Whip It Up Wednesday: Baked Macaroni & Cheese

Baked macaroni and cheese is a go to dinner in our home. You can make it really easy by using a premade cheese sauce – I usually go with Ragu Cheese Cheddar sauce when I choose this option.

What you need:

1 lb box of penne pasta
1 sleeve of crackers (I use Ritz)
½ stick of butter
1 can of premade cheddar cheese sauce
1 handful of shredded cheddar cheese

If making your own cheese sauce, you will also need:
½ stick of butter
1 quart of milk
3 tablespoons of flour
10 slices of cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook pasta (I like to use penne but have used elbows before as well) as directed on box.
3. While pasta is cooking melt ½ stick of butter in a medium sauce pan.
4. Once butter is melted, take off heat.
5. Crumble in crackers and stir until they are soaked in butter.
6. Drain pasta.
7. Stir in canned premade cheese sauce or make your own cheese sauce.

This is how I make my own cheese sauce:

• Melt ½ stick of butter.
• Add 3 tablespoons of flour while stirring.
• Add 1 quart of milk.
• Stir until sauce thickens.
• Add sliced cheese in small portions – stirring it until it melts. Do not let it boil as milk could sour.

8. Pour pasta and cheese in to a 8×12 oven safe pan.
9. Sprinkle some shredded cheddar cheese over the top of the pasta.
10. Spread cracker mixture over the top of the pasta.
11. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
12. Cool and serve.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes

Easy Baked Macaroni & Cheese Recipe

The whole family loves this macaroni and cheese dish!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Servings: 9 servings

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 lb box of penne pasta
• 1 sleeve of crackers I use Ritz
• ½ stick of butter
• 1 can of premade cheddar cheese sauce
• 1 handful of shredded cheddar cheese
• If making your own cheese sauce you will also need:
• ½ stick of butter
• 1 quart of milk
• 3 tablespoons of flour
• 10 slices of cheddar cheese

Method

 

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. 2. Cook pasta (I like to use penne but have used elbows before as well) as directed on box.
3. 3. While pasta is cooking melt ½ stick of butter in a medium sauce pan.
4. 4. Once butter is melted, take off heat.
5. 5. Crumble in crackers and stir until they are soaked in butter.
6. 6. Drain pasta.
7. 7. Stir in canned premade cheese sauce or make your own cheese sauce.
8. This is how I make my own cheese sauce:
9. Melt ½ stick of butter.
10. Add 3 tablespoons of flour while stirring.
11. Add 1 quart of milk.
12. Stir until sauce thickens.
13. Add sliced cheese in small portions – stirring it until it melts. Do not let it boil as milk could sour.
14. 8. Pour pasta and cheese in to a 8x12 oven safe pan.
15. 9. Sprinkle some shredded cheddar cheese over the top of the pasta.
16. 10. Spread cracker mixture over the top of the pasta.
17. 11. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
18. 12. Cool and serve.

Notes

Add bacon if desired!

Tessa Smith

Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.

mamasgeeky.com/