This 5 Minute Mac and Cheese Recipe is super easy to make in the microwave, and it’s so much better than store bought macaroni and cheese! You can’t fail with this easy, cheesy, creamy mac n’ cheese recipe!
5 Minute Homemade Mac and Cheese
Last week was raining and I knew just what I wanted to whip up for dinner….a quick and easy homemade mac and cheese.
Who needs a box mix when you can have homemade mac in 5 minutes?! I will say, that I had cooked pasta in my fridge from a previous dinner, so make sure you cook some extra pasta to have ready for this recipe.
This is too easy to not try for yourself, give it a go and let me know if you love it as much as we do!!
Can you even handle all of the ingredients you need? I don’t know if I can.
How to Make This Creamy Mac & Cheese
Pour in your cheese pleeeease.
Add your milk. I used whole milk here.
Every last drop!
Add some salt.
….and freshly ground black pepper.
Grab a spoon and stir it all together.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and microwave for 3 minutes. Stir and microwave for an additional 2 minutes.
Stir until creamy dreamy smooth.
Oh yah!!
Dig in!
5 Minute Homemade Mac and Cheese
Equipment
- Microwave
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb cooked pasta we used small shells
- 2 cups Mild shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place pasta, cheese, milk, salt and pepper into a microwave safe bowl. Stir to mix.
- Cover lightly with plastic wrap and microwave for 3 minutes. Stir and microwave for an additional 2 minutes. Stir until creamy and smooth, then serve immediately.
Nutrition
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Have a great day! Come back soon 🙂
Welcome to my online kitchen! Picky Palate is where you’ll find family friendly recipes along with the best Disney eats, tips and copycat recipes! 
Let me just say, this satisfied my craving 100% I had a bunch of extra noodles laying about and some extra shredded cheese. Did it as followed and it turned out lovely! I added some panko bread crumbs and nomnomnom. Def keeping in rotation!
I used bag cheese – Sargento extra sharp cheddar. I also enhanced the recipe a bit by substituting Carnation Evaporated Milk, and addd some dry mustard, unsalted butter, and a bit of flour. However, I am convinced that mac and cheese is creamier when one grates her own cheese. I find Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp Cheddar to be the best for making mac and cheese.
I made this last Sunday. It was very easy. I did it on the stove top instead of the microwave, and it worked well. The only problem I had was I made it as a side, and I made it before the main course was done….so by the time I served dinner it wasn’t as creamy and yummy as it was when it was first ready. My fail. I’ll make it again though. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
(my website is still a work in progress…I only have 3 pages published at the moment, but hope to have much of the rest up within a week or two.
I was in dire striaghts that we ran out of the boxed mac and cheese, which is what he wanted me to make lightly blended with a small amount of hamburger meat. Well, to no avial, we were out. But, I did have your ingredients and gave it a shot! Perfect! I used 2.5 cups of macaroni, 2 cups of the cheese and all like you said in the recipie! Followed your instructions…and it was really quick and easy. Only took 5 minutes (with exception cooking the macaroni for 11 min)…but we all know that doesn’t count…you just put it in and let it boil!
AWESOME and your online recipie saved the day!
Thank you so much for posting this!
Sincerely,
Holly
So easy. I was surprised that it turned out so good. I’m a firm believer in making a roux, but I was sick and not feeling up to cooking. Thanks for posting.
I’m 11 and I find that this would be a very easy recipe for me to make home alone! But can I use 1% low fat milk?
I tried this recipe tonight… Personally I didn’t think it was very tasty. My husband didn’t mind it, but it didn’t taste like very much to me and was sort of gritty. I even made it on the stove top, added extra cheese, and after combining them, put it in the oven to set with more cheese on top. I would change the recipe or find a different one if making it again.
I know im a football player and need to be healthy… but this is a lovely dish and now i have it at least 2 times a week my wife and i enjoy it, its better than going out for a meal
This isn’t really a 5 minute Mac n cheese if the noodles need to be precooked! More like 20 minute stovetop/microwave man n cheese! 😉
what is the recipe as 1 serving
Here is how mine turned out! Definitely LOVE the idea of not using that powdered stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vPjMUi-AMo#
This is a great easy recipe with no artificial ingredients. My children loved it!
I’m a mac and cheese “junkie”! oh my gosh! I’m sure I will making this soon
Thanks for a simple recipe which turned out great!
Just made this, but with elbow macaroni and a “pizza blend” cheese (cheddar + mozzarella). DELISH!!! Have pinned this recipe to my Pinterest board and will def. recommend. Thanks so much!
Was so excited to try this, but it didnt work for me, it was clumpy and seemed like there was too much milk. I uswd whole milk and 2% cheese, should i have used regular cheese. Love picky palate, thank you!!
