If you’ve ever wished your bowl of mac and cheese could somehow last longer, congratulations — you’ve just found the upgrade. 🧀🥣✨
In this version, the pasta actually swims in a rich, creamy, cheesy broth made with two real cheeses for extra depth and flavour. No neon powder packets in sight. Just proper, melty, grown-up cheese doing its thing.
It’s a playful twist on traditional mac and cheese, which makes it an instant hit with kids — but let’s be honest, adults go just as hard for it.
The best part? You can customise it however you like. Add your favourite toppings, stir in classic mac mix-ins, make it smoky, spicy, extra cheesy — whatever your comfort-food mood calls for.
One spoonful and it’s officially soup season.
Prepare
Cook
Serving
Ingredients
Let’s line up the comfort squad properly.
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5 cups vegetable or chicken broth – the flavour-packed base that the pasta cooks right in.
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1 cup (about ½ lb) elbow macaroni, uncooked – classic, nostalgic, perfect for catching all that cheesy goodness.
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⅓ cup unsalted butter – the start of your silky roux.
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¼ cup all-purpose flour – thickens the soup into creamy perfection.
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1½ cups milk – smooths everything out into a rich, velvety sauce.
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2 cups sharp yellow cheddar, grated – bold, melty, classic mac-and-cheese flavour.
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⅓ cup fresh Parmesan, grated – salty depth and extra savoury punch.
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¼ cup mozzarella, grated – for that stretchy, creamy finish.
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1 tsp garlic powder – subtle savoury warmth.
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½ tbsp mustard powder – the secret tang that makes mac and cheese taste “right.”
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Fresh green onions, finely chopped – bright pop of colour and freshness.
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Freshly cracked black pepper – the final little kick.
Simple pantry staples, layered the right way, and suddenly it’s bowl-after-bowl comfort.
Method
Alright, let’s turn this into full cosy-mode magic.
1. Cook the Pasta
In a large pot, bring the broth to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the macaroni and cook just until al dente — about 8–10 minutes. You want it tender but still with a little bite since it’ll continue to soften in the soup. Set aside.
2. Make the Roux (The Creamy Foundation)
While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Add the flour and whisk constantly for 1–2 minutes until smooth and lightly thickened. It should look like a pale paste — no browning needed. This is what gives your soup that silky body.
3. Add the Milk
Gradually pour in the milk, whisking continuously. At first, it might look thick and a little clumpy — don’t panic. Keep whisking and adding milk slowly. It will smooth out into a creamy sauce as it loosens.
4. Melt the Cheese
Lower the heat and stir in the cheddar, Parmesan, and mozzarella. Add garlic powder and mustard powder.
Stir gently until everything melts into a smooth, velvety cheese sauce. This is the moment where it smells unreal.
5. Bring It All Together
Slowly pour the cheese sauce into the pot with the macaroni and broth. Stir until fully combined and creamy throughout.
6. Serve
Ladle into bowls and garnish with sliced green onions and freshly cracked black pepper.
Serve warm, ideally with crusty bread nearby — because this is comfort food that demands dunking. 🧀✨
Helpful tips
Resist the urge to drain the pasta.
I know — every instinct says grab the colander. But don’t do it.
That starchy broth the macaroni cooked in? That’s liquid gold. It helps thicken the soup naturally and gives it that luscious, creamy body. If you drain it, you’re literally pouring flavour down the sink.
Trust the process. Leave the pasta right where it is and let that starch work its magic.
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