Shell pasta mixed with a creamy Velveeta cheese sauce; then topped with a buttery Ritz Cracker crust and baked until golden brown.
If you were a kid in the late 1970's, chances are that one of your favorite meals was Velveeta Shells & Cheese. This classic recipe has come a long way since my youth.
In fact, now you can get it in individual microwave containers; which is what my girls used to like as preteens for a quick snack.
During family gatherings, we always have this mac and cheese on our buffet table because everyone loves it; especially with the Ritz Cracker topping!
Recently, our youngest daughter was searching for this recipe on the website and couldn't find it. She's at college and wanted to make a tray for her and her roommates to eat for the week while studying for exams.
I couldn't believe I had never shared it here on the website. Maybe because I figured everyone knew how to make it already?
When I started this blog in 2011, it was so that my girls would be able to find all of my recipes as they reached an age where they were cooking for themselves. I guess by omitting this Velveeta Shells & Cheese I had an EPIC FAIL!
Thankfully, I've made this recipe so many times that I was able to write something up to send to her. I then promised that I would make it again and share it here on the blog.
Velveeta Shells & Cheese is a classic recipe that tastes amazing and is super rich and creamy.
It's comfort food at its best and brings back so many childhood memories.
The recipe takes about 45 minutes to make and serves 6-8 people for dinner or 10-12 as a side dish.
To increase the serving size, use the sliding bar under the serving size section of the recipe card below.
Tips
- Make sure the pasta is cooked al dente; which means 'to the bite'. It needs to be on the firm side and not overly cooked and soft.
- It may look like the pasta is floating in the cheese sauce, but it will all get absorbed. The al dente pasta will continue to cook in the sauce.
Equipment
- Large Pot (or pasta pot)
- Colander
- Medium Saucepan
- Whisk (or wooden spoon)
- Mini Food Chopper
- Small Bowl
- 2-quart Casserole Dish
Ingredients Needed
For this recipe you'll need the following ingredients:
- shell pasta
- butter
- all purpose flour
- Velveeta cheese, cubed
- heavy cream
- milk
- black pepper
- Ritz Crackers
- melted butter
If you can't find shell pasta, you can substitute macaroni, rotini, small penne, or bow tie pasta.
I like to use a combination of heavy cream and milk, but you can use all heavy cream, all milk or half & half.
How do you make Velveeta Shells & Cheese?
Start by adding water to a large pot with a dash of salt; then bring to a boil over high heat and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Add the pasta and cook 5-7 minutes until al dente; then drain and place the pasta back into the pot.
While preparing the pasta, you can make the sauce. Add the butter to the medium saucepan and melt over medium high heat.
Next, add the flour and whisk to form a roux; then add the heavy cream, milk and pepper.
Whisk until blended; then gradually add the cubed Velveeta cheese. Stir until all of the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth; then pour into the cooked pasta and mix well. It will be "soupy" looking.
Pour the pasta into the casserole dish; then make the topping. Add the Ritz Crackers to a mini food processor, pulse until fine and add to a small bowl.
Next, add the melted butter to the crumbs, mix well; then spread on top of the macaroni and cheese.
Place in the oven and cook 15-20 minutes until the cheese is hot and bubbly and the topping is golden brown.
Make Ahead Instructions
Macaroni and cheese can be made ahead of time; however, I find that it dries out the longer it sits because all of the cheese sauce gets absorbed into the pasta.
If you need to prepare this Velveeta Shells & Cheese ahead of time, I recommend the following:
- Prepare the shells and cheese and put it in a casserole dish; minus the topping. Cover and refrigerate overnight; then take it out of the refrigerator 15 minutes prior to baking while preheating the oven.
- Drizzle ½ of milk or heavy cream over the pasta; then bake covered with foil for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F. Stir to make sure it is "saucy" enough. If not, add a bit more milk or cream.
- Remove from the oven, add the Ritz Cracker topping; then place back in the oven uncovered and bake for another 15-20 minutes until hot and bubbly.
VISIT THE RECIPE INDEX TO SEARCH FOR MORE RECIPES BY CATEGORY.
More Macaroni and Cheese Recipes
- Italian Sausage Macaroni and Cheese
- Broccoli Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese
- Chicken Cordon Bleu Mac & Cheese
- Cheddar Ale Mac n' Cheese
- Loaded Mac & Cheese
- Pesto Mac n' Cheese
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Velveeta Shells and Cheese
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound shell pasta
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 pound Velveeta cheese (cubed)
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup milk
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 full sleeves Ritz Crackers (or 4 fresh stacks)
- 5 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- Start by adding water to a large pot with a dash of salt; then bring to a boil over high heat and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Add the pasta and cook 5-7 minutes until al dente; then drain and place the pasta back into the pot.
- While preparing the pasta, you can make the sauce. Add the butter to the medium saucepan and melt over medium high heat.
- Next, add the flour and whisk to form a roux; then add the heavy cream, milk and pepper.
- Whisk until blended; then gradually add the cubed Velveeta cheese. Stir until all of the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth; then pour into the cooked pasta and mix well. It will be "soupy" looking.
- Pour the pasta into the casserole dish; then make the topping. Add the Ritz Crackers to a mini food processor, pulse until fine and add to a small bowl.
- Next, add the melted butter to the crumbs, mix well; then spread on top of the macaroni and cheese.
- Place in the oven and cook 15-20 minutes until the cheese is hot and bubbly and the topping is golden brown.
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