sauce base and shredded cheese. Try this recipe with smoked cheddar cheese, or use a combination of cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses. The BEST Homemade Mac and Cheese of your LIFE. Outrageously cheesy, ultra creamy, and topped with a crunchy Panko-Parmesan topping, this mac and cheese recipe is most definitely a keeper. I used three different cheese and a homemade cheese sauce to take this macaroni and cheese recipe over the top.
Rich, creamy cheese sauce and crumb topping make this classic dish a family favorite.
Instructions Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in boiling water, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile in a separate pan, melt butter in a medium to large sauce pan over medium heat; Pour cheese sauce over drained macaroni and stir gently until cheese sauce is well. Macaroni In Creamy Mascarpone Cheese Sauce Parita's World pepper, grated cheese, white onion, butter, green bell pepper and 7 more Mac ‘n’ Cheese Cooks And Books And Recipes.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (210 g) elbow macaroni, uncooked
- ¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup + 1 teaspoon (60 g) light butter spread
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1⅓ cup (320 ml) skim milk
- 1 cup (115 g) cheddar cheese, cubed
- 2 slices bread
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon dried oregano
- ⅛ teaspoon dried minced onion
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Cook macaroni as directed on package. Drain.
- Spray an 8-inch x 8-inch (20 cm X 20 cm) baking dish with vegetable cooking spray then add macaroni to dish.
- Place butter, flour, salt, and milk into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid.
- Select Variable 1.
- Turn machine on and slowly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High.
- Blend for 3-4 minutes or until heavy steam escapes through the lid opening. As mixture thickens, it will not splash as much.
- Remove the lid plug and add cheese through the lid opening.
- Blend for 1 minute.
- Pour over macaroni and mix thoroughly.
- Cover macaroni with bread crumb mixture and bake until top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.
- To make crumb topping, toast 2 pieces of bread and squeeze each piece into a ball.
- Select Variable 1.
- Turn machine on and slowly increase speed to Variable 4.
- Remove the lid plug.
- Drop each bread ball through the lid plug opening.
- Blend until you have crumbs. Add seasonings to the crumbs.
Easy Cheese Sauce Recipe For Mac And Cheese
Nutrition Information
Serving Size | 1 cup (240 ml) |
Amount Per Servings |
Calories | 318 |
Total Fat | 7 g |
Saturated Fat | 3 g |
Cholesterol | 9 mg |
Sodium | 629 mg |
Total Carbohydrate | 43 g |
Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
Sugars | 4 g |
Protein | 13 g |
Rated 4 out of5 byBeth37 fromMacaroni and CheeseThis is my go to dish, although I would tweek it just a little. Use 1-1/2 cups macaroni instead of the 2 and up the milk to 1-1/2 cups. Other than that, It sure does save time not having to stand over the stove stirring the sauce and hope it won't burn. Great for a quick Saturday night supper with hot dogs.
Rated 4 out of5 byBeth37 fromNice & creamy.I made this last night and it turned out very good; definitely will make it again. Next time, though, I will add 1-1/2 cups of milk to make it just a little more creamier. Plus, to save time, I keep homemade bread crumbs in the freezer for use in recipes like this; bread crumbs which I always make in my Vitamix.
Rated 5 out of5 byLeAnne fromCrowd pleaserI make this almost every Saturday night and once for a church fellowship meal. I use farm rasied eggs and raw milk in this because it's what's available to me. I like using New York Sharp cheddar cheese in this. Also have use smoked Gouda and Swiss cheese. At the church meal, I didn't bring any leftovers home.
Rated 5 out of5 byHealthier living fromYummyLove mac & cheese but didn't have any milk, so substituted nonfat Greek yogurt with an egg to thin mix. Used low-fat sharp cheddar and smoky gruyere, added just a little spinach and cauliflower, and mustard for flavor instead of cayenne. Of course, whole grain bread and macaroni for a higher fiber, higher protein, and lower fat meal with veggies hidden inside. I finally have a healthy mac & cheese recipe. Thanks Vitamix!
