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Easy Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe (That Your Kids Will Actually Eat!)

By in Dinner

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This baked mac and cheese recipe is easy to make and a tasty, healthier alternative to processed boxed macaroni and cheese. Even picky kids love it!

With a recipe rating of 4.9, my kids aren’t the only ones! This is one of the most popular recipes I’ve ever shared, and for good reason: it’s yummy and easy to make.

I’ve received hundreds of emails from moms telling me just how popular this easy meal is with their children.

kid-friendly, easy homemade mac 'n cheese pin image this idea now...

Mac and cheese is a favorite food in our household, but I try to avoid the boxed kind. All those artificial ingredients…you know what I mean. I’m okay with it once in a while, but not often.

Of course, the kids love the boxed stuff and haven’t been fans of the much better homemade mac and cheese. Believe me, I’ve tried a lot of different recipes.

There are many good recipes out there that I like, but are they kid-friendly? That was the question.

Thankfully, yes! After toying with recipe variations over a period of years, I have nailed it! This baked mac and cheese recipe is everything it should be: gooey, cheesy, rich, and my kids LOVE it.

My kids call this the best mac and cheese recipe ever, and I have to agree. And I bet you and your family will too!

homemade baked mac and cheese on plate

Why This Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe is So Good:

  • It’s simple and easy to make
  • Kids love it
  • You can use different combinations of cheese if you prefer
  • No fancy ingredients required
  • Deliciously creamy
  • One batch makes a lot, so you’ll have plenty of leftovers
homemade macaroni and cheese on plate

Video Tutorial

This recipe is so easy to put together! For visual proof, I’ve made this tutorial video showing you just how to do it.

Ingredients

Supplies you might need…

How to Make Homemade Mac and Cheese for Kids

Cook the noodles in boiling water according to the package directions.

Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the flour.

melted butter and flour in a pan

Whisk in the milk gradually as you stir.

pouring milk into a pan for baked mac and cheese recipe

Continue whisking until the mixture comes to a boil.

If you stop for a minute to rescue your toddler from your 3-year-old sitting on him, that’s ok, but don’t leave it for too long.

Cook and whisk the boiling milk mixture for about 2 minutes.

By now, it should have thickened. Remove from the heat.

Stir in the cheese.

shredded cheese being added to boiling milk

Add the salt and pepper and stir until the cheese is melted.

creamy homemade cheese sauce for baked mac and cheese recipe

Add the macaroni noodles to the cheese mixture and mix.

creamy homemade macaroni and cheese

Dump your mac and cheese mixture into a casserole dish or 9×13″ rectangle pan (your choice).

In a separate small bowl, stir together melted butter and bread crumbs with a dash of pepper.

Sprinkle this breadcrumb mixture over your mac and cheese.

baked mac and cheese with breadcrumbs in a pan

Bake.

baked mac and cheese for kids on a white plate with red table background

Doesn’t this baked mac and cheese recipe look yummy?

homemade mac and cheese for kids on a white plate with cheddar cheese and red background

FAQs

This recipe is very easy, and it’s hard to mess up. I’ve received emails from hundreds of moms who have successfully made this simple macaroni and cheese recipe for their families. Just follow the directions and make sure you cook and stir until the mixture is boiling and thickened.

What kind of cheese can I use?

I typically use shredded cheddar cheese with a couple of slices of American cheese tossed in. But we have also tried and enjoyed cheddar jack, mozzarella, and other types of cheese.

Sometimes if I have a specialty cheese on hand, I will cube a little and throw that in for more flavor variety. The kids like it “plain” though, so I try not to overdo it.

It’s really up to you and your kids. It’s hard to go wrong! Just be sure to use cheese that melts well for the best texture.

Can I make this dish ahead of time?

Yes! This mac and cheese is super make-ahead friendly. You can prep the whole dish earlier in the day (or even the night before), cover it, and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake. When reheating, you might want to add a splash of milk to keep it nice and creamy.

What pairs well with this baked mac and cheese recipe?

