# Best Ever Mac and Cheese

This is a super easy, super cheesy, and super crowd-pleasing Mac and Cheese recipe, perfect for any holiday table.

- Cuisine: American
- Category: Dinner
- Language: en

## Ingredients

- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 1 pound cheddar cheese
- 8 ounces Gouda cheese
- 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese
- 0.5 stick butter
- 0.25 cup flour
- black pepper
- salt
- paprika
- 2 cups milk

## Instructions

1. Place 1 pound of elbow macaroni to boil in salty water.
2. Melt half a stick of butter in a pan.
3. Add a quarter cup of flour to the melted butter.
4. Add fresh cracked black pepper, salt, and paprika to the butter and flour mixture.
5. Whisk the mixture and add 2 cups of milk.
6. Add half of the cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Gouda cheeses to the sauce.
7. Whisk until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
8. Pour the cheese mixture into the cooked macaroni.
9. Stir to combine the macaroni and cheese sauce.
10. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray.
11. Dump in half of the macaroni and cheese into the casserole dish.
12. Take a quarter of the remaining Gouda, Monterey Jack, and cheddar cheeses and sprinkle them on top of the macaroni layer.
13. Add the rest of the macaroni and cheese on top of the cheese layer.
14. Top with the rest of all the shredded cheese (Gouda, Monterey Jack, and cheddar).
15. Sprinkle with a little extra paprika on top for color.
16. Pop the casserole dish into the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes until done.
17. Serve the mac and cheese directly from the casserole dish.

## Equipment

- pot
- whisk
- casserole dish
- cooking spray
- oven
- serving spoon
- fork

## Tips

- Boil macaroni in salty water, 'salty like the sea.' When you think you have enough salt, use a little more.
- Use freshly grated cheese; store-bought cheese has starch added as an anti-clumping agent and won't come out the same.
- Creating a cheese layer in the middle of your mac and cheese is like lasagna mac and cheese, and the only way you should ever make mac and cheese.
- Sprinkle extra paprika on top for "cute popping."

## Source

- Original video: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/19L8QeJpnR/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/9d836b90-a3f3-4bcd-8b8f-95b6823352b3
- Extracted: 2025-11-23

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt