I say “famous” in a bit of a jocular sense, but among my group of friends, it’s definitely the dish I’m known for. I’ve sent the recipe to many of them to make at home for their families and to share at special occasions/holiday events. It’s a bit of a tradition, and I have made it for countless get togethers, graduations, cook outs, etc. It’s just the comfort food everyone wants– and I’m all for it. Here’s the thing though– I made this up in college, and it’s a lot of “cooking by feel”. If you’re ok with that, let’s get started!
*actual measurements are provided, and more info is available in the “notes” section of the recipe card.
This is the consistency you’re after. Very exciting cheese stretch action!
I left this in the oven just a few minutes too long, but that crispy cheese layer tasted so good!!
Kelci’s “Famous” Mac n’ Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 lb shell noodles
- ½ c (1 stick) butter
- 32 oz shredded marble cheddar cheese, or similar
- 8 oz shredded cheddar, mild or sharp
- ½-¾ c milk
- ¼-½ tsp kosher salt and black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400ºF. In a pot of salted, boiling water, prepare the shell noodles according to package instructions. Drain and return to pot.
- Add the stick of butter to the pot of drained shells, and stir until the butter is melted and the noodles are coated. Add ¼c of milk and stir.
- Season with salt, pepper, and garlic, and stir until completely combined.
- Add the shredded marble cheddar in increments, stirring and allowing it to melt, before adding more. Add another ¼c milk, and continue stirring/adding cheese until you add all 32oz of marble cheddar.
- By this point, your cheese should be stretching like the pictures and videos above. If it's seeming dry or doesn't look creamy, add a splash more of milk. Add more salt/pepper/garlic if needed, and stir.
- Once the shells are completely coated in cheese, and all the cheese is melted and stretchy, pour the mixture into a greased 9"x13" casserole dish. Top with the 8oz bag of sharp or mild cheddar.
- Place mac n' cheese in the oven for 20-30 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly. Once it's cooked, remove from the oven and let it sit for a few minutes. Enjoy!
Notes
- Once the butter has melted, I usually add enough milk to coat the noodles. As I add cheese, if things are looking dry, I add another splash of milk. The goal is to get a creamy “cheese stretch” when you lift the spatula.
- With the salt, pepper, and garlic, I just add pinches here and there throughout the cooking process. As I add cheese, I throw in a pinch of the seasonings. It’s worked well for the last decade, so feel free to do the same!
- The quantities of cheese/noodles/butter are all exact– so don’t stray from that portion of the recipe.
- In regards to time– if your oven is faster or slower than mine, cooking times may vary. The goal is a nice, golden-brown layer of cheese on the top. This could take 20-40 minutes to achieve depending on your oven. In past apartments, it’s taken me closer to 40 minutes, but I have a convection oven now. I baked it for 25 minutes most recently, and you can see in the pictures that it really browned… 20 would’ve been perfect.