If there is no flour in this recipe then what is in that picture with the tablespoon? It even looks like flour sitting on top of the cheese in the next picture with pepper on top of it. I am so confused.
Hi Jessica, it’s salt in the tablespoon, no flour in the recipe 🙂 Hope you enjoy!
This worked for me, but was a bit bland. i’ll be adding american in next time to see if it helps make it a bit creamier and a bit tastier!
This recipe calls for 1/2 lb of cooked pasta, what measurement would that be in dry pasta? I would need to cook the pasta, but want to know how much to cook. Thank you!
i used half a box of dry pasta and it seems to work just fine.
I AM SO MAKING THIS RECIPE RIGHT NOW IT LOOKS SO EASY
IM 19 WEEKS PREGNANT AND MY BF HAD KRAFT DINNER HE ISNT
LIVING WITH ME RIGHT NOW HES WORKING OUT OF TOWN..AND WE ARE
ON SYPE TOGETHER ANYWAYS LONG STORY SHORT IS THAT I WANTED TO MAKE
SOME HOMADE….AND THIS IS THE EASIEST RECIPE EVA LOOKS SO YUMMY WITH
THE SHELLS LIKE VELVETA ! OMG I NEED TO BUY SOME , LOL THANKS XO
I just made this for lunch and the cheese was lumpy 🙁 I used a block of cheese and shredded it myself. I did add flour to the chese like someone else posted and whole milk. Maybe next time I’ll use the pre shredded kind.
I just tried to make this, and it is definitely NOT as creamy as yours! Do you think it is because I didn’t use leftover pasta but made the pasta specifically for this? Thanks!
My little ones LOVE Mac&Cheese. Delicious and the perfect recipe for a quick lunch or a quick side dish for dinner. Thanks!
I made this and posted about it here. I used skim milk and it turned out fine. It is stringier than the “blue box” but I wanna know why that is a bad thing!
I’ve had this for lunch way too often. I really wish it wasn’t so easy. But it’s healthy right? Cause it’s chalk full of calcium. 😉
Just made this for lunch, love it! My girls are pretty picky, and wont eat homemade Mac and cheese…but they love this! I cant believe how easy it is either. I just heated up the cheese and milk in the saucepan I used to boil the noodles and it worked great. Thanks 🙂
Thanks for sharing Jessica!! 🙂
Thanks for the recipe! I tried it out and I am in love! I made it with cheese I had on hand some cheddar, feta and a little mozzarella. I halved the recipe and made it with skim milk it was delicious and wonderful! Thank you so much for this wonderful idea!
Glad you like it Christine!! 🙂
Would this work with 1% milk? Or does it have to be whole milk?
Hi Amy,
This does need to be whole milk. 🙂
My 16 year old son loves mac and cheese and I taught him how to do this several years ago because he is constantly hungry. I love that he will take left overs and create something new. Yours looks amazing!
This is such a great idea for last minute dinner arrangements. I haven;t yet meet anyone who says no to Mac&cheese
This didn’t work for me,just ended up with a bowl of cheese clumped noodles and loose milk,not sure what I did wrong?
I had the same problem.
me too!! it doesn’t work. i thought it was b/c i used 1% milk, but i tried it with and same thing
Everyone is raving but has anyone (aside from Jeri above me) tried it? It looked amazing and unreal to me also, but like Jeri, my cheese just clumped and was not at all nice and creamy like Jenny’s. What did I do wrong….and it is even possible to do this recipe wrong!!?? It still tasted good of course–I mean, how can’t it? Its cheese!
After reading these comments, I added half a tablespoon of flour to freshly-shredded cheese and tossed it together before combining with the rest of these ingredients. It then melted nice and smooth like in the photos above. Perhaps the original poster didn’t need to add flour because she used bag cheese, which I believe already has something in it to keep it from clumping?
That would be potato starch. Odd, because everywhere else I’ve read about making mac and cheese, they say to avoid pre-packaged shredded cheeses for this very reason…
How did you get this creamy? My cheese got all clumped together.
Hi Jeri,
I’m sorry to hear that. It’s hard to say unless I witness you making it. Maybe try a different brand of cheese to see if that helps.
Jeri,
Also make sure you use whole milk. 🙂
WOW!I loved it!I used sharp cheddar and added 5 drops of tobasco for a little kick and it was so great, flavorful, and not actually clumpy. Simple and delicious!
I’m only irritated because I always have these ingredients on hand yet, despite their simplicity, never put them together. Goodbye, Kraft and super-long, laborious processes of making mac and cheese. Hello, new, easy favorite!
I always have lots of shredded cheese on hand. Now, I just need to “accidently” make some extra pasta. Can’t wait!
Have never found the perfect Mac & Cheese recipe. Can’t wait to try this out.
That’s too easy. I think you cheated 😉
Lol!!