Homestyle Baked Mac and Cheese ♡
Ingredients ♡
- 2 lbs fusilli pasta (use your favorite, though!)
- 2 tbsp chicken bouillon
- 1 brick Velveeta cheese
- 2½ cups milk
- 8 oz Swiss cheese
- 8 oz Cheddar cheese
- 8 oz Colby jack cheese
- 1 stick of butter
- 1 tsp paprika
- black pepper to taste
- ¼ tsp ground mustard (optional)
- ½ tsp garlic powder (optional)
Directions ♡
- Preheat oven to 350 °F.
- Fill a large stockpot with water, add the chicken bouillon, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain and set the pasta aside.
- Cut the Velveeta into approximately 1-inch cubes. Shred the Swiss, cheddar, and Colby Jack cheeses and mix them together. Set aside 1½ cups of the shredded cheese mixture for topping.
- In a large saucepan, heat the milk and Velveeta over medium heat, stirring frequently so the cheese does not burn. Once the Velveeta is completely melted, add the butter, paprika, black pepper, ground mustard, and garlic powder. Stir in the shredded cheese, except for the 1½ cups reserved for topping.
- Continue stirring until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. The cheese sauce will be thick! If needed, gradually add a little reserved pasta water until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Add the cooked pasta to the cheese sauce and stir until every noodle is well coated.
- Transfer to a 21 × 13-inch roasting pan or divide between two 9 × 13-inch pans. Sprinkle the reserved shredded cheese evenly over the top.
- Bake uncovered for 20–30 minutes, until hot and bubbly and the cheese on top is melted.
KK’s Tips ♡
- Use any pasta or cheese you like. I love how easy it is to customize this recipe!
- Do not over season. Your mac n cheese should not taste like a rotisserie chicken.
- Don’t let your cheese sauce get too hot. Too much heat can cause the cheese to separate and become oily or grainy.
- You can prep this ahead of time! If refrigerated, take it out about 1 hour before baking so it can come closer to room temperature.
- I do not recommend adding salt. Velveeta and chicken bouillon can be very salty.
- For large parties, I recommend using two 9 × 13-inch pans instead of one large pan. They’re easier to serve, and you can keep the second pan warm until you’re ready for it.
Half Recipe ♡
Perfect when you don’t need to feed a crowd!
- 1 lb pasta
- 1 tbsp chicken bouillon
- ½ brick Velveeta
- 1¼ cups milk
- 4 oz Swiss cheese
- 4 oz cheddar cheese
- 4 oz Colby Jack cheese
- ½ stick butter
- ½ tsp paprika
- Black pepper, to taste
- Garlic powder, to taste
- Ground mustard, to taste
