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Teen Teen’s Mac and Cheese

Teen Teen’s BEST Homemade Mac and Cheese. EXTREMELY CHEESY, ultra creamy, and topped with a crunchy Ritz Cracker topping that explodes with flavor. This mac and cheese recipe is most definitely a keeper.

  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 8-10 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 16 oz box pasta (elbow or shell)
  • 5 cups water (to boil the noodles)
  • 1 1/2 lb Velveeta Cheese or shredded cheese of choice (3 1/24 cups, cubed) *See Notes
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 3/4 stick butter
  • 1 1/2 sleeves Ritz Crackers (crumbled)
  • 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

  1. In a large pot, add 5 cups of water a little salt and bring to a boil. Pour in pasta. Let it cook slowly until most of the water cooks away. Be sure to cook pasta one minute shy of al dente (still a bit firm) according to the package instructions. This will allow the noodles to not overcook in the oven.
  2. Remove from heat but DO NOT DRAIN WATER. There should be a little water left in the pasta. If there is a ton of water left, you can drain off a little, but be sure to leave at least 1 cup of pasta water. This will help with the creamy texture.
  3. To the noodles and pasta water, add butter and the cubed Velveeta Cheese (or cheese of choice) and mix until combined with a spoon. Add salt and pepper to taste
  4. Coat a 9×13 casserole dish with cooking spray and transfer the creamy mac and cheese to the dish. Evenly spread out.
  5. For an even cheesier flavor, add 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese to the top of the noodles.
  6. Crumble the 1 1/2 sleeves of Ritz crackers in a food processor. Transfer the crumbled crackers evenly over the top of the mac and cheese.
  7. Bake in a 350 degree oven covered with aluminum foil for about 15 mins. Take off foil and let topping brown for approximately 5 mins.

Notes

  • DO NOT DRAIN NOODLES! This is one of my moms main tip for getting a super creamy consistency. There should be a little water left in the pasta. If there is a ton of water left, you can drain off a little, but be sure to leave at least 1 cup of pasta water. This will help with the creamy texture.
  • Velveeta cheese is the brand I use and it gives it an extremely cheesy texture and flavor. 
  • Author: Ashley McCrary
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Cuisine: American