This 20-minute baked southern mac and cheese is the best because there are only 4 simple ingredients. Elbow macaroni, shredded cheese, milk, and butter. No flour, roux, or egg required!
This no-fuss mac and cheese is perfect for a quick side dish. It's far from fancy but it doesn't have to be fancy to be delicious!
Mac and cheese goes with just about anything from hamburgers to seafood to baked or grilled chicken and steak. Give a try with my Mexican Marinated Chicken.
Quick Look: Easy Simple Mac and Cheese
- ⏲️Ready in: 20 minutes
- 👪Serves: 4-6
- 🥘Key Ingredients: Macaroni, cheese, butter, milk
- 🍳Method: Stovetop then oven
- ⭐Difficulty: Easy
- 👩🍳 Flavor Profile: Mild, creamy, and classic. A simple homemade mac and cheese with plenty of room to build extra flavor.
Summarize & Save this content on:
Only 4 simple steps. Sometimes, the simplest recipes are the best! That's my southern wisdom 😁
Jump to:
- Quick Look: Easy Simple Mac and Cheese
- Why We Love It
- What to Serve with Mac and Cheese
- Southern Mac and Cheese Ingredients
- Tips and Substitutions
- How to Make Simple Baked Mac and Cheese
- Anne's Expert Tips
- How to Avoid Grainy Mac and Cheese
- How to Keep it Fresh
- Simple Mac and Cheese FAQs
- Easy Pasta Recipes You'll Love
- Recipe
- Comments
Why We Love It
- Simplicity. What I really love about this creamy southern mac & cheese is the simplicity of it. Homemade goodness with real ingredients! Nothing artificial and so much better than the boxed version. My southern grandies choose homemade over the boxed brand any day! If easy comfort food is your thing, check out my Country Style Steak served over rice!
- Virtually no prep involved other than cooking the macaroni. Simply add butter, milk, and cheese to the cooked macaroni. Heat for a few minutes to get it bubbly hot.
- Just 4 basic ingredients are needed. Six if you count any salt and pepper you may add. Some macaroni and cheese recipes call for flour, however, no flour is needed for this one! No roux makes this recipe the easiest!
- This recipe makes about 6 servings. I consider it a small batch. However, this recipe can easily be doubled for a larger crowd. It's the perfect side dish for any occasion such as a holiday, cookout, or office party.
What to Serve with Mac and Cheese
This is one of my favorite pasta side dishes because it goes with almost everything. Pair it with Easy Ritz Cracker Meatloaf or Oven Baked Lemon Dill Salmon.
Mac and cheese can be served with chicken or steak; fish or pork; hot dogs and hamburgers! Serve with my juicy and delicious New York Strip steak recipe!
Southern Mac and Cheese Ingredients
Elbow macaroni, shredded cheddar cheese (or sharp cheddar cheese), real butter, and whole milk. That's it! Simple mac and cheese recipe without flour creates a smooth, creamy texture.
Pasta: Elbow macaroni seems to be the traditional choice for macaroni and cheese, but you can choose your favorite - sometimes, I use shells.
Cheese: I highly recommend grating your own cheese. The pre-shredded cheese has a powdery coating that could result in a grainy texture. I highly recommend sharp cheddar cheese for maximum flavor.
Milk and Butter: Whole milk is best. You can even go so far as to use half and half for even more richness! As far as the butter, use the real thing!
Tips and Substitutions
- Instead of elbow macaroni, use shells, bow tie, or penne.
- Instead of yellow cheddar cheese, use white cheddar, American cheese, or Velveeta cheese.
- Sprinkle with a little cayenne pepper for an amazing kick.
- Top off your mac and cheese with ketchup! Yes, ketchup!
- Other topping ideas may include cooked chopped bacon or panko bread crumbs.
- Any other suggestions? Let me know!
How to Make Simple Baked Mac and Cheese
While this recipe is incredibly easy to make, you must EXACTLY follow the instructions or you'll end up with a goopy mess.
Step 1. It's very important to cook pasta al dente and drain.
Step 2. Return pasta to the pot. Add room temperature butter and milk.
Step 3. Add half the cheese to the hot cooked pasta. Gently stir - do not over stir.
Step 4. Pour into a baking dish, top with remaining cheese, do not stir, and bake.
