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This Velveeta Mac and Cheese tastes like the favorite blue boxed mac and cheese but better! But It’s rich and creamy, and so delicious!
Velveeta Mac and Cheese
This Velveeta Mac and Cheese is cheesy, smooth and creamy, just like mac and cheese should be! I don’t know about y ou, but I am not a fan of mac and cheese that is dry and grainy, and it seems a lot of homemade recipes come out that way. This copycat KRAFT Mac & Cheese recipe is a simple, quick, cheesy, mac & cheese that your kids will actually eat… and like. Let’s be honest, kids like the “Blue Box” macaroni and cheese and this is a lot like it (consistency and taste), but better. It is rich and creamy, just the way it should be. This makes quite a lot so be prepared to share!
Ingredients to make Velveeta Mac and Cheese
- Macaroni Pasta – Regular-sized. Use small shell pasta to make Velveeta Shells and Cheese or other short pastas such as penne, rotini, or bowties (farfalle).
- Velveeta – Original Velveeta is best. We have tried other off-brands or generic brands and they just don’t turn out the same. Velveeta is your best bet.
- Cheese – We like to balance out the flavor of the Velveeta cheese sauce by using regular, shredded cheese. When we use 100% Velveeta the flavor is too rich.
- Whole milk – Milk adds to the creaminess. We use whole milk but 2% milk or skim milk can be used.
- Butter – Butter also adds to the creaminess without altering the flavor of the mac and cheese.
- Seasonings – We use paprika, salt, and pepper in this recipe but you can also add dry mustard powder, turmeric, or onion powder, garlic powder depending on your tastes. Turmeric gives the mac and cheese a natural yellow color boost but remember a little goes a long way! Add a little at a time until you get the color you are looking for.
Add-Ins and Other Serving Suggestions
Have you ever had a mac and cheese bar? It is so fun to make a big pot of mac and cheese and then have bowls of ingredients to choose from as toppings or add-ins. Here are some of our favorites:
- broccoli (sautéed or steamed)
- carrots (sauteer or steamed)
- peas
- hot dogs
- ham
- bacon
- tuna
- tomatoes
- ground beef
- toasted breadcrumbs
- Ritz crackers (buttery rounds crackers)
Baked Mac and Cheese
For a baked Velveeta mac and cheese, top with seasoned breadcrumbs or crushed buttery rounds (Ritz crackers). Bake at 350-degrees F for 20 minutes. You may need to divide the mac and cheese into 2 9×13 baking pans to accomplish this. You can also serve half of the mac and cheese baked in a casserole dish and half regular-style straight from the pan.
Tips for Velveeta Mac & Cheese
- When preparing the sauce, cut butter into chunks so it melts better and more evenly.
- Same goes for the Velveeta. Cut it into cubes so it’ll melt evenly.
- If possible, use whole milk in this recipe. It’ll add a creamier texture to the sauce. So good!
- Store leftover mac and cheese in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To re-heat leftovers add a tiny bit of milk before microwaving. Then stir every thirty seconds until it’s heated evenly all the way through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Try adding some protein such as ham, bacon, or hot dogs. Or maybe even some veggies like steamed broccoli or peas. You can also top with toasted, seasoned breadcrumbs or crumbled buttery rounds (Ritz crackers).
You simply cut it into cubes and add it to your cooked macaroni on the stovetop. Add butter and milk and stir it in until melted. The smaller you cut your cubes the better it will melt in.
Velveeta is easy to melt and mixes in easily. For a very creamy mac and cheese it is a great choice. If you aren’t a fan of Velveeta you can try our Homemade Mac and Cheese that uses sharp cheddar instead.
What to Serve with Mac and Cheese
You can serve this creamy mac and cheese as a side dish to Sirloin Steaks, Baby Back Pork Ribs, or this Grilled Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken. Or add a few of these delicious side dish recipes and make the macaroni and cheese the main dish!
More Mac and Cheese Recipes
Love mac and cheese as much as we do? Here are even MORE Mac and cheese recipes to try:
5-Star Reviews & Comments from our Readers
“This is AMAZING!!!! I am 11 years old and love to cook, and my baby sister loves it!” – Lula B
“This is the macaroni and cheese that brings me back to my childhood! YUM!” – Renee G
“I just tried the recipe and it is ten times better than what u get in the box I loved it and found the flavor was better it’s gonna be one that I use from now on” – Gladys
“I have been following your blog for awhile. I just made your mac and cheese and my daughter said it was “the best ever, much better than out of the box!”
Thanks for the recipes!” – Lisa
How to Make Velveeta Macaroni and Cheese
Velveeta Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 16 ounces elbow macaroni
- 1/2 cup butter cut up into chunks so it melts easier
- 8 ounces Velveeta cut into little cubes
- 2 cups cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup milk or to taste
- salt & pepper to taste
- paprika optional.. I just use it for a little extra flavor and pretty color
Instructions
- Cook macaroni according to package directions (al dente) in salted water. When macaroni is cooked, drain and return to pot on low heat.
