Homemade Mac and Cheese
Homemade macaroni and cheese with ham and peas is a perfect, quick meal that is always creamy and NEVER grainy. Get creative with the add-ins and toppings!
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 597kcal
Ingredients
- 3 cups elbow macaroni uncooked
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 1/2 tablespoons corn starch
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon ground dry mustard
- kosher salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 1 cup ham cubed (optional)
- 1 cup peas frozen (optional)
- 16 ounces sharp cheddar cheese shredded (about 4 cups)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees (if baking).
- Prepare macaroni according to directions on box, removing from the heat about 1 minute before recommended "al dente" cook time.
- Check macaroni around the 5 minute mark. You want it to have a bit of bite to it. If making GF noodles, check around 4 minutes.
- Drain noodles and set aside.
- While noodles are cooking, melt butter in a large, oven safe skillet or dutch oven. over medium heat
- Slowly add corn starch while stirring constantly with a whisk.
- Keep stirring for about 1 minute until the roux becomes bubbly.
- Add milk, a little at a time, until sauce becomes thick (you want the consistency of gravy). Add more milk if necessary. If it gets too thin, you can mix a little corn starch with some milk and add it to the mixture to thicken.
- Add dry mustard, salt and pepper to taste.
- Add cooked macaroni to the sauce. Stir well to coat.
- Add ham and peas and stir to combine.
- Add cheese (reserving a little if you want to add cheese to the top as a topping).
- If you want a creamier mac and cheese (not baked) reduce heat and cook on stove top until noodles are cooked through. You may need to add a little milk as needed.
- To bake, add reserved cheese to the top and place in pre-heated oven for 25-30 minutes or until cheese topping becomes bubbly and golden-brown. (see notes above)
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 3-5 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
Some other favorite cheeses to make up the cheese sauce:
- Gruyere
- Gouda
- Monterey jack
- White cheddar
- Colby jack
Nutrition
Calories: 597kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 653mg | Potassium: 388mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1030IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 529mg | Iron: 2mg