Step 5. Remove the mac and cheese from the oven. Stir very gently to distribute the cheese. Let the it rest for a few minutes. That's it!
Try my Best Southern Meatloaf! It goes FANTASTIC with this easy peasy macaroni cheese recipe!
Anne's Expert Tips
For the best flavor and texture, please follow the recipe exactly as written! No shortcuts or following what you've done for other mac and cheese recipes. Avoid the temptation!
Taste test. Taste test. Taste test. The flavor of this macaroni and cheese depends on you! This is a basic recipe, but you must taste test before and after you make the it, and make adjustments accordingly.
How to Avoid Grainy Mac and Cheese
- The best way to avoid grainy mac and cheese is to not use pre-shredded cheese. Buy a block of quality cheddar cheese and get yourself a cheese grater!
- Cook the macaroni al dente.
- Let the milk and butter come to room temperature before using them in the recipe.
- Do not over stir!
How to Keep it Fresh
Store any leftovers in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I prefer to use BPA-free glass containers with locking lids. Check out this 18-piece set of glass food storage containers with locking lids from Bayco, available now on Amazon. To reheat, add a small amount of milk (about ¼ cup) to the cold mac & cheese, stir, and heat in the microwave.
Simple Mac and Cheese FAQs
Sausage is a great main entree to serve with mac and cheese. Try my easy Brats in the Oven recipe. Delicious and super easy sheet pan recipe!
Simply add a little bit more milk to the mac and cheese if it's not creamy enough for you. When re-heating it, you may need to add a small amount of milk (¼ cup at a time) to get your preferred consistency.
Yes, and it's easy to do! Once completely cooled off, place it in a freezer-safe container, write the date on it, and it will keep fresh for up to 3 months. Tip: wrap the freezer-safe container in plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn or ice crystals.
When ready to eat, let thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in the microwave. you may need to add a small amount of milk (¼ cup at a time) to get your preferred consistency.
Easy Pasta Recipes You'll Love
If you made this deliciously easy mac and cheese, please be sure to rate and review it below. I love hearing about your kitchen adventures! We can also be social if you like! I'm on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.
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Recipe
Easy Southern Mac and Cheese
Equipment
- large pot
- pasta colander
- 2-qt casserole dish
Ingredients
- 2-¼ cups uncooked elbow macaroni
- 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature (slightly softened) Let the butter sit on your countertop for about 15 minutes before using it.
- ¾ cup whole milk, room temperature (or half and half, or evaporated milk) Measure the milk then let it sit on the countertop for about 15 minutes before using it.
- 3 cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese (divided) one 8-oz block of sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ tablespoon sea salt for boiling the pasta, if desired
- ½ teaspoon sea salt for flavoring the mac and cheese, if desired
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F. Important: As noted in the ingredients, the butter and milk must be room temperature. Grate your own cheese. The pasta must be cooked al dente. Please follow the directions exactly or the mac and cheese texture will not be right!
- In a large pot (at least a 3-quart pot), filled one-half to three-fourths full with water, add ½ tablespoon of sea salt. Cook the macaroni al dente according to the package directions. Drain the pasta in a colander, turn off the stove, and return the cooked pasta to the pot.½ tablespoon sea salt , 2-¼ cups uncooked elbow macaroni
- Add the butter to the hot pasta and stir until butter is melted (do not over stir). Then add the milk.4 tablespoons butter, room temperature (slightly softened), ¾ cup whole milk, room temperature (or half and half, or evaporated milk)
- Add ½ teaspoon of sea salt, the black pepper, and 1-½ cups of the freshly grated cheese to the pasta mixture. Lightly toss to combine the pasta, cheese, and seasonings (do not overmix! there is no need to stir until the cheese is melted - you're only stirring until the cheese is mixed in). Taste test for flavor. Add more seasoning if desired.½ teaspoon sea salt , ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 3 cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese (divided)
- Pour the mac and cheese into a 2-quart casserole dish, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese (do not stir). Bake uncovered for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and gently stir the mac and cheese. I find that if you let the mac and cheese rest for a few minutes in the casserole dish before serving it, the cheese isn't quite so stringy.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy to my readers. I'm not a nutritionist and I don't guarantee the accuracy of this data. The data may differ according to the brands I used versus the brands you use. To calculate the data yourself using your brands, try using an online nutrition calculator or app.
