Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

By Addie

This is the ultimate mac-and-cheese. It's creamy, thick and very rich, and it holds the wonderful cheddar flavor. Once you taste it, you will be hooked. —Cindy Hartley, Chesapeake, Virginia

Ingredients

• 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
• 1/2 cup butter, cubed
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 8 ounces process cheese (Velveeta), cubed
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Preparation

Step 1

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Reduce heat; stir in the sour cream, process cheese, Parmesan cheese, salt, mustard and pepper until smooth and cheese is melted.

Drain macaroni; toss with cheddar cheese. Transfer to a greased 3-qt. baking dish. Stir in cream sauce.

Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Yield: 6 servings.
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REVIEWS:

Absolutely wonderful. I didn't have dry mustard, so I substituted a gourmet mustard instead. I kept an eye an it, so that it didn't come out too dry. It was in the oven for about 25 minutes.

Made this as a side for Thanksgiving...they LOVED it!

This recipe is fairly easy to make and tastes really good! I will be making it again.

I used this recipe for Thanksgiving this year. It turned out great! I got a lot of compliments and was asked for the recipe. I definitely will use this recipe again!

This mac and cheese tastes as good as it looks in the picture! It's definitely a keeper! I followed the recipe as written, but did omit the cheddar cheese. It was plenty cheesy without it. I also added Panko bread crumbs to the top of the casserole when it came out the oven. Yum! This recipe was easy to split in half. I used a 2-quart baking dish and baked it for 25 minutes at 350 degrees for half the recipe. Excellent!!

Terrific!! Best macaroni and cheese ever!!!

I've tried over a hundred Mac and Cheese recipes and this one is the best I've ever had! Mac and Chs is my favorite dish ever, so this is the one...only thing I did different is used whole milk, a little extra for creaminess, and more cheese:) I'm a cheese lover so I added some extra:) Excellent!!!

I made this recipe today for the first time..I seldom stick strictly to any recipe but this one sounded so great I did not change a thing. (other than to double it) It is the best mac and cheese I have ever made. I am a Gma to 15 and believe me I have made alot of the stuff. Thank you for such a great recipe.

I love this recipe, also my family and friends.

This is awesome! I make it exactly as written. It is so creamy and perfect and delicious.

I've tried many different Mac N Cheese recipes and by far this is my favorite. I have since then thrown out all "other" recipes and now replaced this as my go to for my family favorite.

I have made this recipe several times and it turns out perfect every time! The last couple of times, I mixed up the ingredients according to the recipe and then dumped it all into a buttered crock pot. It turned out perfectly then, too! This is the all time best mac-n-cheese recipe. For the american process cheese, instead of Velveeta, I use Kraft Deluxe American slices or I buy sliced American cheese at the deli counter, then cut it into chunks. For the shredded cheddar, I buy block cheddar and shred it myself. I usually use either all sharp cheddar or half sharp and half medium/mild. The sharp cheddar is the one with all the cheesy flavor. (I live in Wisconsin. I know these things, lol.)

I have been making this recipe for 5 years since it was first published. It has become my trademark dish for family & potluck gatherings & everyone requests the recipe. Now my 21 yr. old daughter wants to make it for a company picnic where she is co-oping this summer. Best mac & cheese recipe ever!!

I have eaten and prepared many mac n cheese dishes over the years and all were always missing something. This dish is packed with that perfect flavor. It has gotten raves each time I have prepared it for a crowd and at home, as well. Delicious!

This is the kind of Mac & Cheese that everyone loves...good and CREAMY. Made it for a church function and EVERYONE wanted the recipe!!! Excellent!!!!!!

This is the best recipe for Macaroni and Cheese I have ever used. No need to add or change this recipe, it is perfect the way it is. Thank you!

Best Mac and Cheese ever and I've been searching for a long time. Only used 4 Tablespoons of flour, 8 oz of Colby and Sharp cheese mixture instead of Velveeta, 8 cups of noodles and topped with some cheese and bread crumbs. Added bacon grease to leftovers extra sauce as a dip with chips...yummy!

I have had this recipe for a couple of years & needed a meatless casserole so made it. I should have read the reviews!!! It had way too much sauce. My husband liked it and that is the only reason I would ever make it again. If there is a next time, I'll use twice as much macaroni and bake it in a 9x13 baking dish.

Had way too much sauce!!

I have made this dish to pass at Church carry-ins and most recently to my In-Laws for Thanksgiving dinner!!! Everyone who has tried this has loved it!! It is easy to make and the thick, creaminess can't be beat! I almost always have the ingredients for this on hand. This is hands down my family's favorite homemade mac n cheese!