- When macaroni is cooked, drain and return to pot on low heat. Immediately add butter.
- When butter is melted, add cheeses and milk. Keep stirring until cheese is melted. If it is too thick, add more milk.. if it's too thin, add more cheese.
- You want it to be the consistency of the Blue Box stuff. Add salt, pepper, and paprika (optional). Stir well and serve immediately.
- **If you save the leftovers, just refrigerate and when ready to eat–pop it in the microwave with a little milk, stirring every minute so it doesn’t dry out.
I’ve made this about a dozen times now, and it never disappoints! Reheats great low and slow on stovetop with a little milk as needed.
How much is 1 package of pasta. It says for a serving of 8. So should it be 32 ounces of pasta for a main course mac and cheese?
Typically a package is 16 ounces of pasta!
This is AMAZING!!!! I am 11 years old and love to cook, and my baby sister loves it!
Thank you for the 5-star rating! We starting cooking when we were young too. Cooking for your siblings is so nice! Thanks for sharing!
So cheesy and yummy! This is the perfect bowl of comfort food!
This is the macaroni and cheese that brings me back to my childhood! YUM!
Which cheddar cheese is recommended? Any brand in particular? American cheddar isn’t sold anywhere in Canada .
I like to use extra sharp cheddar! I’m not sure what brands are available in Canada but I love Tillamook!
As Winnie -the-Poo used to say, “OH BOTHER” !!! Velveeta, according to the U.S. Government (2002) is NOT cheese. It is “a pasturized prepared cheese product”- see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velveeta . Contains approx. 51% cheese. Historically a blend of Colby & (mild) cheddar cheese with annatto for (orange) coloring, it was defiled into virtual plastic. American cheese once was & SHOULD STILL taste like Organic Valley’s American singles, with only FOUR (4) ingredients vs. Velveeta’s uhhh….I lost count: something like 15 ingredients (?) which I can’t identify. If you can’t find them in your local stores, use the Colby/Cheddar/Annato combo. And, no, I have no affiliation with Organic Valley, it’s just my Mom & I tasted the difference in their quality. –MacFan.
I just tried the recipe and it is ten times better than what u get in the box I loved it and found the flavor was better it’s gonna be one that I use from now on
So glad you liked it!
is there any substitute for velveeta? believe it or not, it’s surprisingly not sold in my two nearest grocery stores!
Yes, you can use a slightly softer cheese like monterey Jack if you would like. You can also make a cheese sauce by combining some butter and flour in a saucepan (forming a roux) and adding milk or cream until you get your desired thickness (gravy consistency) and adding another 2 c. or so of cheese until it melts in with the sauce. Hope this helps!
Do you have a Kroger store? (Food for less, Ralphs) They have a block cheese that makes Velveeta taste, well just like velveeta! LOL I was experimenting one night, I just don’t like velveeta, it has a strange after taste to it. So I tried the Kroger brand, and WOW such a HUGE difference in the flavor. I now only use this brand. It is a big block but hey it can make 2 of this scrumptous meal or 1 mac and cheese meal and 1 cheeeeeeeesy awesome casserole dish that I make.
We have a Smith’s which has Kroger brands, so I’m guessing it’s similar if not the same. Thank you for the tip!
Just made this because my 3 year old requested Mac and cheese with dinner. She and our 1 yr old daughter inhaled it. I tend to only like the baked Mac and cheese dish’s but I found myself loving this. Super quick and easy! For sure a keeper in my recipe book! Thanks!
My copy cat is macaroni cooked. 1/3 stick of butter, 1/2 cup of heavy cream and shredded cheese. then the secret is Lawry’s Season salt. Be careful how much. after reheating add more salt or Season salt. You can add more of anything depending on how you like it. if you use any other kind of milk the cheese will separate out. I never tried buttermilk but will try it some time.
Did you know that the pre-grated cheese is covered in cornstarch to keep it from clumping up? I always shred my own cheese because I think it incorporates and melts better. Just thought I would share that little nugget of wisdom 🙂
Wow. I never knew that. that’s explains why the pre-packaged shredded cheese has this dry-ish feel to it!
I have been following your blog for awhile. I just made your mac and cheese and my daughter said it was "the best ever, much better than out of the box!"
Thanks for the recipes!
The 32 oz. I think that is the bigger one. Usually there are just the 2 sizes.. it's the bigger of the 2.
is the 'big' block 32 oz. or 16 oz.? 🙂
2 cups is equivalent to 16 oz.
2 cups of shredded cheese (as in cheddar) is actually 8 ounces.. 16 ounces only applies if it is a liquid measurement.
homemade mac and cheese is definitely the best!
What is 1 pkg of macaroni, is that 1 lb?
Yes. 1 Lb.
1 lb cooked or raw elbow macaroni