Homestyle mac and cheese is an easy homemade macaroni and cheese recipe that can be made from scratch in about 30 minutes.

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A wooden spoon scooping up mac and cheese in a Dutch oven.

Homestyle mac and cheese is an easy homemade macaroni and cheese recipe. This simple stovetop mac and cheese is so good that you'll never want to make boxed mac and cheese again!

Homestyle mac and cheese is a simple homemade macaroni and cheese that's made from scratch in about 30 minutes. This simple method is the way that my mom taught me to make mac and cheese.

The recipe is also flexible and can easily be changed up to suit your tastes. Whip up this easy mac and cheese recipe, and you may never make boxed mac and cheese again!

How to make homestyle mac and cheese

Here you'll find step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including ingredients, is given below.

Step 1: Cook macaroni according to package directions.

Flour cooking in butter in a Dutch oven.

Step 2: In medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat; stir in flour, and cook for 3-5 minutes stirring constantly to form a roux.

Step 3: Add dry mustard, salt, and pepper; whisk in to combine.

Step 4: Slowly whisk in milk, and whisk until well-combined.

A red spatula in a pot of thickened milk.

Step 5: Cook, whisking regularly, until thickened. You don’t want mixture to boil.

Tip >> You can check to see if the milk has thickened by dragging a finger down your spatula or spoon. If it has thickened, the spot where you dragged your finger will remain. If it fills back in, continue cooking.

A spatula stirring shredded cheese into white sauce.

Step 6: Remove from heat, and stir in cheese a little at a time until fully melted and combined.

Step 7: Drain macaroni.

A red spatula stirring cooked macaroni into cheese sauce.

Step 8: Return macaroni to pot, and pour cheese sauce over the top.

Step 9: Toss to combine.

A Dutch oven filled with homemade mac and cheese next to a cream knit dish cloth.

Tips

Pasta: For macaroni and cheese, you want pasta that has shape and/or texture so that the cheese sauce will stick to the pasta. Pasta shapes like elbows and shells are good choices.
Cheese: I like to use sharp cheddar cheese for the most robust flavor. However, you can use a combination of cheese flavors, like mild cheddar, medium cheddar, or gruyere. I use blocks of cheese and grate it myself because grated bagged cheese has anti-caking agents that can prevent proper melting.
Thicker macaroni and cheese: For thicker macaroni and cheese, use 12 ounces of pasta.

A pot of homestyle mac and cheese next to salt and pepper mills.

Serving suggestions

This macaroni and cheese can be served as a side dish or as a main dish. Serve it as a side for meats like ham or turkey or barbecue meats like smoked briskets.

You can also serve it as a main dish with sauteed greens, like spinach or collard greens, on the side. Sauteed broccoli and cauliflower and roast vegetables, like green beans, also go well on the side.

A wooden spoon holding a scoop of macaroni and cheese.

Storage

Any leftover mac and cheese should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The macaroni and cheese will keep for up to 4 days when properly stored in the fridge.

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