This Pioneer Woman Mac and Cheese is so creamy and comforting, you’ll feel your worries melt away with every bite. Perfect as a side dish or main course!
Pioneer Woman Mac and Cheese will give you that “reminds me of home” flavor that everyone craves this time of year. If you were given the task to assign a dish qualities such as “warm and cozy”, Pioneer Woman macaroni and cheese would fulfill those qualities and then some. Not only is this creamy mac and cheese delicious, but like my recipe for Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese, it will work as a main or side dish. It’s incredibly versatile and will make an easy yet tasty addition to any holiday table! Sit down in a comfy chair and relax, and let’s chat a bit about why I love this baked mac and cheese Pioneer Woman created.
WHAT I LOVE MOST ABOUT THIS RECIPE:
- Its rich taste comes with very little effort.
- Super creamy.
- Compliments any meal as a side dish.
- Shines as a main course.
SAVE THIS PIONEER WOMAN MAC AND CHEESE
TO YOUR DINNER OR PASTA BOARD FOR LATER
WE’D LOVE TO BE FRIENDS ON PINTEREST! WE’RE ALWAYS PINNING TASTY RECIPES!
What Ingredients Do You Need To Make Pioneer Woman Mac and Cheese
A little bit of mac. A little bit of cheese. A whole lot of flavor! Everyone adores this Ree Drummond mac and cheese, and it doesn’t require as much from the aisles of your local supermarket as you might think. Like my Incredible Macaroni and Cheese, you can whip this dinner up with pantry staples. To make Rees mac and cheese Pioneer Woman style, you’ll need dried macaroni, an egg, butter, flour, whole milk, dry mustard, grated cheddar cheese (you can mix and match cheeses to your liking), salt, seasoned salt and black pepper. A few optional spices are paprika, cayenne pepper and thyme. For optional topping, you can add more grated cheddar cheese and chopped fresh parsley.
How Do You Make Pioneer Woman Mac and Cheese
Pioneer Woman baked mac and cheese (or stovetop mac and cheese…however you decide to serve it!) is a to-the-point recipe that will have dinner on the table in less than an hour.
Cook the macaroni, but keep it firm! In a small bowl, beat the egg. Melt butter in a large pot and sprinkle in the flour. Whisk this mixture over medium heat for about 5 minutes or so. Add the milk and mustard to the same pot. Cook until thick and reduce heat to low. Pour ¼ cup of the sauce into the egg, whisk, and then return the egg mixture to the sauce all the while whisking away nonstop. Make sure it’s smooth, add the cheese, add salt and pepper and then in goes the drained macaroni. You can serve as such (stovetop) or pour into a buttered baking dish to finish it off. Top it with the rest of the cheese and bake it to a golden brown.
Oh, yum. You can also take the crunchy topping route, like Almost Zov’s Mac and Cheese. Ugh, is anybody else suddenly craving cheese?
Step By Step: How To Make Pioneer Woman Mac and Cheese
1. If baking, preheat oven and spray the baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Cook macaroni according to package instruction. Drain. Set aside.
2. Beat egg in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. In a pot, melt butter. Sprinkle flour. Whisk constantly over medium-low heat. Don’t allow it to burn.
4. Remove from heat and pour in milk.
5. Add dry mustard and whisk until smooth. Return to medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce is thick.
6. Take 1/4 cup of sauce. Pour it into the beaten egg. Whisk constantly until smooth.
7. Pour egg mixture into sauce. Stir until smooth.
8. Add in cheese and stir to melt. Add salt and pepper.
9. Pour in macaroni.
10. Stir to combine. Serve immediately or pour into prepared baking dish, top with extra 2 cups of cheese. Bake until the top is golden brown.
Pioneer Woman Mac And Cheese
Ingredients
- 4 cups dried macaroni
- 1 large whole egg beaten
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 2 heaping teaspoons dry mustard more if desired
- 16 ounces sharp cheddar cheese grated
- 1/2 teaspoon salt more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Optional Spices:
- cayenne pepper
- paprika
- thyme
Optional Toppings:
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese grated
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- If baking, preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9X13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Follow the pasta's package instructions and cook pasta, in well-salted water, until al dente. Drain. Set Aside.
- Beat the egg in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Melt butter in a large pot, then evenly sprinkle the flour over the melted butter. Whisk together, over medium-low heat, and cook for about 2 minutes or until the mixture becomes a nice golden color, whisking constantly. Don’t allow it to burn.
- Remove from heat add milk and mustard, and whisk until smooth. Return to medium heat and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring constantly, until sauce is thick about 3-4 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
- Remove 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly whisk it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth.
