Macaroni and Cheese Recipe for a Crowd | CDKitchen.com (2024)

reviews & comments

1. Hammelian REVIEW:
   December 30, 2023

   I made the cheese sauce exactly as directed, only I added some mustard powder, and black pepper. I also used pre shredded cheeses. 2 lbs Colby jack, 1 lb sharp cheddar, 1 lb extra sharp cheddar 1 brick of cream cheese. Then I added mozzarella to the bread crumbs. A+!!!

2. marci51 October 23, 2023

   I am catering my grandsons wedding for 100 guests. Can I make this the day before and heat the next day. Are there any changes I should make?

   • CDKitchen Staff Reply:

     For something that important, we highly recommend making a small batch of the recipe in advance to test if you like how it reheats.

3. diva1100 November 22, 2022

   Hi - I have limited oven space, can this be made in a crockpot (or 2)?

   • CDKitchen Staff Reply:

     This recipe can be kept warm in a crock pot but it isn't formulated to be made in the crock pot. There are specific crock pot mac and cheese recipes on the website.

4. amouraeats November 11, 2022

   I have a question, when I adjust the recipe to 30 servings, ingredients change to 6 cups of milk (divided)...however in the directions it says 8 cups of milk and a few sentences later says add in the remaining 2 cups... could you kindly clarify this for me. Is it 6 cups of milk or 10cups for 30 servings? Thank you very much and looking forward to making this for my holiday thanksgiving party this year.

   • CDKitchen Staff Reply:

     When you change the serving size you'll see a message under the recipe that says you have to manually adjust any measurements in the directions. So, the directions don't change, you'll need to calculate that manually. It unfortunately is a limitation within some recipes that need specific numbers in the ingredients for divided ingredients.

5. MrsGeorgeStrait January 17, 2022

   I’d really like to make this recipe in an electric roaster. I have too much to do the day of the event. I can make, mix, etc at home. Then I’d like to take to the venue for the final “heat”. Thx!

   • CDKitchen Staff Reply:

     If you fully make it too far ahead of time the breadcrumbs will probably become soggy. You can try making it up until adding the crumb topping and just "baking" it in the roaster the day of the event with the crumbs added then. Let us know how it turns out!

6. Stooge May 14, 2020

   Is a “serving” intended as a side dish or an entree?

   See Also

   The Best Macaroni and Cheese RecipeTrinidadian Macaroni Pie  RecipePatti Labelle's Mac and Cheese RecipeSouthern Macaroni and Cheese (The BEST Recipe!) - Oh Sweet Basil

   • CDKitchen Staff Reply:

     Macaroni and cheese is usually considered a side dish to a meal

7. Jen REVIEW:
   November 6, 2019

   I know this is Should be based on the recipe. I just hate doing a roux. Which I do for small parties! I’ve done this for 150 kids 2x per year over the last 4 years..I do like Velveta, whole milk and a stick of butter for the sauce. I have to reheat, so I do reserve a cup or two of pasta water to put in so it doesn’t dry out so much. When I rebake on “day of” and bring it’s yummy and still has some life in it. I don’t do the bread crumbs for a crowd. Just gets soggy. Also, a penne is great for s crowd.

8. Not a cook REVIEW:
   October 5, 2019

   Let me first put this out here, I hate cooking and do not enjoy it by any means. However, I love homemade macaroni and cheese and I wanted to make some for our neighborhood block party. This recipe is awesome. It makes a ton of mac and cheese that will be more than enough for days. I read all the reviews and took up someone’s suggestion about using an extra pound of cheese. I used 2 lbs of Sharp Cheddar 1.5 lbs of Monterey Jack and 1.5 lbs Colby Jack. I also substituted garlic salt for salt. I didn’t have white pepper so I used everyday regular pepper. It turned out AMAZING!! My neighbors all raved about it. Because I was getting short on time, I never baked any of it. I poured the cheese sauce over the pasta in the stock pot and mixed it all together and then put some in the crock pot to keep warm and the two 1/2 chaffing pans. Like I said I hate to cook and usually not good at it and this turned out awesome. Another excellent tip is, don’t use shredded cheese that is ready for purchase. Buy bricks and shred it using a grater. The prepackaged stuff has starch on it and it won’t melt like it should for the cheese sauce. Easy recipe that you can’t mess up and serves a lot.

