Macaroni and cheese with sour cream is an up-leveled twist on a classic comfort food.
Sour cream macaroni and cheese is made with elbow macaroni and cheddar cheese cooked in a creamy sour cream sauce for a baked entrée that everyone will love.
Creamy Dreamy Comfort Food!
- Easy, cheesy, baked macaroni and cheese is a family favorite comfort food.
- This homemade mac and cheese recipe comes together quickly with only 6 main ingredients.
- Prep up to a day in advance and refrigerate until ready to pop in the oven.
- A swirl of sour cream adds a tangy flavor that customizes this recipe.
What’s in Sour Cream Mac & Cheese?
Macaroni: Elbow macaroni is the classic noodle shape, but you can use smaller sizes of penne, rotini, bowtie, and even orzo.
Cheese: Cheddar is the classic cheese for mac and cheese, but melty mozzarella, Monterey Jack, or a Mexican blend works great with sour cream as well.
Sauce: Butter, flour, milk, and cheddar cheese are the basics, but the addition of sour cream levels up the tangy flavors in this recipe. Use full-fat milk and sour cream for the best flavor, but you could also use lower-fat or Greek yogurt for the same tangy flavor.
Variations
Stir in some mini meatballs, crumbled bacon, or leftover ground beef to make it an entrée dinner. Chopped spinach, diced tomatoes, or a frozen bag of veggies can also be added in Step 5.
How to Make Macaroni and Cheese with Sour Cream
- Cook pasta (recipe below).
- Melt butter and cook flour. Whisk in milk, and add cheddar cheese.
- Stir in sour cream then pour sauce into cooked macaroni.
- Transfer the mixture to a casserole dish and top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake until the top is melted and bubbly.
Tips For Success
- For the best results, be sure the pasta is cooled before stirring in the sauce.
- Avoid overbaking the casserole by removing it once the cheese is lightly browned and bubbly.
- Top the casserole with panko breadcrumbs and pop it under the broiler for a minute or two for a crispy topping if desired.
Serving And Storing Macaroni and Cheese
Serve sour cream macaroni and cheese with a quick and easy tomato salad.
Keep leftover sour cream macaroni and cheese in a covered container in the refrigerator.
Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop with a little milk mixed in to loosen the sauce.
More Mac and Cheese Recipes…
Did you enjoy this Sour Cream Macaroni and Cheese Recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below.
Sour Cream Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 16 ounces elbow macaroni
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
- 4 cups milk
- ½ cup sour cream
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni al dente according to package directions. Drain and set pasta aside in the large pot.
- In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Add flour and stir to create a roux. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Gradually whisk in the milk, one cup at a time. Keep cooking while stirring until thickened.
- Remove from heat and stir in 3 cups of shredded cheese until melted and fully combined. Stir in the sour cream. Taste, and season with salt & pepper as desired.
- Pour sauce into the cooked macaroni and stir to combine.
- Pour mixture into a greased 3-quart pan and top with remaining shredded cheese.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Broil for 2-3 minutes to brown the cheese if desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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Made this for a family reunion yesterday and it was a hit. My cousin said, “They loved your mac and cheese.” I topped it with crumbled bacon and it was delicious. This will be my go-to covered dish. Easy to prepare and serve.
Super good! I ran out of cheddar cheese so used up my grated pepper jack, monterey jack and a tiny bit of Mexican whilte cheese. It was delecious with just a hint of pepper hot. My family loved it and so do I!!
That sounds amazing Sharon! So happy you love this recipe!
Added more cheese in sauce and on top. Yum. Used organic cheese and whole wheat noodles and a bit more butter. It was GREAT!! Thank u
So glad you enjoyed it!
What type of milk would you recommend? Some recipes say evaporated is best, some say whole milk. I have 1% milk and evaporated can I mix them? And can I mix the cheeses? I have mozzarella and sharp cheddar, is that ok? I want to make today. Hoping I can get a quick response. Thanks!
I really hope you did! This is Genius
This was really good! I made a couple changes. Instead of sour cream, I used plain Greek yogurt. I also added panko breadcrumbs to the top. I kept it in the oven for about 45mins to make sure the whole thing was bubbly. Make sure to undercook your pasta because it will cook more in the sauce and soak up all the goodness.
Thank you for sharing your substitutions and tips Jordan. So happy you love the macaroni and cheese!
Great recipe but definitely gonna add more cheddar to the sauce and topping
Sounds delicious. Can you freeze or does it not freeze well
My secret ingredient for my mac n cheese is 4 Oz of Philadelphia Cream Cheese!
Sour Cream is my secret ingredient for deviled eggs, to make the yoke mixture more creamy … I can’t wait to try your sour cream trick in my next mac n cheese!
Would this recipe work if I subbed the sour cream with 4oz cream cheese?
Okay, I give up…what’s the secret ingredient?
Made this many times now, everyone who has ever tried it says it’s the best they’ve ever had. Easy and sooooo good! In fact, just finished making it for thanksgiving brunch!
I add bacon, a few slices cooked and crumbled to this recipe! Yummmy!
Sounds so tasty cant wait to try this…..
This looks mouth tempting…Can`t wait to try this week…Thanks for sharing…
Sour cream is a great secret ingredient in a lot of things, I have discovered…even scrambled eggs! Good find!
I always use sour cream in my mac and cheese.Love it.
I have been using Sour Cream since 1997 for my Mac. and Cheese.
When you say to turn the heat off, I am assuming you also need to let it cool some before you add the sour cream (not just turn the heat off and add sour cream, I would think it would still be too hot). Please let me know as I am thinking of making this tomorrow.
Can this be made earlier in the day and then baked when needed? It will be great to make when my in-laws come for family Christmas, but I want it done ahead of time.
Quick question….If the sour cream will curdle if the mixture is to hot when you first add it to the creamy mixture then will it curdle when you put it in the oven to bake it?
No, it means 3 to 4 cups. Maybe 3, maybe 4, maybe in the middle. You be the judge.
This recipe looks tasty! I’d probably add some sort of meat, just habit. I’m looking forward to trying it!
Im confused of the amount of milk. Is it 3/4th cups of milk. Or 3..4 cups of milk. If thats the case that would be.. 12 cups?
This is ONE of my secret weapons in my baked macaroni and cheese! I know this is good because it’s very close to mine!!
Great recipe! Super easy to make, quick and tastes amazing! I added bread crumbs on the top to add a little crunch on top of everything! Thanks! 🙂
Cannot wait to try this recipe
I made it, and it was SO good! Best mac & cheese I have ever done! Thank you 🙂
OH My…That looks delish!!!
Looks delicious! Thanks!