This recipe truly doesn’t take much more time than it would to make the highly processed macaroni out of a blue box. Don’t expect the same flavor as the factory made stuff though because it actually tastes SOOO much better. And of course this recipe is also much better for you with only a few simple ingredients including whole-grain noodles. So go ahead and do the right thing by making the switch for your family…it’s better late than never!
Whole-Wheat Macaroni and Cheese
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
- 1 – 1 ½ cups of dried whole-wheat macaroni noodles, boiled according to package directions
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup grated cheese (you can use any type of cheese…we usually use sharp white cheddar or a mix of different cheeses works well too)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional topping: grated parmesan cheese or whole-wheat breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Directions
- Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat.
- Whisk in the flour and keep whisking for about 1 – 2 minutes until the roux (which is equal parts flour and butter or oil) starts to darken, but does not burn.
- Turn the heat down to low and quickly whisk in the milk. Turn the heat back up to medium and keep whisking until the mixture starts to thicken and all lumps of flour are dissolved.
- Stir in the grated cheese and once it melts mix in the cooked noodles. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
I made this for lunch today and while it was very good, I agree with other reviewers who found it gritty/grainy. I may try to cook the sauce for a shorter amount of time in the future to see if that helps. It was so good with local milk and cheese and my 16 month old loved it once I convinced her to try it.
If it was grainy it may because you used a sharp cheddar. For some reason sharp makes a grainy cheese sauce. If you use a medium or a combination of sharp and something more creamy it may turn out better.
Easy and delicious. The kids loved it!!!
Yum! This is going to be a regular at my house from now on! I used half milk/half broth and added a pinch of cayenne pepper for flavor. It was a hit, and my blue-box loving husband said “We never need the boxed stuff again!”
Sounds good! One thing I’d recommend is to make sure all the dairy ingredients are room temperature, especially the milk. (You can also warm it a little in the microwave). Cold ingredients added to a warm roux makes a clumpy sauce.
For those who find it “gritty” it is likely due to the ww flour. You could simply substitute spelt flour instead- it has a smoother texture.
This recipe was amazing! I added an extra cup of Mexican blend cheese! Will definitely be recommending this recipe to friends and family. Thank you!
I made this and it was fantastic! I even made it for our Easter dinner and everybody loved it, which is a HUGE success. I was wondering what kind of cheese you use? I stood at the different block cheeses forever trying to figure out which one wasn’t highly processed and kinda just chose one that looked right. THanks for your help and all of your great recipes.
Hi Stephanie. We look for an organic sharp white cheddar. ~Amy
I just wanted to let you know….this was my first homemade mac and cheese EVER. My oldest daughter had a rough day of homeschooling. She wanted comfort food and said “I could really go for some homemade, cheesy, mac and cheese” So, I got online and started looking. When I googled mac and cheese, I didn’t like all the “extra” ingredients I saw in most recipes. So, I looked at two of my favorite people that I follow on Facebook. One did not have a mac and cheese recipe and the other was you! I had everything I needed and so I started it, only about 30 minutes ago. I followed the recipe exactly and also paid attention to one of the comments about making sure the dairy items were room temperature. My oldest said “this is exactly what I wanted!”. My youngest who doesn’t always like mac and cheese said, “Mom, that is actually reallly good. Can I have that more often?” And my middle just kept eating! Thank you! This will definitely go in my recipe binder!
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I just made this for my 10 year old and he told me it’s better than the mac and cheese from a box. Then he added “and it’s better for us, too.”
Made this for my 2 and 4 year old for lunch today. Added 1 cup of pumpkin puree from the freezer. Awesome!