This baked mac and cheese pairs perfectly with my crispy homemade chicken nuggets. I also like to add a simple veggie side like roasted broccoli or green beans too.

This is also a great side for family favorites like grilled huli huli chicken, tuna patties, or even this simple crockpot sloppy joe recipe.

Try this kid-friendly mac and cheese out and let me know what you – and your kids – think! I hope you love it just like my family does!

Even More Easy Kid-Approved Meals:

Click here to pin this recipe for later. 

Print

Kid-Friendly Homemade Mac and Cheese

homemade macaroni and cheese on plate
Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.9 from 15 reviews

This favorite baked macaroni and cheese is easy to make and a tasty alternative to processed boxed mac ‘n cheese. Even picky kids love it!

  • Author: Erika Bragdon
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 30 mins
  • Total Time: 45 mins
  • Yield: serves 12 1x
  • Category: dinner
  • Method: bake
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

Instructions

  1. Cook macaroni noodles and drain.
  2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  3. In a saucepan, melt 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter over medium heat. Stir in flour. Slowly add milk, stirring. Bring to a boil and stir for 2 minutes. Turn off the burner and add the cheese, salt, and pepper, stirring until the cheese is melted. Add the elbow macaroni noodles and mix well.
  4. Turn into a 2 quart casserole dish or 9×13″ pan.
  5. Mix together 2 TB melted, butter, 4 TB bread crumbs, and a dash of pepper. Sprinkle over the mac ‘n cheese.
  6. Bake for 30 minutes.

Notes

Note: this recipe makes about 12 servings or more, so you can halve it if you don’t need that much.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 12
  • Calories: 391
  • Sugar: 4g
  • Sodium: 372mg
  • Fat: 21g
  • Saturated Fat: 13g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 7g
  • Carbohydrates: 36g
  • Fiber: 1g
  • Protein: 15g
  • Cholesterol: 60mg
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kid-friendly easy homemade mac and cheese

About Erika

Erika Bragdon is a flower essence practitioner and a second-generation homeschooling mom with 3 kids at home and 1 in college. She enjoys her chickens, goats, and gardening on a small farm in New Hampshire, and is passionate about sharing flower essences and more ways to renew body, mind, and soul with moms.

Comments

    • Kathryn says

      Just made this recipe for my 2 year old niece. She tends to be a little picky but LOVED this! I will most definately make this again!

      Thank you Erica.

      Reply

  2. Heidi19 says

    This is truly wow! It’s so easy to follow the procedure.. I’ll be making this on the weekend definitely! Everybody will love this for sure…

    Reply

  3. kitblu says

    Forgive me for a contrarian comment. Why does North America dye cheese orange? That is not a natural colour for cheese. While the colour orange used to be produced with annatto seeds, that is no longer the case. The orange cheese colour is artificial.

    Why the extra steps of adding crumbs and baking?No nutrition is added, time is extended and oven has to be heated using extra energy.

    Reply

    • Erika says

      I don’t know about the color – it’s just an American thing I guess.
      And the crumbs? Because it’s yummy! 🙂 The oven is heated to melt the cheese and everything together further, not just bake the crumbs.

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply

      • kitblu says

        OK the baking and crumbs make sense and the crumbs would ads a bit of crunch. I could bake it in the toaster oven.

        Reply

    • Greta says

      The orange cheese thing actually started “across the pond” from America, somewhere in England, I believe. The milk in that region was of excellent quality from the type of grass the cows consumed, which was rich in beta-carotene. It actually did have an orange-ish tinge. Other cheese makers, in order to compete, started coloring their cheese to attract consumers (or trick them into thinking their cheese was of the same quality) and the rest, as they say, is history!

      Reply

      • kitblu says

        Initially the colour came from annatto, a seed from a tree. Now, like many things, the colour is synthetic.

        Reply

        • vislata says

          Greta is exactly right about the history – the cow’s diet was high in carotenoids.