9. Phil's Good Eats REVIEW:
   May 19, 2019

   I made this for a event and it wasn't creamy enough. I leard a valuable lesson, always try out recipes before you serve them .

10. Gg32 REVIEW:
    July 4, 2018

    I made this for my daughter’s graduation. Everyone loved it! I made it exactly like the recipe and added shredded cheese on top. Making it again for the Fourth.

11. Lori F. REVIEW:
    June 16, 2018

    I did what another reviewer suggested- made the roux, added the hot milk, and then slowly added the cheese bit by bit, whisking the entire time. I did this over medium low heat. I also added 2 teaspoons dry ground mustard, some Worcestershire sauce, and a little hot sauce. I used Cabot sharp cheddar cheese and used my food processor with the cheese blade setting to speed things up. Do Not Use Pre Shredded Cheese! I also cooked the elbows one box at a time. The only thing I would do differently is make sure the pasta is super al dente. I cooked it less than the package recommended, but when I baked the elbows, they weren't quite as al dente as I like. Thanks for a great recipe!

12. Debi June 11, 2018

    Are pounds of macaroni dried or cooked. How much dry macaroni do you use for 50 servings?

    • CDKitchen Staff Reply:

      The macaroni listed in the ingredients is dried (the step for cooking it is in the directions)

13. Annie June 8, 2018

    Hello! Here are some helpful hints, learned from hard experience, to make the "Cheese Seize" danger less imminent, and the recipe a bit more foolproof:1) add the roux to the hot milk and stir to thicken that a bit BEFORE adding the cheese. (This milk/roux mixture will make a bechamel sauce, to which you can THEN add cheese. I used The Google and found out a slew of Food Science reasons why this works better.)2) YES, grate your own.3) have the cheese at room temperature (or at any rate not right out of the fridge).4) add it A LITTLE AT A TIME.First time through (before learning and incorporating these tips), my cheese "seized" (made the awful gluey clumps that other people screamed about). But, rather than throw it all out and start over, I poured off most of the liquid into another large pan, added the roux to THAT, thickened it over LOW heat, and then added the clumpy cheese solids back into the hot thick milk sauce (aka bechamel) about one tablespoon at a time, whisking until melted each time, over LOW heat. As you can imagine, this took FOREVER. And the resulting sauce was still a little bit grainy - but the cheese did melt back into the liquid. And I think I did rescue it, rather than having to waste 4 pounds of cheese (and an extra trip to Costco)!. It LOOKS good, anyway, in the enormous pan. Baking it off tomorrow morning for a big ol' graduation party. Wish me luck!

14. JulieBulie REVIEW:
    May 20, 2018

    Nice!! Made this tonight for my daughter’s cast party, the recipe method is perfect as written. I did use 3lbs cheddar/mozzarella mix and 1lb American cheese and that’s kinda my comfort food:)Will make this again and againb

15. michelle REVIEW:
    October 20, 2017

    I made this for my daughter's grad party in June---since then I have made it 3 more times and I am getting ready to make it again for a work potluck. Absolutely the best Mac and Cheese ever! I have even froze half of it (before baking) and baked it a month or so later and it was just as yummy. I do add an extra half pound of sharp cheddar and a pound of Muenster with a couple of teaspoons of dry mustard and a few dashes of Worcestershire. I also use Panko for the topping and double because I like the crunch. I recommend boiling each pound of elbow macaroni separately--it takes longer but I think the macaroni holds up better.

    • CDKitchen Staff Reply:

      Great tip of cooking the pasta separately! Thanks for that!!

16. Carrie October 10, 2017

    This recipe looks great. I am planning to make it for my daughter's mermaid themed party this weekend. I would like to use small shell noodles instead of elbow macaroni. Would that make a difference in the amount of noodles I should cook, or would you still suggest 5 pounds as stated in the recipe? Thanks!!!

