Stouffer’s Mac and Cheese
on Sep 10, 2024
Make this Homemade Stouffer’s Mac and Cheese with just 6 simple ingredients. It’s creamy, delicious and oh so easy to make! You will never need to buy the frozen stuff again.
Most everyone enjoys a great homemade macaroni and cheese recipe! It’s the ultimate comfort food. This Copycat Stouffer’s Mac and Cheese Recipe will be one that you will make over and over again.
If you are looking for other mac and cheese recipes, try our CopyCat Panera Mac and Cheese or Creamy Mac and Cheese recipe.
Often when it is time to serve a crowd, I reach for convenience foods to serve that are quick and easy. One side dish that I purchase often is frozen Stouffers Mac and Cheese. It’s so quick and easy to make when I am pressed for time in the kitchen. Recently, we have been making more of our favorite store-bought processed food items at home.
Most everyone will devour a large pan of Stouffer’s Mac and Cheese when I serve it. We all agree that it’s a delicious creamy dish that could be described as the ultimate comfort food. Plus… it’s always kid-friendly.
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Making this Stouffer’s recipe for mac and cheese is so simple. And, everyone that has tried it believes it is a “spot on” homemade recipe. The key to this recipe is following every step as written. It’s an easy recipe but needs to be followed or your dish will not taste the same as the frozen trays.
Stouffer’s Macaroni and Cheese Ingredients
We kept things simple for our Stouffer’s Mac and Cheese Recipe and have been able to pare it down to a 6 ingredient recipe. If you’ve ever made homemade mac and cheese before, these ingredients will all look familiar- you probably have all of them already! In case you need to make a grocery run, here’s what you have to pick up:
- Butter
- Flour – All-purpose flour is perfectly fine here- no fancy flour needed here.
- Milk – Whole milk is the key to making this recipe. The whole milk fat content is needed to create the same texture you would find in Stouffer’s recipe. You might even replace some of your milk with half-and-half or heavy cream to really amp up the richness!
- Cheddar Cheese – Cheddar cheese will be the best to replicate the true flavor. Sharp cheddar, or extra sharp cheddar will not give the same Stouffer’s results. Use a brick of cheese and shred the cheese your self. Store-bought pre-shredded will not work for this mac and cheese recipe.
- American Cheese – A secret little ingredient that’s going to help us get a nice melty cheese sauce that’s perfect for mac n cheese! Grab this cheese from the deli. Have them slice it. I use Land O’Lakes orange American… it’s a key ingredient to make this taste just like Stouffer’s.
- Pasta – We ended up using some large elbow macaroni to get as close as we can to the Stouffer’s Frozen Macaroni and Cheese you get at the store. Of course, you can sub in your preferred macaroni and cheese pasta shape like pasta shells or those double elbow cavatappi if you’d like.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Stouffer’s Macaroni and Cheese
Making Stouffer’s Macaroni and Cheese isn’t that different from making any other homemade mac and cheese. We’ll whip up some cheese sauce, add it to some pasta, and then let it bake in the oven for a bit- simple, right? Here’s all we’ll be doing- step-by-step:
- To start, cook your pasta al dente or slightly undercooked and set aside. After that, melt some butter in the bottom of a large pot over medium heat. Once melted and bubbling, add flour GRADUALLY, small amounts while whisking. Try to avoid any big clumps.
- Mix the butter and flour together to start forming a roux. Cook the roux for a couple minutes until the raw flour smell is gone and it smells sort of nutty. At that point, slowly add your milk while mixing the roux constantly to make a smooth béchamel sauce.
- From here, it’s pretty easy. First, add the cheddar cheese to your sauce. You will add the shredded cheese but doing so VERY SMALL amounts at a time. Wait for each small handful to melt before adding more. This step is VERY IMPORTANT! Whisk it in and mix until fully melted and combined. Adding the cheese in small amounts and allowing to melt completely before adding more keeps your mac and cheese from being “gritty”.
- Tear up or shred your American cheese for easier melting before adding small amounts at a time to the sauce next. Mix until fully melted before adding more.
- Add your finished cheese sauce to your cooked pasta from earlier. Mix well to combine and coat.
- Pour macaroni into a baking dish and transfer to an awaiting 375 degree oven. Bake for 15 minutes or until browned to your preference. Optionally set under a broiler for extra browning before serving.
Storage / Freezing
Storage: Considering our Stouffer’s Mac & Cheese is just like any other homemade macaroni and cheese, you’ll want to store it the same way. Cover the leftover mac and cheese or transfer it to an airtight container or ziploc bag and keep in the fridge. It’ll keep for 3-4 days
Freezing: Once cooled completely, you can also store this in the freezer- just like Frozen Stouffer’s Mac and Cheese! Wrap it good with plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil in order to prevent freezer burn before keeping it in the freezer for 2-3 months. Either thaw in the fridge or cook from frozen in the oven.
Tips for the BEST Homemade Stouffers Macaroni and Cheese
When adding the cheese, only add very small amounts at a time. Whisk the small amounts of cheese constantly. Wait for the small amount of cheese melt completely before adding more. This is VERY Important.
Other Macaroni and Cheese Recipes
Looking for other macaroni and cheese recipes? Try these:
Other Pasta Recipes
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Stouffer’s Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 lb Elbow Macaroni
- 8 tbsp Butter
- 1/2 cup Flour
- 5 cup Whole Milk
- 1 1/2 lb Sharp Cheddar
- 1/2 lb American Cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Cook the pasta al dente or slightly undercooked according to package instructions and set aside.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Sprinkle in the flour. Whisk until blended and cook for 2 minutes.
- Slowly add the milk while whisking the roux constantly to create a smooth béchamel sauce.
- Gradually add the cheddar cheese, about a 1/2 cup at a time, whisking the mixture until each addition is melted.
- Repeat this process with the American cheese.
- Combine the drained pasta and the cheese sauce and stir to combine.
- Pour into a 13×9″ baking dish and bake for 15 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