          Euro-trash ‘Kitblu’ is wrong, annatto along with spinach-derived apocarotenal is still used to this day in things like Velveeta and Kraft Singles. The carotenoids in annatto, in particular bixin, are powerful anti-oxidents. All cheese is essentially protein and fat – so ironically the mass-produced Kraft single my actually be healthier for you than some organic-branded non-colored cheese.

          Just because the name of the substance isn’t familiar to you or sounds like a chemical doesn’t mean it is ‘synthetic’. So much of the Neo-Luddite GMO and other food hysteria fads are purely driven by ignorance of science.

          Reply

    • Lindsee says

      She didn’t make the cheese. If you care that much, buy some without artificial coloring.

      Erika, the recipe is great, fed it to a dozen kids and they all loved it!

      Reply

  6. Kecia says

    This mac and cheese looks so yummy! I love homemade macaroni much better than store-bought. I am pinning so we can try making this soon…maybe my picky son will even like it!

    Reply

  12. Jessica says

    I can not thank you enough for this recipe. My kids are sooooo picky I tried other home made recipes and to no avail. But yours OMG my boys loved it so much, they even asked for seconds. I am so happy, like you I am trying to give them more of a healthy version of MAC and CHEESE.. Also it helps that I found these dinosaurs shape pasta in Whole Foods which they enjoyed as well. I did not baked it like you, but I will try that next time.

    Reply

    • Erika says

      That’s wonderful, Jessica! I am so glad this helped! Yay! That’s a good idea about the dinosaur-shaped pasta – I may need to try that for my younger boys!

      Reply

  13. Karen S. says

    This looks so much better than The Boxed. I’ll have to try making it with my kids!
    We usually do something similar but no breadcrumbs. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
    1/4 cup butter melted in saucepan, add 1/4 cup flour and mix. Gradually add in 2 cups of milk, whisking of course and slowly bring to a simmer then turn to low until it reaches your desired thickness. (Boil 2.5 cups macaroni at the same time!
    We grate our own Cracker Barrel extra sharp white cheese, a whole log of it. This can either be mixed into the sauce or added to a greased baking dish. Make sure you grease it! Pour the drained macaroni into the dish, and mix in the cheese and sauce. Top with extra grated cheese (whatever kind you like.) Bake for 45-50 minutes or until it is golden brown.

    Reply

  14. Elle says

    My nieces are getting old enough to want to cook with me when I visit and since I don’t know a kid that doesn’t love mac & cheese, this might be the first recipe we try! Looks good!

    Reply

  18. alison says

    happen to know if it freezes well? would be nice to make a batch and put in single, kid-size servings….

    Reply

      • Allison says

        Thanks for the tip re freezing! I’m wondering if I can use butter alternative such as olive spread or cholesterol free margarine? Also has anyone tried low fat milk? Trying for even healthier version!! Many thanks, Allison, Australia

        Reply

  19. Adrienne says

    This a great recipe! I love how you have step by step pictures as well. Great for visual learners like myself.

    Reply

  20. Leigh says

    I’ll be cooking this with my 5 year old son tonight – perfect Sunday evening meal and he’s been nagging for “macaroni cheese”. My kids love it with some chopped and cooked bacon stirred through and I also like to add a later if chopped tomato in the middle. Saves them wanting ketchup!

    Reply

  22. Sheri Huth says

    THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!! My two-year old toddler is EXTREMELY picky and, with the exception of the Mac N Cheese from Buca di Beppo’s (the closest of which is a mere 300 miles away from us!), I haven’t been able to find any recipes or store/restaurant-bought versions that he will eat …. until I tried YOURS!!!!! Not only did he eat every last bite of it, but he did so willingly and excitedly, doing his little “yummy food happy dance” all the while … and I even scored a huge thank you, in the form of an awesome hug and kiss when he finished his plate! I can’t even begin to put into words how excited and happy this has made me! This will DEFINITELY be my go-to recipe from this day forward and I’ve shared a link to this recipe with everyone I know on FB! Again, thank you, thank you, thank you!!! 😀

    Reply

  23. Debbi says

    Hello! This looks so yummy! I would love to make this for my granddaughters as they are very picky eaters but love Mac and cheese out of the box. Lol I would like to make this ahead of time and bake the following day, is this possible with your recipe?

