The best homemade mac and cheese recipe just happens to be one of the easiest, too! There’s no need to make a roux, since the ultra-creamy, decadent cheese sauce includes mayonnaise, sour cream, and two different types of cheese.
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If you love mac and cheese recipes, be sure to try this old-fashioned Southern baked macaroni and cheese, a simple Crock Pot mac and cheese, and this broccoli mac and cheese, too!
What a surprise this was! Not only did it look amazing coming out of the oven, the taste did not disappoint. I was super skeptical about using mayonnaise and sour cream, but I took a leap of faith today. The flavor was deliciously unique and the panko topping made this dish complete…
– Joanna
My friend Sallie first gave me this easy homemade mac and cheese recipe after she brought it to a cookout and we watched it quickly disappear. Sallie found the original recipe on the Duke’s mayo website, and we’ve since adapted it to make it even better!
What to Know Before You Get Started
- I’ve used a combination of sharp cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese here, so that you get the ooey, gooey melting quality of the Monterey Jack, paired with the flavor of the cheddar. Really, you can use any combination of good melting cheeses that you prefer, so long as the total amount of cheese comes to one pound (16 ounces). For instance, try Colby, Colby Jack, Gruyere, Swiss, mozzarella, smoked Gouda, Pepper Jack, or American cheese (like Velveeta). A touch of Parmesan cheese would also add great flavor!
- Boil the noodles in very well-salted water. The salt in the water seasons the noodles, adding flavor to the dish.
- Cook the pasta just until it’s al dente — almost tender, but still firm to the bite. You don’t want to completely cook the noodles until they’re tender, because they will continue baking in the oven.
- Allow the sour cream and mayo to come to room temperature before adding them to the recipe. They will blend together smoothly if they’re not cold.
How to Make Macaroni and Cheese with Sour Cream and Mayo
Since you don’t have to whisk a cheese sauce that starts with a butter and flour roux, this simple mac and cheese recipe comes together quickly and easily! You’ll find detailed instructions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview:
- Cook the macaroni noodles in a large pot of well salted boiling water according to the package directions for al dente. Drain the pasta, and then return it to the pot.
- Stir in the cheeses, mayo, and sour cream. Start with blocks of cheese that you grate yourself at home, rather than using bags of pre-shredded cheese from the store. The pre-shredded cheese includes stabilizers and other ingredients to prevent the cheese from clumping, which inhibits its ability to melt smoothly into the dish. Mix until completely combined.
- Transfer the pasta mixture into a greased 2-quart baking dish.
- In a small bowl, stir together the panko bread crumbs, melted butter, and garlic powder.
- Sprinkle the buttered breadcrumbs over the top of the casserole.
- Bake, uncovered, in a 350°F oven until the cheese is melted, the filling is hot and bubbly, and the topping is crispy and golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. This short baking time is important because it’s just long enough to melt the cheese and get the noodles hot inside, but it’s not so long that it dries out the pasta and sauce. If you prefer a crispier, darker brown top on your mac and cheese, place the dish under the broiler during the final few minutes of baking. Just be sure to keep a close eye on it so that the top doesn’t burn.
Serving Suggestions
This mac and cheese is obviously a perfect side dish when paired with a Thanksgiving turkey, maple glazed turkey breast, a Christmas ham, or as a weeknight meal with slow cooker buffalo chicken, turkey Sloppy Joes, baked chicken thighs, Parmesan chicken bites, oven BBQ chicken thighs, this chick fil a nuggets recipe, flank steak marinade, slow cooker pulled pork, crock pot brisket, or this BBQ meatloaf recipe. However, it’s also a satisfying vegetarian main dish. Just add a house salad, tomato salad, cucumber tomato onion salad, or Caesar salad, roasted broccoli, Southern-style green beans, or collard greens on the side. We also love a basket of flaky biscuits, blueberry muffins, apple bread, cornbread, or corn sticks on the table to round out the meal.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: To prep the easy mac and cheese ahead of time, assemble the dish as instructed, but do not bake. Cover with foil and refrigerate for 1-2 days. When ready to bake, allow the dish to come to room temperature on the counter for at least 30-60 minutes. Remove the cover and bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes, or until heated through and bubbly.
- How to Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. I do not recommend freezing this mac and cheese. The texture of the pasta will be mushy when thawed, and the sour cream-based sauce will separate or break.
- How to Reheat: Cover the dish loosely with foil and reheat in a 325°F oven just until warmed through. You can remove the foil cover during the final few minutes to allow the top to brown or the edges to get crispy. To reheat individual servings, just cover loosely and microwave for about 30 seconds (or until warm).
ABSOLUTELY AMAZING RECIPE! HANDS DOWN – MY GO TO HOMEMADE MAC AND CHEESE RECIPE FOREVER NOW!
– KindWordsMatter
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Duke’s Homemade Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni, cavatappi pasta, or other short, curly pasta noodles
- 8 ounces (about 2 cups) grated Monterey Jack cheese
- 8 ounces (about 2 cups) grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup Duke’s mayonnaise, at room temperature
- 1 cup full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- Pinch of garlic powder
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley; dash of paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 2-quart baking dish; set aside. Cook pasta in a large pot of well-salted boiling water according to package directions for al dente. The pasta should still be a little bit firm, since it will continue to cook in the oven. Drain the pasta, then return to the pot.
- Stir in the Monterey Jack cheese, cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, and sour cream. Mix until completely combined. Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish.
- In a small bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs, melted butter, and garlic powder. Sprinkle the buttered breadcrumbs on top of the pasta.
- Bake, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes, or until the filling is hot and bubbly and the topping is lightly browned. If the bread crumb topping isn’t as crispy and golden brown as you’d like by the time the filling is hot, just place the dish under the broiler for a minute or two.