KATHI PORTER says
What side of the box grater should I use for the cheese?
Anne Clark says
Hi Kathi. Great question. I'm not sure exactly what your grater looks like, but the large holes are great for shredding cheese. The smaller holes are used for zesting lemons and oranges. I hope this helps! Thanks for visiting 🙂
Monica Gracia says
Followed instructions... I grated an 8oz block of gruyere-cheddar and OMGGGGGGG. Great recipe. Well done.
Anne Clark says
MMMMM gruyere cheese!!! Thank you for letting me know, Monica!! I'm so happy you liked the mac & cheese 🙂
Karilynn Black says
Absolutely delicious, very simple to make and my entire family loved it.
Anne Clark says
Thank you, Karilynn! I’m glad y’all liked it!
Jill says
Can you make this a head of time and put it in the fridge before baking?
Anne Clark says
Hey Jill. For the best results, this Mac and Cheese should be made, baked, and eaten on the same day. Thanks for asking!
Sarah says
Looking for an easy recipe for my son to do at school with a hot plate, is the oven part necessary or can it be skipped and still taste yum?! Thanks
Anne Clark says
Hi Sarah and thank you for your question. Even though this is a very easy recipe to make, I have not tried to make it with a hot plate, and I'm cautious about the results without baking it. What I do know for certain is that if the recipe steps aren't followed to a tee, the texture of the finished mac and cheese will not be great. If your son decides to try it anyway, please let me know the results. I'm always eager to hear feedback. I wish you both well!
Megan says
I'm making this tonight for my dads bday celebration. 🙂
Anne Clark says
I'm so happy to hear this, Megan! For the absolute best results, shred your own cheese and cook the pasta al dente. Otherwise, pre-shredded cheese gets "gloppy" and the texture of the mac and cheese may get "grainy." Happy birthday to your dad!
Suzanne Whitehead says
I made this yesterday for a birthday cookout of 7 adults. I increased the recipe to 1 1/2 & it was perfect for our hearty appetites. Everybody absolutely raved about it & half of us never eat macaroni & cheese. I used evaporated milk & expect this will be a go-to recipe for special occasions. So glad I found it. Thanks so much!
Anne Clark says
Yay Suzanne! This makes me so happy. Thank you for letting me know! Also, thanks for the evaporated milk tip!
Tracy Taylor says
I’m doubling this recipe cheddar and Monterey Jack and can milk for the 4th of July
Stella says
I love this easy recipe! For an elegant twist I used sea shell pasta, serious Vermont sharp cheddar, and a small amount of regular cheddar. Also used half and half. Added some onion, garlic, and lobster meat! It's a good thing I'm engaged because this meal would definitely get me a husband!
Kae says
Could I use a 8x8 square pan instead?
Anne Clark says
Hi. Yes, that should be fine.
Jenna says
After trying out new homemade recipes for macaroni and cheese for years, I have to say this is one of the best by far. I love the fact that this is simple to make, plus the fact it doesn’t require any flour. I honestly believe the flour takes away tons of flavor after trying it without. Anyhow, I thoroughly enjoyed your recipe and this will be my new go-to recipe.
Anne Clark says
Thank you so much, Jenna!
Joel jordan says
Love this recipe I add bacon and use a mix of milk and half and half for creamer Mac and about 2 blocks of cheese hand shredded bake than broil for that beautiful brown crisp
Jessica says
I want to make this for my little one’s birthday party. Can it be made a day prior? Thank you!
Anne Clark says
Hey Jessica! Yes, you can make this a day in advance. On the following day, when you're ready to heat it, you may need to add a little milk to recreate the creamy consistency. Sometimes when pasta sits in the fridge overnight, it can become thicker. Hope you all enjoy it! Happy Birthday to your little one 🙂
Jessica says
Perfect! Thank you so much:)! He is going to love it!
LESLEY JACKSCH says
When I make mac and cheese I crumble Swiss Premium not salted tops and put it all over the top and then fill it with milk. It browns beautifully and is so good.
EB says
Amazing. Almost like my mom's pioneer recipe. I didn't cook the milk, butter, and cheese on the stove I just mixed it all in the baking dish right after I drained the hot noodles. And about 6 min into cooking I mixed it all up and baked it for another 6 min.