- Add the egg mixture to sauce, whisking constantly. Stir in the cheese and stir until sauce cheese is melted. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and any of the optional seasonings. Taste sauce and adjust seasonings.
- Add the drained pasta and stir until evenly combined.
- Serve immediately (very creamy) or pour into prepared baking dish, top with additional 2 cups of shredded sharp cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the casserole is bubbly. Sprinkle top with fresh parsley and serve!
Nutrition
Recipe Notes for Pioneer Woman Mac and Cheese
Veggies: You can easily pack a vitamin punch by loading this mac and cheese with veggies! Steam up some broccoli, peppers and cauliflower to add to the mix before you toss it in the oven. Delicious!
Bacon: Also known as “the opposite of veggies”. It won’t add any extra vitamins, but Pioneer Woman mac and cheese with bacon is plain yummy. You must try it at least once. Cook up the bacon, give it a good chop, and throw it in the mix.
Cheese: While cheddar comes out on top, don’t be afraid to play with flavorful cheeses in this recipe. A good mixture of cheddar and Colby jack is fantastic, and you can even get fancy with a little Gruyere. To die for.
Optional Spices: The flavor of this meal can go any way you choose. Paprika, Cayenne and Thyme will make your taste buds dance, but feel free to season this as you like!
Can You Make Pioneer Woman Mac and Cheese Ahead of Time
If you plan to serve your Pioneer Woman macaroni and cheese straight from the stove top, then no, not really. That version is best when served fresh and creamy, straight from the pot! However, if you are going to bake it…then by all means, make it in advance! Simply cook it up on the stove, pour it into the baking dish, cover it tightly and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. It’ll be ready when you are! Be sure to add that extra cheese on top…
How Do You Freeze Pioneer Woman Mac and Cheese
This easy mac and cheese recipe is as simple to freeze as it is to make. You can make a huge batch of it, and freeze it for future meals, or you can freeze your leftovers. You won’t have any, but you can freeze them if by some chance you do. When making a big batch of this, or freezing leftovers, I like to portion it out into Ziploc bags. They lie flat in the freezer and don’t take up much space. Portion out the servings sizes to your liking. Heat and serve!
What Do You Serve With Pioneer Woman Mac and Cheese
You can serve this creamy mac and cheese with almost any dinner spread as a side. Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter…it fits in everywhere. If this dish is serving as the main course, I like to compliment it with a fresh crunchy salad or steamed seasoned veggies. It goes wonderfully with greens! Rolls will add a little extra carbs, but whatever. Carbs are love. In fact, scooping this mac and cheese into a roll and making a sandwich is Heaven on Earth, but you didn’t hear that from me.
Try it though. So good.
More Macaroni Recipes…
- Beef and Tomato Macaroni Soup
- Authentic Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
- Classic Macaroni Salad
- Macaroni Salad
- Macaroni and Cheese
More Side Dish Recipes…
Source: Ree Drummond
Lauren says
August 24, 2019 at 10:04 pmIt turned out so well! I made 3x the batch and the recipe held up, even for someone like me that doesn’t get into the kitchen very often. I even added the bacon into the cheese sauce and along the top. It’s incredible.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. So proud to take this with me to the potluck 😊
Kathleen says
August 26, 2019 at 5:23 pmHi Lauren!
Thank you so much….this is one of my family’s favorites. Hope everyone loves it at the potluck!
Kim says
July 10, 2019 at 3:14 amThe sauce turned out very grainy and I can’t explain why. I followed the instructions and used a grated sharp cheddar cheese. Does anyone know the cause of graininess?
Kathleen says
August 26, 2019 at 5:29 pmHi Kim!
I hate that it seemed grainy. I have never had that problem….there is only a couple of small reasons I can think of that may have caused this. Try ensuring that the flour and dry mustard are completely incorporated into a smooth consistency and all clumps (even small ones) are broken up before proceeding to next steps. Also, be careful with heat at this point. A high temperature can cause the flour/butter mixture to start hardening which could also cause that type of texture that you are referring to. I really hope this helps and good luck!
Kyoko StClair says
June 27, 2019 at 3:21 pmThis is my go to recipe for baked Mac and cheese. My husband loves it. It so cheesy and creamy. I add lots of cheese and different flavors. I made two big pans for my family reunion and mine was gone quick and my aunt’s, whose Mac and cheese used to be the favorite, was barely touched. Thanks for a great recipe!!
Kathleen says
June 27, 2019 at 10:29 pmHi Kyoko! That is so great to hear. I love this Mac and Cheese! So glad it was a hit for your family reunion <3