    Thanks

    Reply

    • Meg says

      Hi Debbi – I am not the blogger obviously, but I made this recipe yesterday and plan to bake it with the butter and breadcrumbs tonight (after it was in the dish, I let it cool completely then covered and refrigerated it). I found similar recipes that all said it doesn’t detract from the dish at all to do it that way, and I didn’t want to have to prepare it all at once this evening. The first part worked beautifully and tasted good. I’m sure it will be even better this evening after the final touches!

      Reply

  25. Meghan says

    This is SOOO good! I halved the recipe. Only because it was all I had, I used dark rye bread crumbs. Plus I added 1 tsp of dijon mustard. We all LOVED it! I’ll definitely be making this again.

    Reply

  26. Saara says

    Thanks for the recipe – made this on Saturday and my daughter actually liked it (said it was different from the stuff her dad makes her, but yummy)!

    I actually quite enjoyed it as well 🙂

    Reply

  27. Krystie Scamehorn says

    no lie – this is the BEST Mac n’ cheese recipe I have ever made. It requires few ingredients, my kids always eat it up immediately, and it comes together quickly. I’ve even messed it up a bit once or twice and it is very forgiving. It’s better if you bake it, but you don’t have to. I can cut the recipe in half easily and it’s plenty for my family. It’s cheap, easy, and be made relatively healthy compared to the box stuff. I often use skim milk, low fat cheddar and whole grain noodles. No matter what I use, if I keep the proportions exact, it turns out great every time.

    Reply

  28. Justeen says

    First time making baked mac and cheese and it came out great !!! I halfed the recipe, but kept the milk amount the same lol, baby girl loved it n she eats nthn

    Reply

  29. Shaun says

    Just tried this for the first time & it was easy & delicious .. I kind of felt like mine could have been spruced up a little, maybe next time I’ll add a little tomato juice or some different cheese flavours but overall it was super delish !

    Reply

  30. Deven says

    If I wanted to make this the night a head for a dinner the next day, could I do so and continue the recipe from when I pop it in the oven.

    Reply

  31. Lori says

    I am hoping it is ok to make the day before and then just add the bread crumb mixture the next day before baking. Wondering how long to bake the next day? So far it tastes awesome! Thanks!

    Reply

  32. Janessa says

    I made this step by step, and it turned out terrible. It was so grainy, and the cheese separated. It was inedible, and I’m sad. I don’t have a lot of food at the moment, and I just wasted what little I have. ☹️

    Reply

    • Erika says

      Hi Janessa, I’m sorry this recipe didn’t work out for you. This is the first I’ve heard of any issues with this recipe, so I’m at a loss as to what happened.

      Reply

  35. James says

    Used this as the inspiration for dinner tonight. Kids couldn’t get enough (and neither could I!). I made a half-size batch. I used some shredded Mexican blend cheese leftover from taco night, a couple slices of American, and a couple tablespoons of grated parmesan to give it a bit more depth (and saltiness). I decided to forego the baking and bread crumbs, but when I have more time will try that because I love mac n cheese au gratin. I think I would also reduce the amount of flour a bit–even with a fair bit of cheese I could still taste it. Thanks for the great recipe!

    Reply

  37. LauraChristine says

    OMG this is by far the best mac and cheese I have ever had!! Boxed mix…out…This recipe…In!!!! I’ve made it like 4 times so far in the last 1 and a half weeks!!! I made it today for the kids, I only had 4 ounces of cheddar (half batch), so i used 2 ounces of mozzarella to make 6 ounces….WOW sooo good!!! Also added a 1/4 tsp each of ground mustard and powdered onion, for added flavor. Also i only cook the noodles for like 5 minutes and let them cook in the casserole, i hate mushy noodles lol. Ugh the best mac and cheese ever!!!!! Thank you so much!!!!!

    Reply

  39. Shari says

    My kids love this recipe. I went through a few others that didn’t quite cut it. This one is a favorite and I’m even making it for Easter dinner! Thank you!