    • CDKitchen Staff Reply:

      You'll want to use the same amount of pasta

17. Gruvie REVIEW:
    October 4, 2017

    What a hit - my football (soccer) team request this every Saturday now for their after match function so thats 40 hungry players, coaches and managers who scrape the dishes clean. This week Im also making it for 60 hungry Toastmasters. And so great that it recalculates for numbers - saves all the hard work trying to do it manually

18. Cheyenne August 18, 2017

    I have quick question hopefully it'll be answered by tomorrow i have to cook it do y'all think it'll be a big difference if i only use 3lbs of noodles. Or should i cut the recipe in half or something???? Thank you for your time

    • CDKitchen Staff Reply:

      If you use less than what's called for you'll need to adjust the other ingredients otherwise it will probably be soupy. I would cut the recipe in half.

19. Jeri August 15, 2017

    Hi I was wondering if I could make this 2 days before cooking and would it hold up.

    • CDKitchen Staff Reply:

      The crumb topping might get soggy if you add that so I would recommend adding that when you reheat it. I would also only cook the pasta to al dente and add a little extra milk. The pasta will absorb moisture as it sits so you don't want it mushy or dry.

20. Kat August 1, 2017

    Can you make this and serve it from stove top with out baking?

    • CDKitchen Staff Reply:

      You could, and just omit the crumb topping.

21. Guest Foodie July 15, 2017

    When preparing this recipe, do you cook five 1-pound boxes of macaroni, or do you make the recipe with five pounds of cooked macaroni?

    • CDKitchen Staff Reply:

      The recipe calls for 5 pounds of elbow macaroni which is then cooked as detailed in the directions. So, yes, you start with 5 pounds uncooked pasta.

22. Sue O July 10, 2017

    I tired really hard to make this for a grad party. I did buy blocks of cheese and grate it but it would not totally break down. It was like a giant ball of gum. I used a store brand of cheese which might have been my problem. Do you have a preferred cheese you use?

    • CDKitchen Staff Reply:

      Unless the store brand cheese contains a lot of non-cheese ingredients you should be safe using it. The culprit may have been the heat. Try lowering the temp a little next time when melting the cheese. If the temp is too high it can turn rubbery (which sounds like what happened to you). Stoves heat differently as do pans so it's not always an exact science.

23. Felice Mo REVIEW:
    June 27, 2017

    The measurements are spot on! I used Sharp cheddar (always a must) and instead of using the colby, I used cream cheese. Super creamy. For the 10 cups of milk, I used one can of evap milk, (left over) half and half, and whole milk. Oh, like the author of the recipe said in a previous comment - DO NOT use store bought shredded cheese. It will be a clumpy mess. Shred your own cheese, please!!!! Thank you for this wonderful recipe.

24. Guest Foodie REVIEW:
    June 9, 2017

    If you need to feed a crowd this is the recipe to use. I made it for a graduation party and it was a huge hit! The mac and cheese stayed creamy the entire evening. The recipe filled a 20 quart roaster (which I baked it in without the shredded cheese)and a 9x13 pan. I will save this recipe for my next grad party, I am hoping I get to make it before then though. LOL

25. momma's cookin REVIEW:
    June 7, 2017

    Amazing recipe and FREEZING IS EASY! In a smaller batch, I'll make one pan for dinner and one pan to freeze. I bake it, let it cool, cover and freeze. The day I use it, I thaw it in the fridge then re-bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or so, depending on how thawed it is. I've made it in the large batch and in a smaller batches as well, always comes out perfect!

    See Also

    Loaded Mac and Cheese Recipe - The Cookie Rookie®

26. Dee REVIEW:
    February 28, 2017

    Tried to make this recipe for 50 people and cheese clumped together and never melted. Sould put in your recipe to use unshredded cheese. What a mess. Had to start over and used Velveta and turned out excellent. Very expensive mac and cheese!!!!! Learned a lesson read reviews before u make the recipe

    • CDKitchen Staff Reply:

      You should never use PRE-shredded cheese in any recipe that calls for making a sauce. The stuff that comes pre-shredded in a bag contains starch to keep it from sticking together which makes it horrible for cooking. That kind of cheese is meant to be sprinkled on food, not melted.

