Velveeta Mac and Cheese is dreamy, creamy, and delicious!
This easy mac & cheese recipe has an easy homemade cheese sauce made with Velveeta cheese for a creamy texture and and real cheddar add a bold cheese flavor.
Serve this recipe as a side dish or a meatless main dish.
Velveeta has been around since 1918, and shows up in everything from grilled cheese sandwiches, casserole recipes, cheese sauce and rotel dip.
You’ll Love Baked Velveeta Mac Because…
- It creates the ultimate comfort food.
- It has a double dose of cheese for a creamy texture with lots of flavor.
- It starts with a roux for an easy-to-make homemade sauce.
How to Make Velveeta Mac and Cheese
This recipe can be baked or made on the stovetop. It can even be assembled in advance and stored in the fridge until it’s time for the oven.
- Cook butter, flour, & seasonings in a saucepan (recipe below). Whisk in milk until smooth.
- Add cubed Velveeta and whisk until smooth and melted.
- Remove from heat and stir in the shredded cheese and elbow macaroni.
- Transfer to a casserole dish, add the topping, and bake.
This easy casserole dish is a full meal in itself but it delicious served with garlic bread and a caesar salad on the side.
Delicious Mac and Cheese Additions
So many add-ins, what a great way to get extra veggies into the kids or to use up leftovers.
- Seasoning: I prefer keeping the seasonings simple. However, you can add additional seasonings to taste, such as garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Meat: bacon bits or ham, ground beef or shredded chicken/turkey
- Veggies: peas, carrots or broccoli, diced or Rotel style tomatoes, black olives or sliced jalapeños
How to Reheat Mac and Cheese
Velveeta Mac and Cheese is super easy to store, freeze, and reheat, too.
- To Store: Scoop mac and cheese into a zippered bag or a container with a tightly fitting lid. Keep refrigerated until ready to reheat.
- To Freeze: Use an airtight container, but be sure to label the zippered bag or container with the date. Frozen mac and cheese should be kept in the freezer for about two months.
- To Reheat: Pop in the microwave or heat up on the stovetop. Add a little bit of milk to loosen it up if needed.
More Mac & Cheese Recipes
- Crock Pot Mac and Cheese – reader favorite
- Baked Mac and Cheese – five star favorite
- Jalapeno Mac and Cheese Bites – perfect party appetizer
- Stovetop Mac and Cheese – 15 minute meal
- Homemade Mac and Cheese Casserole – rich & creamy casserole
Velveeta Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ pound Velveeta cubed
- 2 cups elbow macaroni measured dry, approx. 8 ounces
- ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese about 2 oz
Topping
- ¼ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 2 tablespoons shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F.
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To make the topping, combine breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 2 tablespoons cheddar cheese. Set aside.
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To make the macaroni and cheese, in a medium saucepan, cook the elbows al dente in salted water according to package instructions. Drain well.
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In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter, flour, mustard powder, and onion powder over medium heat. Cook for 1-2 minutes while stirring.
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Gradually add the milk, whisking until smooth after each addition. Once the milk is added, bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat while whisking. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 2 minutes.
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Stir in the cubed Velveeta cheese and continue stirring until melted and creamy. Remove from heat and add ½ cup sharp cheddar and the drained pasta. Stir well to combine.
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Transfer the macaroni mixture to a 2-quart baking dish and sprinkle with the topping.
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Bake for 20 minutes or until heated through and the topping is golden brown. Do not overcook.
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Rest 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Sharp cheddar can be replaced with other varieties of shredded cheese, such as Swiss or Parmesan.
- Preshredded cheese can be used in this recipe.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine American
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Delicious and easy! My family loved it.
tasty and easy last minute to serve as side with smoked sausage and salad! Thank you for the recipe!
Made this last night for dinner and it was delicious! Thank you for the recipe.
Spice it up with a can of Rotel. Also, I cook the macaroni in a mixture of half water and half whole milk. Dry mustard is a must with this recipe (I also use it in potato salad).
Rave reviews from the family!
Excellent
DELICIOUS! I added garlic powder, salt and pepper and in place of the dry mustard (I didn’t have any on hand) I used a tablespoon of yellow mustard. One of the easiest mac and cheese recipes I’ve ever made. The flavor in this mac and cheese with the velveeta is by far one of the best I’ve had!
I made it exactly how the recipe says and it was delicious!
Great recipe. Will add Gruyere cheese next time.
The flavor was great but I wish I had added at least 1/2 cup more milk. It wasn’t quite creamy enough. Easy to prepare.
I doubled the batch and found it a little dry? Any suggestions as to how to make it not as dry? (Besides covering with foil while baking) And could I use heavy cream to replace the milk?
I haven’t had problems with this recipe being dry. Did you measure 2 cups of macaroni with a measuring cup? Did you use elbow macaroni?
If you’re finding it dry you could either increase the amount of sauce or decrease the bake time. Over-baking can also cause it to dry out. And yes, you can replace milk with cream if you want a richer casserole!