    Reply

  41. Cat says

    I’ve been for a kid friendly Mac n cheese for my son bday party…. just wondering what kind of cheddar cheese did you use? Mild or sharp?

    Reply

  42. Jade says

    Just made it and 🙁 it didn’t work out. I don’t know what happened but it was probably the flour, i never add flour to mac n cheese because I never see the point but this time decided to follow directions. I just had to throw it out. Thinking about the $7 in GF noddles all the Kerry Gold Grass fed butter, organic milk and cheese I just wasted I wanna cry. Pretty sure it was the flour though because as soon as it started to boil the milk mixture looked like mash potatoes. I might try again but will skip the flour.

    Reply

    • Erika says

      That’s awful, Jade! This recipe is not written as gluten-free (I haven’t made this for my own kids in awhile because we are now gluten and mostly dairy-free – we were not when I shared this several years ago). Assuming you used gluten-free flour, it would likely have a different texture and result, which is probably what happened.

      Reply

  43. Shana says

    Hi there! Awesome recipe! Thank you for sharing it. I made this for lunch and I’m not sure if I made to much of the sauce lol i followed the recipe but I only put half of the sauce or roux? on the noodles and instead of bread crumbs (something I never seem to have), I used herb and garlic croutons. Totally yummy! Kid approved!

    Reply

  44. Jeanette Christine Nunez says

    Yum, looks amazing so far with high sauce to pasta ratio! I made completely gluten free with rice pasta, arrowroot instead of flour and GF bread crumbs from Aldi!

    Reply

    • Erika says

      I used regular all-purpose flour when I first published this recipe, but now we use a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour mix along with gluten-free noodles.

      Reply

  47. Stephanie says

    Can this be made ahead for a bbq and heated back up? Any suggestions? Let me know because I would love to make this for my upcoming bbq that will have a bunch of kids and adults!

    Reply

    • Erika says

      Yes, you can do that, Stephanie. I would make it ahead of time except for the baking time. Then simply bake it before you’ll be serving it. If you refrigerate it before baking, you’ll need to add more time for baking to heat it through. Enjoy!

      Reply

  48. Smruti palwe says

    Superb recipe, My kids are mostly into junk food, so I am always concerned about their nutrition. The Macaroni cheese recipes that you have shared looks so delicious and healthy too, I cannot wait to try it at home, I am sure my kids will surely love it.

    Reply

  49. Camila_carioca says

    I have made this recipe now several times, always with the cheddar cheese because of my picky 3 yo. Not just him but ny whole family loves it! Today i am trying breadcrumbs without the butter on top (shqve some time because baby wanted breastfeed), we will see how it turns out.

    Thanks Erika, your page is in my favorite recipe boox 😉

    Reply

  50. Jennie says

    Love this easy recipe! My kids enjoyed it, too. I liked your comment about adding the slices of American cheese – think it worked well. I included it in my recent post about easy kid-friendly family dinner ideas!

    Reply

  52. Nicole says

    Hi there. I’ve been using this recipe for years, everyone loves it, thank you for sharing it. I’ve been doing some instant pot cooking and wondering if you have tried adjusting this recipe for the instant pot?

    Reply

  54. Abby says

    Have you tried making this in a crock pot? I’m thinking of making this for my son’s birthday and it would be easier to transport in a crock pot.

    Reply

  55. Mrs. Baton's Awesome Class says

    It was easy to make. It wasn’t much harder to make than boxed. The texture was soft and creamy. It was cheesy and buttery from the first bite. 7 people in our class liked this better than boxed. 1 person liked boxed better because he can make it himself.

    Reply

  56. Andrew says

    Just made it for easter. Tried a bite and it’s delicious! When you reheat it the next day in the oven, do you do it for the same amount of time and at the same temperature listed in the recipe?

    Reply

  57. Elizabeth Clark says

    I made this in a crockpot for a potluck and it was great. My 5-year-old liked it. Enough said.

    Reply

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