Good Mac and Cheese Recipe W/out Velveeta?

Updated on December 06, 2010
I.M. asks from Arcadia, CA
18 answers

Does anyone have a good recipe for mac and cheese that does not use Velveeta cheese? For some reason I dislike Velveeta and find the taste too mild. My husband's family is doing a Potluck this year for Christmas and I would like to make it.

Thanks to all in Advance

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B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

My husband makes a pretty good mac and cheese.
He boils up enough elbow macaroni so it fills a lasagna pan.
Dices up an onion and saute till limp then mixes it with the macaroni.
Then he tosses in several cups of cheddar cheese (sharp/mild or both) cubes, adds some milk/cream and tops it off with seasoned bread crumbs before popping it in the oven at 350 for 30 min.
It all melts together and comes out with a nice crusty topping.

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M.L.

answers from Tampa on

I have a baked mac n cheese recipe. It's so good! Everyone always asks for the recipe. I usually double this recipe if I am bringing to a party.

8 oz cooked macaroni noodles
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375. Mix all ingredients. Bake 30-35 minutes.

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More Answers

L.C.

answers from Washington DC on

I call this Cheater Mac and Cheese

Boil the pasta of your choice.
Drain. Put it back in the pot and leave the heat on medium. Get a spoon ready, you'll be stirring a LOT
Take whatever cheese you have in your fridge and drop it into the pasta (I've used yellow American for color and added in cheddar, jack, mozarella, colby and more. It's always yummy!)
Add a Tbsp of butter or so and about 1/3 cup of milk.
Stir. Add cheese until it's as cheesy as you want.
Serve.

If you aren't going to serve this for a while, you might want to add extra milk and make it a little soupier so that as it sits, it stays moister...

YMMV
LBC

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T.F.

answers from Los Angeles on

I always make Patti LaBelle's Macaroni and Cheese recipe. You can google it and the recipe will come up. She uses 3-4 kinds of cheese and it is delicious. I took it to a potluck once and it was a hit. I think she uses a little velveeta along with the 4 other cheeses but I've made it without that and it's perfectly fine.

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S.M.

answers from Washington DC on

Velveeta, yuck, I've never even heard of that!

I use a Rachel Ray recipe I found on foodtv.com - off the top of my head it uses shredded chedder (but you can use any type like swiss mixed in), milk and flour roux, and elbow macaroni (although I use different types of pasta). It is flavored with paprika and red pepper I think, but I adjust the amounds down based on whether it is for my kids or not. Ther is also an Alton Brown recipe that uses mustard to flavor, but it is not my favorite.

PS - The roux is KEY to a thick sauce. Melt butter in a saucepan & wisk in flour until thick. Meanwhile, warm milk. Gradually add milk to flour/butter roux and then melt cheese into mixture. Toss with pasta.

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W.E.

answers from Sacramento on

my grandpa used velveeta for fish bait and i have always thought of it in those terms! good luck picking a recipe from all these, they sound yummy!!

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M.S.

answers from San Francisco on

I make a white sauce (google it and you'll find the recipe) and then add the cheese (or cheeses) or your choice. It is yummy and really easy.

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K.M.

answers from Oklahoma City on

My mom always made the recipe off the back of Mueller's pasta and everyone loved it. Knowing my mom, I'm sure she added some extra cheese, though! Here it is:

Ingredients

* 8 ounces Mueller's Elbow Macaroni
* 2 tablespoons cornstarch
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 3 cups milk
* 2 tablespoons margarine or butter
* 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded American or Cheddar cheese, divided

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Cook pasta 6 minutes. Drain.
3. In medium saucepan, combine cornstarch, salt, dry mustard & pepper in medium saucepan. Stir in milk until smooth. Add margarine, stirring constantly.
4. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil 1 minute.
5. Remove from heat. Stir in 1-3/4 cups cheese until melted. Add cooked pasta. Pour into greased 2-quart casserole. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
6. Bake uncovered 25 minutes, or until lightly browned.

T.M.

answers from Philadelphia on

Preheat oven to 375. Salt water generously before boiling noodles. This is a chance to add flavor to the noodles. I boil noodles until aldente.(I usually use elbow, but you could use ziti or shells or whatever you like.) . In the meantime I cut up cubes of cheese. I usually use a very sharp cheddar and a colby jack, 8 oz of each. Then strain noodles. Put cheese chunks and noodles in 9 x 13 pan and stir around with salt and pepper to taste. Then I add about 4 cups of milk (NOT skim milk). Bake for 20 mins then pull out and stir. Bake for another 20 minutes or until golden and bubbly.
Some variations I like to use are adding crispy bacon and diced sauted onions.
Adding panko bread crumbs after the 1/2 way cooking point or even adding "crutons" of bread to the top at the 1/2 way point.

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D.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I never use Velveeta! Just boil your elbow mac and layer in a buttered cassarole dish with shredded extra sharp cheddar. You can brown crushed Ritz crackers in butter in a small pan & sprinkle on top for the last 15 min or so of O. hour baking time at 350 deg.

L.A.

answers from Austin on

I have never cared for Velveeta either..

You can use a small container of the kraft American cheese (blue box sold next to velveeta) and add cheddar cheese.. It will give you that creamy texture, but taste like real cheese not with that sweet flavor of velveeta..

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C.T.

answers from San Diego on

Chucks's Favorite Mac & Cheese from All Recipes:

Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) package elbow macaroni 1 (8 ounce) package shredded sharp Cheddar cheese 1 (12 ounce) container small curd cottage cheese 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese salt and pepper to taste 1 cup dry bread crumbs 1/4 cup butter, melted
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, add pasta, and cook until done; drain.
In 9x13 inch baking dish, stir together macaroni, shredded Cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. In a small bowl, mix together bread crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle topping over macaroni mixture.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until top is golden.

So good! I have 3 other recipes at home, but don't know them by heart.

Can you tell we love homemade mac & cheese?!

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B.G.

answers from Los Angeles on

Hi,
We use bow-tie or elbow pasta, boiled, then layer the pasta, shredded cheddar cheese, seasoned bread crumbs or cracker crumbs, and tomato sauce.Bake for 20-30 minutes around 350. Good luck and have fun!

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C.A.

answers from Dallas on

I second Patti LaBelle's recipe. It was on Oprah and I think it's called Over The Rainbow Macaroni and Cheese. It's absolutely delicious!
Good luck!
C.

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G.R.

answers from San Diego on

This recipe is AWESOME and I have had many. You can sub out any cheese for your favorite and if you do not like bacon, you can leave it out. Velveeta is NOT cheese. Have you read the ingredients? Neither is American Cheese. I drives me batty that a fake cheese is named after us.

Here is the recipe from Ina:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/grown-up-ma...

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B.P.

answers from New York on

I sautee a very finely diced small onion in 2-3 tablespoons of butter then after about 10 minutes on low heat add 2-3 cloves of minced garlic. Then I add 1 tsp flour and cook for an additional minute. Add a dash or 2 of paprika and a few dashes hot sauce. Then add 1-2 cups whole milk and 2-3 cups of diced or shredded sharp Chedder cheese and any other cheese you like. You also have to add 2-3 pieces of American cheese or the sauce will seperate. I also add 1/2 tsp mustard. Add salt and pepper to taste and heat through over low heat stiring constantly. Add Al Dente elbow macaroni, about 1/2 box. If you are planning to bake the thing with buttered panko or crackers on top then you have to make sure there is a lot of sauce. I would try to make some before hand and see what variations you like. I don't add egg. I like it creamy and runny not a big firm block.

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