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Velveeta mac and cheese will pass the taste test with the pickiest mac and cheese eater in the family. This creamy, cheesy, and irresistibly thick mac and cheese will be your kids new favorite and it is so easy to make! Make sure to make the Panko topping for a buttery, crispy addition!
Velveeta Mac and Cheese
Like most restaurants that have great mac and cheese, it has to do with creaminess and cheesiness, and this recipe has both of those. The addition of creamy smooth Velveeta makes it simple to mix up with a great cheese flavor.
This Tastes Like Mickey’s Mac and Cheese
As soon as I tasted this, I recognized the sauce. Without the panko topping, this is the closest mac and cheese that I have found to the one served at Disneyland for kids! Use elbow macaroni instead and remove a cup of the pasta for more sauce and voila! Mickey’s Mac and Cheese!
For a Creamier Mac and Cheese
Remove a cup of the dry cavatapppi pasta from the recipe and cook the rest of the recipe as directed. There will be more sauce and less pasta in the recipe. Feel free to play around with the ratio that you prefer for your mac and cheese!
How to Make Velveeta Mac and Cheese
The little bit of work making the Béchamel sauce is definitely worth it for making the best mac and cheese sauce. Try it and you will agree! For detailed instructions see the recipe card below.
- Prepare pasta and cook to al dente according to the package directions. Set aside
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk into the melted butter until smooth. Cook, stirring, until the butter mixture turns golden brown, around 5 minutes.
- Whisk in one cup of the milk, adding very slowly to avoid clumps, whisking continuously. Once combined, whisk in the rest of the milk slowly, until all of the milk is whisked into the mixture. Add in the onion powder, mustard powder, salt and pepper
- Simmer, not boiling, stirring, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Continue simmering for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the sauce from burning on the bottom, until the mixture is smooth and the flour is no longer gritty in the mixture. The mixture should coat the back of a spoon when done. remove from heat.
- Stir in the cubes of Velveeta, slowly letting it melt into the sauce. Add in the sharp cheddar, slowly, by handfuls, until it’s all melted into the sauce.
- Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta in the large bowl stirring to coat the pasta completely.
- Spoon the pasta and sauce into the prepared 9×13 baking pan in one layer.
- Combine in a separate bowl, the Panko, parsley, and Parmesan. Once mixed, pour the butter on top of the Panko mixture and mix gently until well combined.
- Sprinkle the panko topping on top of the mac and cheese. Bake the mac and cheese in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, until warmed through.
- Remove from the oven, cool for 5 minutes to let the sauce set, then serve
How to Store
This Velveeta mac and cheese will be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. It will also freeze well in individual air-tight containers for lunches for up to 2 months. Just reheat and serve!
Happy Cooking
Love,
Karlynn
More Perfect Pasta!
Velveeta Mac and Cheese
- Prep Time
- 20 minutes
- Cook Time
- 40 minutes
- Course
- Main Course
- Cuisine
- American
- Servings
- 8
- Calories
- 389
- Author
- Karlynn Johnston
Ingredients
- one 454 gram box dry cavatappi pasta (elbow can be used as well)
Cheese Béchamel Sauce
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 ounces Velveeta
- 2-3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
Panko Topping
- 1 cup panko crumbs
- 3 tablespoons salted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Butter a 9×13 baking pan and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Once boiling add the pasta and cook to al dente according to the package directions. Start the cheese béchamel sauce while the pasta is cooking.
Cheese Béchamel Sauce
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk into the melted butter until smooth. Cook, stirring, until the butter mixture turns golden brown, around 5 minutes.
- Slowly whisk in one cup of the milk, adding very slowly to avoid clumps, whisking continuously. Once combined, whisk in the rest of the milk slowly, until all of the milk is whisked into the mixture.
- Whisk in the onion powder, mustard powder, salt and pepper.
- Bring to a low simmer, not boiling, stirring, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Continue simmering for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the sauce from burning on the bottom, until the mixture is smooth and the flour is no longer gritty in the mixture. The mixture should coat the back of a spoon when done.
- During this cooking time for the sauce, the pasta will be done. Drain the pasta well and place into a large bowl and set aside for a few minutes.
- Take the sauce off the heat and stir in the cubes of Velveeta, slowly letting it melt into the sauce. Add in the sharp cheddar, slowly, by handfuls, until it's all melted into the sauce.
- Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta in the large bowl stirring to coat the pasta completely.
- Spoon the pasta and sauce into the prepared 9×13 baking pan in one layer.
- In a medium bowl, combine the Panko, parsley and Parmesan. Once mixed, pour the butter on top of the Panko mixture and mix gently until well combined.
- Sprinkle the panko topping on top of the mac and cheese. Bake the mac and cheese in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, until warmed through.
- Remove from the oven, cool for 5 minutes to let the sauce set, then serve
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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