- Garnish with chopped fresh herbs or a dash of paprika, if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Variations
- Use a combination of just about any flavorful melting cheeses that you prefer. For instance, try Colby or Colby Jack, Fontina, Gruyere, Pepper Jack or Monterey Jack, gouda, smoked gouda, Swiss, or mozzarella. The options are endless, so pick your favorites!
- Omit the breadcrumb topping, use regular breadcrumbs instead of panko, or try a different topping such as buttered Corn Flakes crumbs or crushed Ritz crackers. Alternately, you can double the amount of topping that you use! My kids love it so much, I often add extra to the top of the dish.
- Meat: add cooked, chopped bacon to the topping (or to the inside of the casserole), or stir in some cooked, chopped chicken or diced ham.
- Add veggies, such as steamed broccoli, spinach, or frozen peas.
- Seasoning: Add a touch of paprika, mustard powder, garlic powder, onion powder, or a dash of cayenne pepper for spicy kick!
- Cooking for a larger family? Double all of the ingredients and bake the casserole in an 13 x 9-inch casserole dish. It’s a classic addition to a potluck gathering or holiday table!
More Mac and Cheese Recipes
Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese
35 minutes mins
Dutch Oven Mac and Cheese
20 minutes mins
Cajun Mac and Cheese
30 minutes mins
This recipe was originally published in July, 2022. It was updated in November, 2024.
Ooh, I’d like to try this one. Creamy but I don’t need a roux. Sounds somewhat like your Squash Casserole which I liked. Any ideas on how I might make a stovetop variety where I would cook the macaroni and then add the hot macaroni to the other combined ingredients? I’m thinking about making up a couple batches of crumbs and refrigerating them to have on hand when warming a serving in the microwave. Have you ever done that? I suppose any good full-fat mayonnaise like Blue Plate or Hellman’s would work, right? It seemed to work in the Squash Casserole. They don’t sell Dukes’ out here.
I’m looking forward to at least somewhat cooler weather so I can make friends with my range and oven. See, I have one of those evaporative, or Swamp air conditioners and it’s just one temperature which when it is in the 90s or 100s outside, still makes it in the 80s in the house which makes me really reluctant to add cooking heat. It’s the end of July, though, so the Lord willing, within maybe 6 weeks the temperatures will moderate at least somewhat.
Hi, Marion! Yes, I think you could do it on the stovetop. Just add the cheese to the mayo and other ingredients, stirring over low heat, until the cheese is totally melted. Then add the cooked pasta, stir again to coat, and serve with toasted breadcrumbs on top. You can toast the breadcrumbs in a separate skillet, and then just sprinkle over top. I do that with this recipe: https://www.theseasonedmom.com/shells-and-cheese/
And yes, I think that Hellman’s is probably a good substitute for Duke’s brand. I’m not familiar with Blue Plate. 🙂
Blue plate is that other southern mayonnaise… It comes out of New Orleans. Duke’s is a bit too tart for my taste and Hellman’s, while serviceable, is a little to bland, Blue Plate, strikes the perfect balance for my taste…
Hi Wes, boy would I love to find Blue Plate Mayo again. My Mama always used it when I was growing up. Can’t find it in our stores. So good on a tomato sandwich.
What a surprise this was! Not only did it look amazing coming out of the oven, the taste did not disappoint. I was super skeptical about using mayonnaise and sour cream, but I took a leap of faith today. The flavor was deliciously unique and the panko topping made this dish complete. My younger daughter didnt like the topping so the rest of us fought over who got to add it to their plate . I used low fat mayo and sour cream and this was still phenomenal.
Awesome!! I’m so glad that it was a hit, Joanna. I agree, it sounds too good (and too easy) to be true. 🙂
Hi Wes, boy would I love to find Blue Plate Mayo again. My Mama always used it when I was growing up. Can’t find it in our stores. So good on a tomato sandwich.
ABSOLUTELY AMAZING RECIPE! HANDS DOWN – MY GO TO HOMEMADE MAC AND CHEESE RECIPE FOREVER NOW! IM FROM N.C. ( WHERE IF YOU DONT USE DUKE’S MAYO- YOU COULD GET KICKED OUT OF THE STATE LOL) BUT SERIOUSLY- IF YOU HAVE NEVER TRIED DUKE’S- YOU ARE MISSING LIFE- AND YOU WILL NEVER GO BACK AFTER TRYING IT! AND IT JUST MADE THE BEST MAC AND CHEESE – OVER THE TOP! THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH!
Thank you so much for such a kind review! We’re so glad you enjoyed it and are honored for it to become your go-to!
WHOA, another blue ribbon recipe Blair! The simplicity and the blend of the sharp cheddar and Monterey cheeses are a home run. The mayo -Dukes (#1) and sour cream is wonderful is a most excellent combo to keep the dish from being dry. This is the newest addition to our rotation as all others don’t compare. Love It☺️
I’m so glad to hear that, Sue! Thank you!
Mayo and sour cream in mac and cheese piqued my interest, so I made the recipe exactly as written on two separate occasions with various friends over for dinner. It is scrumptious! My husband has declared it the best mac and cheese I’ve ever made and doesn’t want me to make it any other way. Not one person yet who has eaten it can believe it has Duke’s mayo and sour cream, and they’ve all declared it delicious. A definite keeper!
Thank you, Dottie! I’m so glad that you love it. This is the mac and cheese that my kids request the most, too. And so easy, right?! 🙂
Do you think this would turn out well using Duke’s light mayonnaise?
Hi! Yes, I think that will probably work. Light mayo can be less stable when heated, so it’s possible that the emulsion could break, which would negatively impact the texture of the sauce. I haven’t tested this with Duke’s light, so I’m not sure exactly how it would turn out. Definitely let me know if you give it a shot!