27. Maria REVIEW:
    December 4, 2016

    I've made this recipe twice...pardon my ignorance but I have a question. Where do you mix in the last 2 cups of milk? The first time I made it, I added it to the Mac already in the tin pan, baked it but it was a little watery. The second time I made it, I omitted the milk, the Mac came out ok but a little dry. Please clarify so this dish can come out perfect. Thank you!

    • CDKitchen Staff Reply:

      The 2 cups of milk are mentioned in the paragraph with "Add this cheese sauce to the cooked macaroni and mix well to coat macaroni. Pour in the remaining 2 cups milk. "

28. Guest Foodie October 10, 2016

    Can this dish be made and put in refrigerator overnight....and heated the next day?

    • CDKitchen Staff Reply:

      The recipe directions state that you can prepare it, refrigerate it, then bake it later.

29. Guest Foodie REVIEW:
    September 18, 2016

    I just made for a party and oh my goodness it was a hit!!! I used 2 pounds of sharp cheddar, 1 1/2 pounds Jack, and 1 pound of muenster. I added 2 tsp of ground mustard and 8 dashes of Worcestershire sauce. Other than that, followed the recipe. Everyone raved about it and had multiple servings.

30. granny2 REVIEW:
    July 21, 2016

    I cut the recipe in half for a party. Everyone loved it. Probably could have even made the full recipe and everyone would have eaten it right up. Very easy to make too and make ahead of time.

31. Missy June 5, 2016

    Does this freeze well? Want to make ahead if possible.

    • CDKitchen Staff Reply:

      Mac and cheese typically freezes fairly well. We haven't tried it with this recipe so my recommendation would be to make a small batch of it and freeze it for a few days as a trial run. That way you can make any adjustments to the larger batch if needed.

32. Guest Foodie May 31, 2016

    I haven't tried this yet, just want to note that I have always had trouble getting Colby to melt, even when I shred it myself. I will be using cheddar only.

33. Diana J REVIEW:
    May 15, 2016

    Made this for a rehearsal dinner. Got rave reviews. I'll definitely do this again. I did add an extra pound of cheddar though.

34. L. Casher REVIEW:
    May 14, 2016

    I loved the recipe. I used a large microwave safe mixing bowl to melt cheese and butter. When I added the Rhee, I put a little of the melted cheese in the Rhee and mixed it. I did this several times and then added this to the large bowl of melted cheese. Worked great. Thanks for the recipe.

35. Guest Foodie May 4, 2016

    1What size pan or baking dish do I use?

    • CDKitchen Staff Reply:

      A standard catering pan is what others have used.

36. adamuk April 20, 2016

    what is a good alternative for colby cheese, cannot get it in the uk

    • CDKitchen Staff Reply:

      Gouda cheese would be a good substitute.

37. Guest Foodie REVIEW:
    April 6, 2016

    This is a great workhorse recipe for a crowd. Adults and children both approved! My tips: follow the directions, don't get in a hurry with the roux; do not use pre-shredded cheese; add a couple teaspoons of dry mustard and a little worcester sauce for more flavor; you can prepare the dish ahead of time to bake later; add milk if you must reheat after the initial baking; you can substitute almost any soft cheese for the Colby, but I recommend always keeping the sharp cheddar base.

38. Dick REVIEW:
    March 18, 2016

    I could not get the cheese to melt properly, ended up with very thick gooey clump of cheese. I don't know what went wrong , I did follow the recipe

    • CDKitchen Staff Reply:

      The cheese wouldn't melt? Did you use pre-shredded? If so, that could be why. The pre-shredded kind contains a ton of starch that actually prohibits melting. Otherwise, freshly grated cheese should have melted just fine.

39. Robyn REVIEW:
    December 10, 2015

    I was portioning this for 30 servings (to match my pan and what I had on-hand) and noted that while the ingredients list re-calculated, the text in the directions did not re-calculate for the (MILK) portions.It left it as 8 and 2 cups as in the 50 portion recipe.Otherwise, very easy to follow and daughter declares it YUMMY!