Rated 5 out of5 byKarnoon fromSerious yummo!Easy, fast, add 2 cloves of garlic, and away we go!
Rated 5 out of5 byJudyA fromWho KnewMade Mac and Cheese tonight and it was easy to assemble. The clean up is amazing.This was my first attempt to make anything but smoothies but I'll be doing more different recipes in the future.
Rated 5 out of5 byTDeeb fromAwesome for easy pot luck Mac!I didn’t do the whole baking part, I just cooked two boxes of cellentani noodles (2 lbs), and put it in a crock pot on keep warm, then I tripled the recipe as written (I did add a little garlic, cayenne, and pepper) and poured it over the top. Went over really well at the pig roast! Plenty of cheese sauce, very creamy too!
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Making smooth, creamy cheese sauce is easy once you get the hang of it. Master this simple skill so you can top pasta, vegetables, and more with delicious homemade cheese sauce that tastes so much better than anything that comes in a jar.
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When cooking with cheese, keep these tips in mind:
C lick on your network connection.3. Click the 'Details' button.4. Search 'View network status and tasks' in the taskbar and click on it. (Or navigate to Control Panel Network and Internet Network and Sharing Center)2. Where are mac addresses stored for future reference?. Locate the Physical Address.
- The less you heat cheese, the better. When making soup, sauce, or fondue, add the cheese last; then heat it only as long as it takes to melt. If it gets too hot it will get tough. Often, you can remove the pan from the burner; the residual heat will melt the cheese.
- Shred, crumble, or finely dice the cheese before heating to ensure quick, smooth melting. The colder the cheese is, the easier it will be to cut.
- Allow the shredded cheese to come to room temperature before adding it to a hot mixture.
- Starch (such as all-purpose flour, cornstarch, or potato flour) will keep the cheese from curdling. If using all-purpose flour, add it to the mixture before the cheese; it needs to be cooked for a few minutes to remove the starchy taste.
- Adding an acidic ingredient such as wine or lemon juice will help prevent the cheese from becoming stringy. This is why most fondues have a base of white wine. Simply sprinkle some lemon juice over the shredded cheese before heating it.
- Reduced-fat cheeses have different melting characteristics than regular cheeses. They will take longer to melt and will be tougher. Be sure to shred reduced-fat cheese very finely, and allow it to melt over very low heat while stirring constantly.
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Gettin' Saucy
Classic cheese sauce begins with a béchamel sauce, a simple sauce made of butter, flour, milk, and a few seasonings.
To begin, make a roux:
- Measure out equal amounts of butter and flour.
- Dice the butter into small cubes and melt it in a saucepan over low heat.
- Once the butter is melted, begin whisking in the flour.
- When all the flour is incorporated, continue stirring and cooking for a few minutes to activate the starch granules.
- If you're making a white or light-colored cheese sauce, keep the heat low so the roux doesn't brown.
- Next comes the milk. If the roux is hot, the milk should be cool, but if the roux is cool, the milk should be hot. When you combine the ingredients at different temperatures, they heat up at a moderate rate--not too fast, and not too slow--creating a velvety-smooth sauce.
- Whisk the mixture until smooth, then add seasonings if you wish. Traditional seasonings for béchamel are diced onion, a bay leaf, a couple cloves, and a pinch of nutmeg.
- Allow the sauce to simmer until it gets to the consistency you want, then strain out any seasonings. If you're in a hurry, you can keep the sauce over high heat, but you'll want to keep whisking to prevent it from burning.
- Remove the pan from the heat and gently blend in the cheese. If the cheese doesn't seem to be melting, return the pan to very low heat, but watch it carefully and remove as soon as the cheese is melted.
You can create an endless variety of cheese sauces by varying the kind of cheese you use, mixing in different herbs, spices, and veggies, and using milk, half and half, or heavy cream to alter the level of richness in the sauce.
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