Macaroni and Cheese is a favorite in my family. You can man make Homemade Microwave Macaroni and Cheese in just minutes for an easy cheesy side dish for dinner!

updated 5/7/2024

Title image for Microwave Homemade Macaroni and Cheese.

I’ve shared how to make a single bowl of homemade mac and cheese, but this particular recipe is making an entire casserole dish size to feed the family for dinner right in the microwave.

Table of Contents

What kind of cheese should you use to make Homemade Microwave Macaroni and Cheese?

If you have the time, I prefer to use 2-3 different cheeses. But, when I need a quick side dish, I stick with either just colby or colby jack or cheddar as a last resort.

Honestly, I think mac and cheese tastes best with a combination of colby, cheddar, and monterrey jack cheese. That’s why my favorite choice is colby jack when I need to make it with just one cheese.

I have made this dish a million times, and my secret to amazing macaroni and cheese is colby cheese. If gives a flavor unlike cheddar that just tastes amazing!

I do not recommend using mozzarella as it’s just too stringy.

What do you need to make Homemade Microwave Macaroni and Cheese?

I like to use whipping cream or half and half when making homemade macaroni and cheese. I feel it helps thicken it up the best.

For the cheese, I prefer to shred it myself. I think it melts better. But, if you’re in a hurry, preshredded cheese is fine.

You will need just a few things:

1 cup of elbow pasta (or shells or rotini, etc.)
2 tablespoons of butter
8 oz shredded cheese – colby, colby jack, cheddar, etc.
1/2 cup whipping cream

How do you make Homemade Microwave Macaroni and Cheese?

Use a microwave-safe baking dish. I use a 2 1/2 qt corningware dish quite often in the microwave.

Add 3 cups of water and 1 cup of elbow pasta and a dash of salt.

Water and elbow pasta in a white casserole dish

Cook for 10 minutes on HIGH in the microwave. Stop every 3 minutes and give it a stir so the noodles don’t stick together.

Finished al dente macaroni in a white casserole dish.

When the noodles are ready and al dente, remove from the microwave and drain the excess water.

Adding butter to the macaroni in a white casserole dish.

Add the butter and about half the cheese and stir to help it all melt.

Adding cheese to the macaroni in a white casserole dish.

Add the cream and the rest of the cheese and stir until everything is nicely melted together.

White Casserole Dish adding whipping cream and cheese to the elbow pasta for macaroni and cheese.

Pop it back in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute to allow the cheese to really melt well.

White casserole dish with the finished macaroni and cheese

Serve immediately.

How do you store leftover Microwave Homemade Macaroni and Cheese?

This is a great dish to add to a thermos for kids lunches or take the next day for your own lunch.

I store it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

How do you reheat the leftover Homemade Macaroni and Cheese?

I reheat for 40-60 seconds on a microwave-safe plate, and it comes out perfect.

Since it’s pasta, it soaks up a lot of moisture, so if you want to make it creamy again like when it was first made, add a few drizzles of milk or cream and that will make it creamy immediately after heating it up.

Can you make Microwave Macaroni and Cheese ahead of time?

Yes you can! Some people think day old macaroni tastes even better than when you first make it.

If you want it to look like you just made it, after reheating in the microwave, drizzle some extra cream and add some extra cheese and give it a good stir before serving. No one will know you made it a day ago!

Recipes to Pair with Microwave Mac n Cheese

More Casseroles to Make in your Microwave

6-7 servings

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

Name: Homemade Macaroni and Cheese
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 11 min
Total time: 16 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 8 oz elbow pasta; 2 tbs butter; 1 cup shredded cheese; 1/2 cup whipping cream

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 11 minutes

Total Time: 16 minutes

Ingredients

8 oz elbow pasta
2 tbs butter
1 cup shredded cheese
1/2 cup whipping cream

Instructions

Use a microwave-safe baking dish. I use a 2 1/2 qt corningware dish quite often in the microwave.
Add 3 cups of water and 1 cup of elbow pasta and a dash of salt.
Cook for 10 minutes on HIGH in the microwave. Stop every 3 minutes and give it a stir so the noodles don't stick together.
When the noodles are ready and al dente, remove from the microwave and drain the excess water.
Add the butter and about half the cheese and stir to help it all melt.
Add the cream and the rest of the cheese and stir until everything is nicely melted together.
Pop it back in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute to allow the cheese to really melt well.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1/2 cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 270Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 159mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 8g

Any nutritional information on justmicrowaveit.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate.

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Easy Homemade Microwave Macaroni and Cheese Casserole