Wow, finally my Mother's recipe (only she used the cracker barrel cheese way back when). But it is the best with cracker barrel extra sharp or new york sharp and yes if you use ANY other brand it does not taste the same. This is the best mac and cheese in the world. I make it all the time and people tell me it's the best. I've made it for 2 people up to 100 people and they all want the recipe. I had it for lunch today. Don't forget a bit of black pepper. Thanks for finally putting it on this web site.

Is the secret Cracker barrel cheese or the type of cheese - can you use any type of Cracker barrel cheese - say white vermont vs the cheddar version?

Cabot cheese is way better-tasting than Cracker Barrel!

I like your decision on the cheese that Cabot sharp cheese and Cabot New York sharp cheese tastes better than the Cracker Barrel sharp and extra sharp cheeses.

80 ounces of cheese? Sounds delicious but alot of cheese.

I agree with Bruce. However, it sounds easy and delicious.

80 ounces is a lot of cheese, but do you realize how much elbow macaroni 2 pounds is? It makes a lot, that is why you have to put it in a roasting pan. And it IS the best mac and cheese ever. :)

Sounds great but only needing to feed 8 people. How do I cut down the recipe?

Hi Lindsay,

Rather than scale down the recipe, try one of the smaller recipes on the site for macaroni and cheese.

-- CM

Excellent Mac&Cheese. Some of the best I've had. I halved the recipe, served 15 people and had a few servings to spare.

Wow, this mac and cheese recipe was awesome! I did cut the recipe in half though and still fed a lot of people. I did top it with Progresso bread crumbs after I removed the foil. It is a new favorite. I got so many compliments on it, we will be having it many more times. You could probably cut the recipe in 1/4 for a small family.

My family loved this mac n cheese. I kinda cut the cheese down and used half, but its a keeper.

Can I bake this the day before, refrigerate, then reheat the morning of the party?

Hi Nita,

Yes you can reheat it! Make sure that you have it well covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator.

However, it would be better baked just before serving. Reheated dishes often have a "leftovers" or "warmed-over" taste.

-- CM

Everyone loves it when I bring this mac n cheese to gatherings. People even ask about it. Easy to make.

Anyone ever tried making this in crockpot?

One of my kids is on a D1 team and they have a big tailgate after every game, so I was looking for an easy "go to" dish that I could make in large quantities. I made a mini batch tonight and everyone loved it, so it looks like this is a keeper. This is the kind my grandma used to make. So much better than the mac n cheese made with a roux.

Best mac and cheese ever! The second time I made it I added crumbled bacon and gouda cheese, I also used 50/50 cream and milk and it was even better. It could be a meal by itself.

I tried it with bacon and its so good. My husband loved it! Also that was one of his favorite dishes.. We passed it on our relatives and they made it, and loved it! They used it for parties and family gatherings. I miss baking it myself. I even eat it for a snack at night. I put ketchup over it. Wow, it was very good! Marlea Wienandt

Been making this since it's first posting over a decade ago. Yummy!!! Now it's just the 4 of us and 1 halved the recipe. Still excellent. We sub the cheese out for what my house prefers and have always just loved it. Thank you for the recipe