A zesty homemade macaroni and cheese recipe that is a perfect side dish for chicken, beef, or pork. Done in under 30 minutes, too! It’s super easy to dress this up as a main dish by adding cooked chicken or pulled pork.

Homemade mac and cheese is easier than you might think. I think it’s worth the effort to make mac and cheese homemade instead of using a kit from the store, especially because you can use fresh ingredients. I used elbow noodles for this recipe, but you could use any pasta of your choice.

This recipe reheats really well in the oven. To reheat, add a small amount of water to the bottom of a baking dish and heat covered in aluminum foil. I haven’t tried to reheat it in the microwave yet.

Continue reading after the recipe card for step-by-step photos.

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Cook pasta according to the package instructions. While the pasta is cooking, heat a saute pan on the stovetop over medium heat. (Note: If the pasta finishes cooking while you are working on the remaining steps, just drain it and set it aside.) Once the pan is warm, make a roux by melting the butter and whisking in the flour.

Allow the roux to cook, whisking constantly, until it begins to get slightly darker. (Should be blonde in color.)

Whisk in the milk, followed by the parsley, garlic powder, mustard, BBQ sauce, and white pepper.

Stir in the pasta.

Stir in the cheddar cheese.