Easy macaroni and cheese made from scratch with just four ingredients! This macaroni and cheese recipe is as easy to make as the boxed kind, but tastes sooooooo much better. This was my FAVORITE dinner that my mom made us girls when we were growing up. If mom ever asked me what I wanted for dinner, it was this. And in true family recipe fashion, the recipe was never officially written down. After moving out on my own when I was 20-years old, I asked my mom for the recipe and jotted the recipe down on a post-it note. You know…half a bag of macaroni, a block of cheese, some milk, Bisquick, cook the pasta then bake.
Since getting the family recipe, I have made this several times and have gotten the measurements and cook times down! This macaroni and cheese deserves more recognition than just being on a post-it note, so I am sharing it here with you (and so I can reference the recipe to make myself of course!!).
My family always used sharp cheddar cheese in the recipe, but feel free to use your favorite type of cheese. I have made this recipe with different cheeses and a mix of cheddar and gouda cheeses and it turns out awesome every time.
There are only four ingredients (not counting the salt and pepper), but there’s some prep work to be done before putting the macaroni and cheese in the oven to bake. You need to cook the pasta and bring the milk to a boil (I do both at the same time—different pots). The cheese only needs to be cubed, so I am saving you from shredding an insane amount of cheese at least! Once all that is done, it literally just gets dumped into a casserole dish to be baked off in the oven!
Macaroni and Cheese (4 Ingredients)
Print RecipeIngredients
- 3 cups small elbow noodles (approximately half of a small 12-ounce bag)
- 16-ounces sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 cups milk
- 1/4 cup Bisquick
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375-degrees.
Boil elbow noodles per the cooking directions on the bag (make sure you heavily salt your water after it reaches a boil). As the macaroni is cooking, cut the cheese into cubes.
In a saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, bring the milk to a simmer and then to a boil. Remove the milk from the heat and slowly whisk the Bisquick into the milk, using a stiff whisk. Whisk vigorously to prevent lumps. Whisk until completely combined. Add salt and desired amount of cracked black pepper. If mixture is lumpy, you can run it through a fine sieve.
Strain the noodles and dump the noodles into an 8-quart casserole dish. Add the cheese cubes on top of the cooked noodles and evenly pour the milk mixture on top. Cover casserole dish with lid and bake in 375-degree oven for 20-minutes. Remove from oven and let set for several minutes. Stir macaroni and cheese and serve warm.
Notes
Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
XOXO,
Kelly
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4 Comments
Katherine | Love In My Oven
November 5, 2020 at 8:40 PMMac & cheese is a staple around here!!! Your looks so creamy and delicious!
Laura
November 6, 2020 at 11:35 AMAfter I had homemade Mac&Cheese, I’ve never even had a bite of the boxed kind! This one looks fantastic, love the creaminess! But Bisquick is the surprise ingredient here! very interesting…
Alexandra
January 18, 2021 at 7:15 AMOh my goodness! This looks incredible, and I love that it’s an easy ingredient list and recipe to follow.
Kelly
January 19, 2021 at 12:12 PMTHANK YOU!! I hope you enjoy it!