Let me start by saying, I NEVER review recipes that I try. This one, I had to. I found this recipe about 4 months ago and made it, not holding out much hope that my kids would like it..they never like homemade mac and cheese. The family devoured this casserole. Then I lost the recipe and couldnt find it until yesterday, they devoured it again! Some changes did have to be made.
1. I used a whole box of bow ties and needed a little bit more, it was very saucy. I like it like that so it didnt bother me.
2. Yes, the sauce does get a little too thick, i just slowly added chicken broth to get to a good consistency for us.
3. GRATE your own cheese! It makes a world of difference in that grainy taste, plus its cheaper.
I can finally stop looking for a mac and cheese recipe, this will be the only one I ever make again. Thanks for a great recipe!

We always use sharp cheddar, it's probably our fave cheese! My hubby and daughter request this at least once a week!! (They don't get it that often but would love it if they did!)

Best Mac and Cheese Ever!!! I only used about 2-3 tablespoons of flour. Makes alot of sauce. Very yummy!!!!!

This wasn't bad, but I'd try other recipes before trying to tweak this one anymore. I followed suggestions to not have a pasty taste by decreasing the flour and increasing the milk, but it was still a bit too thick and pasty for my taste. I did increase the macaroni to almost double, so that made a difference, but there was an unbelievable amount of sauce. I'm sure if I'd have used 2 cups as stated, it still would have been pasty. So not terrible, but I'll try others.

This is the best mac and cheese recipe ever. However, I do use an entire pound of macaroni (elbow or shells), it's still very cheesy, make in 13x9x2 pan. I use lower fat cheese to help reduce a few calories. You can substitute mayonnaise for the sour cream if you don't have any on hand. My tip for making this is to measure all the ingredients ahead of time and have them all laid out on the counter ready to go. Yummy!

Very good, I will make again. I backed off on the flour and add a little more milk. Broiled for 2 min after 30 minutes.

Finally my quest for the perfect Mac & Cheese recipe is over. This is exactly what I've been looking for !!!

I put this recipe in my favorites book and have made it several times already! The only change I make consistently is to omit the ground mustard and use 1 Tbsp dijon mustard in its place. This is one of my favorite comfort food recipes!

I have been looking for a good Mac and Cheese recipe for a long time and I think I found it. Everyone loved it.

My family of five loved this recipe, only addition was some onion powder. I doubled the recipe and it was a good thing because half the pan was gone after one dinner!

I'm a BIG Mac-&-Cheese Fan and have been looking for a more creamy homemade bake! This was it... if you love a little bit of noodle with your cheese this is the recipe for you!!!

This was ok. I thought the sauce was very thick as others have mentioned. If I make it again, I will try less flour or try to thin the sauce. I have other mac n cheese recipes from Taste of Home that my family likes better.

Super rich & creamy. Very fullfilling dish. Used 1cp cheddar & 1cp swiss because that's what we had on hand & it was delicious. We will definitely be making this dish again.

I've tried numerous macaroni and cheese recipes and this one tops them all! I will never try another recipe again.

My family loves this recipe! We've also added buttered crumbs for a different touch, but it's great as is!

it was ultimately cheesey, that is a fact! it was very thick, i added a cup of pasta water to mine and it was still very thick. i however, do not bake my mac n cheese, i just do not prefer it that way and i left out the mustard, not a fan. but, it was very cheesey and flavor was tastey. just too cheesey for us...otherwise, it was a good recipe:0)

This recipe is delicious! We did make some changes: we didn't put in the mustard, we substituted extra sharp cheddar cheese for the velveeta, and we did different noodles. It was very creamy with a delicious flavor. Everyone loved it!

I made this on Thanksgiving for my family and EVERYONE loved it!!! Best mac n' cheese ever and the kids kept going back for seconds. Lol.

I tried this recipe last night and it was very good.....I added some good ham from the deli, and some smoked cheddar cheese as well. I think next time I'll put in a little less flour since I live in Colorado and we probably don't need quite as much here.....I will make again...the recipe is in my file!!! Thank you for sharing it.

For homemade mac 'n' cheese, this is the best I've tried. Definitely not dry. I agree with the other posters who said the sauce was thick and pasty. There was also too much of it for the amount of pasta. Next time I'll use a whole 16 oz. package of macaroni (3-1/2 cups uncooked) and alter the flour and milk as suggested by others to get a thinner sauce.

My favorite macaroni and cheese recipe!

This is the first baked macaroni and cheese recipe I made and will be my last. This is SO good, my kids love it and ask me to make it all the time!

A little dry, I added pasta water. Husband loves it.

This is a great mac and cheese recipie. I love to add smoked ham to it. It is one of my favorite recipies now

My family didn't like this. I think the mustard counted against the flavor. They asked me not to make it again.

I am a cook at a retirement home. Everyone loves my Mac & cheese. Old time recipe. I tried this one on my family & they loved it.

We think this is the ultimate macaroni & cheese. The only one I will make for my family now. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!!!!!

Amazing dish which was easy to cook and tasted great the next day as left overs.

Oh Yeah! This mac & cheese really rocks! I did follow another rater's advice in that I increased the milk to 1 3/4 cups and reduced the flour to 1/3 cup and it proved to be the perfect consistency. I admit this is NOT a low-cal or low-fat dish, but it's fun to splurge once in a while and this one is worth it!

I've made this recipe several times, and it just seems to get better every time I make it. Super easy recipe and very tasty.

Very good and creamy... I only used 1/4 cup of flour and upped the milk to 1 3/4 cup.... very good, crushed crackers on top.

YUM! This was both easy and tasty. Butter + Cheese + more cheese= a really good dinner.

This sounded good until I looked at the saturated fat count: 30 g. Are you kidding me? This may be good but it's not for my family. We need something more "health friendly"

This was like glue. There is far too much flour in this recipe. Too pasty and not creamy.

Finally a homemade mac n' cheese that's creamy and not dry.

Yummy thanks! The family enjoyed this very much!

So Sorry! Please ignore my last comment as this comment was meant for the applesauce which was great!

I am making this mac cheese tonite!

Excellent and easy! Added a bit more cinnamon and some nutmeg also! I added a little Redi Whip on top and it was like eating apple pie with no crust!

The best I've ever had in my entire life. I left out a few tablespoons of flour due to what someone said about being too thick, & added a 1/2 cup more of milk. It was soooooooo amazing. Thank you so much!

Cottage cheese! In watching the food network I found a tip ..I can't tell anyone how I make my mac and cheese because, I just make it, does that make any sense? Typical white sauce, I usually try to use more than one kind of cheese, I vary this depending on what I have on hand. So HERE IS THE TIP I saw on food network - Cottage cheese!!! I just make my mac and cheese and then when I pour into pan to bake, I pour about a third into casserole dish, then a thin layer of cottage cheese, next third then another layer of cottage cheese. then top with rest of mac and cheese - bake as normal!! I DID NOT tell my family for fear of their refusing to eat. My Husband says it is the best he has EVER has.

I found this recipe to have good taste. But mouth feel was very pastey. The white sauce was too large a portion for the little macaroni used. We even added an additional cup of pasta to the sauce. It is a very rich recipe full of fat. Beware of all the calories with this one.

This is my new mac & cheese recipe! It does seem a little thick when you're making the sauce, but hang with it. When it comes out of the oven it's AMAZING!

This was just the recipe I've been looking for... for a long time. I used New York Sharp Cheddar for my shredded cheddar. The sauce seemed a bit thick, so before baking I added more milk to it.... bringing the total amount of milk to 2 and 1/2 cups. I needed to bake it for 45 minutes to get it golden brown and bubbly. This recipe is a real keeper!

We LOVED this recipe, I added 1 Tbl of Worchester (our old favorite mac & cheese recipe has it), shared with a neighbor who loved it too & wanted the recipe. It's a keeper!

I printed this one and will definitely be making it. I plan on using sharp cheddar. And I think I'll top it off with more shredded cheddar before popping it in the oven.

I used 2% milk & used all reduced fat cheeses & sour cream & this was great. Nice & creamy. Thick & rich. Great dish. Will definitely make again. Although I question it serving 6. Mine made a 9 by 13 baking dish & when used as a side would easily feed 8. Maybe 6 if it were the entree.

Can't wait to try this! I'm going to add bacon pieces to it :o)

My entire family loved this recipe. I doubled the recipe and added some chopped onions to it, and they devoured it. This is a keeper. It is so yummy.

My entire family loved this recipe. I doubled the recipe and added some chopped onions to it, and they devoured it. This is a keeper. It is so yummy.

Yum! Enough said!!!

My daughter (she's 31) says this is the best mac and cheese she's ever tasted. She always asks that I bring it to family potlucks. JKos

I added ground beef, sauteed onions and bacon bits. Taste great.

Any clues on what the nutrition numbers would look like using fat free sour cream and 2% milk cheeses?

The only thing I changed in this recipe was that I sauteed some onion with the butter. My husband loves onion with his mac-n-cheese. Fabulous recipe!

I thought this had good flavor but mine came out really thick and kind of gummy. Maybe less flour and more milk next time?

I sprinkle a can of cheddar flavored french fried onions over the top of this before putting it in the oven. My husband who claims to only like boxed macaroni and cheese loves this recipe. Every time I bring it somewhere everyone asks for the recipe and raves about it!

I have tried many macaroni and cheese recipes but this was the best one I've ever tasted. My husband is not a big fan of mac and cheese but he ate seconds!

Mmm, I felt this was more like a paste instead of creamy. Next time, if there is a next time, I'd use less flour.

This is a very good recipe! Everyone loves it every time I make it!!!