Making macaroni and cheese from scratch is almost as easy as the boxed stuff. In fact, I had a reader tell me that she and her husband decided to race against each other – one making homemade mac and cheese and the other making it out of a box – and it took them the same amount of time! And as an added bonus the homemade version tastes SO MUCH better (at least in my opinion). To be honest, I can’t even hardly eat the boxed stuff anymore because the taste of the powdered cheese just doesn’t cut it for me like it did in the old days.
I’ve shared a mac and cheese recipe on the blog before, but recently discovered a different way to make it (below). One night I was actually making Fettuccine Alfredo as a side dish, but I didn’t have any fettuccine on hand so I used macaroni noodles instead. My younger daughter said “Oh mommy, thank you for making macaroni and cheese.” (one of her favorites), and I said “Well, this isn’t exactly ‘macaroni’ babe.” But that gave me an idea. Instead of starting with a roux (butter and flour) to make macaroni maybe I could alter my Alfredo recipe and use less cream and lots more cheese for a new, creamy version of macaroni and cheese. And voila! Here you have it below…
Creamy (Whole-Wheat) Mac and Cheese
Making mac and cheese from scratch is almost as easy as the boxed stuff
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups whole-wheat macaroni, cooked according to package directions
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/3 cup heavy cream, plus an extra tablespoon, divided
- 1 ¼ cups cheese, freshly grated (mild cheddar, sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack or even better – a combination of different cheeses is highly recommended including a little Parmesan cheese if you have it)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- pepper, to taste (this dish is great with pepper on top)
Instructions
- In the pot you used to boil the noodles, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Stir in the 1/3 cup of cream until well combined.
- Turn the heat down to low and add the noodles, cheese, salt and pepper and cook while stirring until the the cheese melts. Stir in the last tablespoon of cream at the end. Season with black pepper and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Nutrition Facts
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Was not good. Made me sick to my stomach
And a little bit of prepared mustard. That is how we made it growing up – sharp cheese, mustard, and a bit of minced onion added to the hot pasta.
This dish is amazing! I used extra sharp cheddar and Colby Jack.
This sounds easy and wonderful! Curious – have you ever frozen your cream and then tried to use it for this type of recipe?
No, we have not.
What is nutritional values of this dish?
We do not provide those details. This post will help you see why: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/healthy-eating-defined .
Did you add the cheeses off the heat or on a very low heat? This method works great for me.0
Add the cheese on low heat.
Can you clarify in the recipe that the 1.5 cups refers to dry macaroni? I had to read the comments to find that. The description in the recipe says cooked.
Hi there. It is 1.5 cups dry, then cooked according to directions.
Is this 1.5 cups cooked pasta? Or 1.5 cups before it’s cooked?
Before.
My family doesn’t usually eat whole wheat pasta so I wasn’t sure how this would go over. None of us even noticed any difference! And this is the best homemade mac n cheese recipe I’ve tried, period! And bonus – SUPER easy!!
Is heavy whipping cream the same as heavy cream?
Whipping cream sometimes has slightly less fat content but they are very similar.
I tried this tonight! I doubles the recipe thinking one and a half cups was nothing.. But three made A LOT! I did use whole wheat noodles. I was out of butter, so I put a tiny bit of oil instead. I probably could have skipped it all together, and I’m wondering how delicious this is with the butter! Even without it was great. I used crumbled feta, Monterey Jack, and grated some sharp white cheddar. I didn’t measure any of those, just did it to my liking. This was so much better than any roux method I have tried. I cut up a few pieces of grilled chicken, threw it in, and boom!
This was so yummy! Used milk since I didn’t have any cream on hand and it still turned out great and the kids loved it! Thanks so much for an easy healthy recipe. The kiddos had a blast helping make it.
Quick question; I make this all the time, but this weekend, I am making it for a crowd. Do you think you can make it in advance, load in a casserole dish and then warm in the oven, or will that ruin it?
Michelle did it turn out? I am going to make for a large crowd this weekend too. about 40 people and i am using for a side dish. Let me know if you get this because I plan on making tomorrow. Thanks!!!
What was your experience making it ahead? I’m looking to do the same next weekend. Thanks!
Yes it turned out great:) i used a variety of cheeses too cheddar, parmesean, and it was perfect! I made the day before and then refrigerated them when i baked them the next day they were perfect!
Hi. Warming it from the fridge in casserole dish should be fine.
We are under going a kitchen remodel so are without a stove or oven, (or sink or counters). I made this dish all in the microwave since my 6 year old daughter burst into tears the other night saying she wanted mac and cheese. It came out delicious, very creamy and very easy. To add more heft, I added some sliced kielbasa for the men in the family. Would make this again. Thank you!