This is the easiest mac and cheese you’ll ever make. Seriously. I think it rivals the box in both taste and simplicity.
Food is a great comforter. There is just something about the connection between our taste buds and our brain that can do wonders. I don’t pretend to understand it, but the right foods can make us feel better when the rain has spoiled our parade, when the dog has eaten our homework, when no one likes us and we’re tempted to go eat worms.
There are some foods that are generally known to bring comfort, like chicken noodle soup or macaroni and cheese. Usually, “comfort foods” involve a few fattening ingredients and leave your belly feeling full. And they always taste great!
One of my favorites is this Mac and Cheese recipe that FishPapa and I have been making forever. In our newlywed days, we could easily eat the whole batch ourselves. Now, we restrain ourselves and share some with the kids.
This Mac and Cheese recipe is very easy, very make-ahead, and it freezes well also. What more could you ask for?
Easiest Mac and Cheese Recipe
This is the easiest mac and cheese you’ll ever make. Seriously. I think it rivals the box in both taste and simplicity.
Preparation Time:20 minutes
Cook time:20 minutes
Total time:40 minutes
8 servings
Ingredients:
- 3/4 pound elbow macaroni or penne pasta, cooked according to package directions and drained
- 8 ounces sour cream
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese, cubed
- salt and pepper to taste
- Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large pot of salted, boiling water, cook the noodles until al dente, according to package directions. Drain.
- While the pasta is cooking, in a large mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, cheese cubes, and salt and pepper. Stir in the drained noodles.
- Spoon this mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly.
- The dish may be frozen prior to baking. Simply chill completely in the fridge and store covered in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator prior to baking.
What’s YOUR favorite comfort food?
How about you? What’s your family’s favorite comfort food. There’s bound to be something you enjoy when youare sick, snowed in, or just need a little pick me up. Today’s the day to share it!
Can’t wait to see what you cook up on a rainy day!
This post was originally published on January 22, 2009.
Be Sure to Take Freezer Meals on the Road to Save Money this Year
Nothing says comfort food like mac and cheese. I am posting my favorite version today. And it has sour cream in it like yours.
I accidentally deleted your comment when I moderated… just wanted to say I hope you enjoy it!! It’s a family favorite lately!
My kids don't like homemade mac & cheese either. It's not a cheese issue though – I think the powdered kind has some secret addictive ingredient.
My kids won’t even touch the boxed kind!
I never thought to put sour cream in my mac n cheese, but I bet that makes it very smooth. I will try it next time.
Thanks for the swap. I am always looking for more comfort food!
Andrea in NC
I’m totally down with the mac and cheese. And sometimes we like to do a baked potato bar. We put the potatoes into the crock pot and leave them all day so we don’t find ourselves huddled around the oven at 6pm, starving and asking if they’re done yet! Set out REAL butter, cheese, sour cream, bacon bits or whatever suits you. MMMM
Another thing we like is just a simple vegetable plate with 3 of the 4 following:
1. Sweet potato with maple syrup, butter, and pecans
2. “Hoppin’ john” (open a can of blackeyed peas and a can of diced tomatoes, add both of them to sauteed onion, green peppers, garlic, and cumin)
3. Steamed brocolli or cabbage with butter, of course (Do you sense a butter theme here?)
4. Spaghetti squash with pesto
My favorite comfort foods? Popcorn and mashed potatoes – but not eaten together! 🙂 Chocolate is always a comfort as well!
I would like to make and freeze this dish… do I bake it before I freeze? Also – when we want to use it – do I thaw first or just bake? Could you please post "directions for dummies" 🙂 I am new to this whole make ahead and freeze world – it has already really blessed my family though! Thank you!!!!!
Sally
Thank you for an alternative recipe to the boxed mac ‘n cheese! Question for you – should the cubed cheese have been more melted prior to pouring into the baking dish? This was stringier than I thought it would be. Do you have a recommendation for how to make it more creamy? Thank you for your time and your help!
Usually, I stir it up pretty well before serving. That seems to work. However, I noticed recently when making sandwiches, that the cheddar I bought at Sprouts melted much stringier than the Tillamook I usually buy. Has me wondering about cheeses….
I just found your blog(on accident) love it so much!!!!!!!!
Welcome! Glad you found me! I also have a food blog called Good Cheap Eats that’s where I post most of my recipes.
Just popped Mac & Cheese into the oven!
Easy recipe plus I made it with Gluten Free Rice Elbow Pasta I get at Winco in bulk.
I even doubled the recipe to put some in the freezer for an easy meal later.
One blog I also follow calls it Investment Cooking. I love that!
Thanks for sharing your recipes. Have your cookbooks and use them all the time.
Thanks for your kind words. So glad you’re enjoying the recipes!
Got it! Can’t wait to try it……. a few weeks from now. Whole30 should include mac and cheese right? I guess I could torture myself and show self control and make it for the kiddos. 🙂
Yes, Whole30 should definitely make an exception for this dish. LOL!
Do you think you could use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream??? Just wondering – they always say that’s a good substitute…please let me know. Thanks!!!
I’m thinking you probably can. It will just be a bit tangier. Let me know if you do try it that way, so we have some personal experience documented. 😉
Money Saving Mom gave a shout out about this recipe and I’m printing it out and going to try it!
Thank-you! I have a homemade Mac and cheese that I love that uses Velveeta. The sour cream in this intrigues me. 🙂
I hope you like it! It’s one of our favorite dinners!
Can shredded cheese be used instead?
Thanks!
Sure. It will just measure slightly different than cubes. Be generous and you should be good.
I made this for dinner tonight and it came out quite dry. I used regular sour cream with an extra scoop of Greek yogurt. I also used sharp cheddar and whole wheat pasta. Any clue why it was so dry?
It’s possible it was the whole wheat pasta. I’ve never made it with that. I’m sorry to hear that it didn’t work well for you.
I’ve noticed that the consistency of sour cream can vary drastically from brand to brand, so that could be something to look at. I also wonder if the whole wheat pasta soaked up more of the liquid from the sour cream, leaving it too dry. Personally, I’ve found that whole wheat pasta is tough on my otherwise-healthy digestion so I opt to use high quality pasta (regular processed wheat) or brown rice pasta (usually the Tinkyada brand seems to work the best for me).
This was absolutely delicious! However, I baked it for 15 minutes…gave it a stir…baked for another 8 minutes to achieve a good melty consistency. Loved it.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Tried making it this week after seeing it on Money Saving Mom not too long ago. Turned out wonderful, definitely will make again! I have to eat gluten free, so used the Tinkyada brown rice macaroni, and the consistency was perfect. My mother tried it and had no idea it was brown rice macaroni I used. I opted for a package of shredded cheddar cheese, and just mixed everything up well. Turned out wonderful and reheated beautifully too.
So glad you enjoyed this!
Oh man….this was sooo good!! Thank you for the recipe! 😀
What do you mean salted water?
Pasta is best cooked in salted water. It not only helps the water boil faster, but it also seasons the noodles.
This is my 3 year old daughter’s favorite mac and cheese. I made it yesterday with half sharp cheddar and half monterrey jack – and it is AMAZING.
I’m so glad you like it! Thanks for your feedback!
Do you happen to know a rough cup measurement of the noodles? I have a giant bag of noodles and no scale.
Recipe looks awesome! Thanks!
2 cups if you’re using standard elbow noodles