    • CDKitchen Staff Reply:

      When you change serving sizes a message is shown to indicate that you need to manually adjust for any changes to amounts in the directions.

40. Guest Foodie REVIEW:
    October 12, 2015

    Very flat, and not very creamy or cheesy at all. I followed the recipe portions, adding only 1 tsp mustard. It was just OK.

41. Joel REVIEW:
    October 2, 2015

    To test the receipe I actually cut it down to 1/5 and used Colby/Jack in place of Colby, both worked out excellent. It is very classic, cheesy, Mac & Cheese - really very good.

42. Judy July 31, 2015

    Thank you for your fast response. The recipe was for a crowd of 30 so would you be able to tell me the measurements now for the macaroni and cheese for a larger crowd.

    • CDKitchen Staff Reply:

      I'm not sure what you're asking. The recipe, unmodified, serves 50 people (approximately)

43. Judy July 30, 2015

    Could you please tell me how to interpret these measurements? I've never seen 3/10 C. butter, .45 C. flour, 3/5 tsp. salt, 3/10 tsp. pepper, 3/5 C. breadcrumbs, and 3/10 C. melted butter. Thank you!

    • CDKitchen Staff Reply:

      Sounds like you changed the serving size to a number that doesn't divide easily. You can usually cut a recipe in half, but once you start changing the ratios outside of that it gets kind of messy. This recipe is meant to serve a large group. If you need a smaller quantity recipe for mac and cheese we have tons of others that you don't need to scale down.

44. Deb July 26, 2015

    Can this be made in a roaster to take to outdoor gathering? The park shelter does have electricity so I can keep it warm. Just don't know if I should make ahead of time and transfer to roaster to stay warm or if I can cook it n the roaster. Thanks for any help!

    • CDKitchen Staff Reply:

      I think it'd be best to make it ahead of time and use the roaster to keep it warm.

45. SANDY June 10, 2015

    WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THIS RECIPE CAN BE PREPARED, REFRIGERATED AND BAKED THE NEXT DAY.

46. Jenny REVIEW:
    June 7, 2015

    Made this for a wedding reception, it was a big hit.

47. Sydni April 27, 2015

    Can this be made the day before and held in a fridge to heat and serve later? Thinking about making this for a wedding reception.

48. Sue REVIEW:
    December 13, 2014

    Definitely feeds 50 people. I used two large "throw away" tin pans and it fit perfectly. More crumbs are needed if using panko, just adjust as needed.Added dry mustard 1/2tsp and 6-8 good dashes hot sauce.I made roux and then added milk and cheese to the roux two cups of each at a time. Takes a while to stir & blend, but that's what real Mac n cheese is... Next time I will use one more pound of a sharp flavor cheese to make it cheesier. Needed two large pots to boil pasta and two large strainers, glad I had them available. Good recipe!

49. Guest Foodie REVIEW:
    December 3, 2014

    What size pan ??? Looking for a crowd recipe for a play rehearsal.

    • CDKitchen Staff Reply:

      One of the other commenters stated that they made four batches and each batch fit into a 4" deep catering pan - which is about 20-inches x 12-inches.

50. Faith REVIEW:
    November 10, 2014

    I prepared a double batch of this for a fellowship meal after church. People raved about it, and came back for seconds and thirds! One woman said she had not had mac and cheese like that since her grandmother had made it for her over 70 years ago! Easy to fix - I used 5 pounds of sharp cheddar as well, and 1 teaspoon of dry mustard.Easy to fix, great taste!

51. FyferMom November 8, 2014

    Thinking of making this to serve after parade. How well does this hold (in a cooler) for 3-4 hours? Id' slightly undercook the pasta.

52. Ginger REVIEW:
    November 7, 2014

    I made this recipe tonight at a homeless shelter, after being provided the recipe and the ingredients,for the first time, and it was a huge success! I had my doubts at first, since I have never made macaroni and cheese with roux before, and it looked rough during the mixing stage, but we got rave reviews on it! I am now planning on making it for Thanksgiving for a boys' program.

53. Andrew November 2, 2014

    I to mention that we also added 1 tsp of dry mustard with the pepper and salt.

54. Andrew REVIEW:
    November 2, 2014

    Awesome recipe! This was a huge hit on a cold day with our marching band. We made 4 batches. Each batch filled one full-size, 4" deep catering pan. For hungry high school kids, plan on 40 people per batch including seconds. We used a 1 cup measure for serving. I made a few changes to the recipe. We slowly added the warm milk and cheese to the roux. I used a thermometer to monitor the temperature. The cheese cools the liquid, so I allowed it to reheat during each addition. This helped with melting the cheese. I used 5 lbs of cheese instead of 4 with a mix of cheddar and Mexican Cheese Blend (Cheddar & Monterey Jack). I used Panko bread crumbs, melted butter, and Parmesan cheese for the topping. I also used 51% whole grain pasta and cooked it for 1-2 minutes less than the package directions. The noodles held up very well. Thanks again for the recipe! We will definitely use it again.

55. Guest Foodie August 27, 2014

    Right now I am running to the store to buy more cheese and milk because the Colby cheese never melted into the milk/roux mixture. Although I tried for more than 30 minutes, it is still in a big lump like mozzarella on a pizza and I have no idea why. This time I am buying sharp cheddar only.

    • CDKitchen Staff Reply:

      Did you buy pre-shredded colby?

56. Kd June 1, 2014

    Has anyone ever frozen this and baked it later? I am making it for a beach house party and want to save as much time as possible.

57. amy REVIEW:
    April 4, 2014

    This recipe is AWESOME - simple, easy ingredients and flawless mac and cheese. Love the automated serving size converter - what a life saver when I am adjusting for pot lucks or just my family. This will forever be, my "go-to" mac and cheese recipe!

58. WINDEX REVIEW:
    February 20, 2014

    just wondering how this holds up in a crock pot or chafing dish? Looking for a recipe that will not turn to concrete over time at a buffet type of party.

    • CDKitchen Staff Reply:

      A crock pot might make the pasta too mushy. I'd go with the chafing dish setup. Pasta is always a tricky one when it has to sit for a while.

59. Jill REVIEW:
    January 27, 2014

    I doubled this recipe for our church high school youth group and it was a huge hit. I've made it several times over the past couple years and everyone (adults included) loves it. The ultimate comfort food!

60. redmodog REVIEW:
    October 31, 2013

    I doubled this and it worked brilliantly! Not a single complaint and even had people coming back for seconds.

61. happy camper REVIEW:
    July 8, 2013

    Thank you for a large scale recipe that actually works!! I've tried other "group" recipes and they just haven't turned out. This not only served the number it said but the process worked as well.

62. Guest Foodie REVIEW:
    June 30, 2013

    Made this for our company picnic yesterday and everyone loved it!

63. Aunt Soccy REVIEW:
    November 10, 2012

    This Macaroni and Cheese went very well at our gathering. A 5 Star menu : )

64. Gerda REVIEW:
    March 18, 2012

    I have used this recipe every year for the past 4 years at our community's annual talent show and dinner, and have had nothing but rave reviews. Thank you!

65. Laura Kay REVIEW:
    January 10, 2010

    I have tried this recipe two times, unsuccessfully. Each time that I made it, I followed the directions exactly, but the cheese ended up getting stringy both times. I rated this as a 3 instead of lower, as I think it looks like a good recipe provided that I change one of the steps. Every white / bechemel / cheese sauce I have made requires the roux to be the base - then the milk to slowly be added ladle by ladle into the roux until the sauce is thick...and only after that is done, add the cheese. I'll try this recipe one more time - with the change of steps. Hopefully, it will make a smooth cheese sauce with that change.

    • CDKitchen Staff Reply:

      Don't use pre-shredded cheese as that would definitely make it stringy.

66. Lisa Renee REVIEW:
    December 12, 2008

    Changes: Used large elbow mac instead, used crumbled BBQ chips on top instead of crackers, and added fried polish sausage cubed. It was a hit! I felt guilty that no one was raving about any of the other potluck items.

67. bambi November 22, 2007

    very tasty and easy to assemble. everyone loved it for dinner ,,,served with sausage and a light salad.Yummy!!!!