Ranch Mac & Cheese Recipe

Ranch Mac & Cheese Recipe Ranch Mac & Cheese Recipe photo by Taste of Home Rating 4

I came up with the recipe for this creamy and satisfying macaroni and cheese, which has a special twist. My husband requests it often - it's hearty enough to serve as a main dish. -Michelle Rotunno, Independence, Missouri

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Ranch Mac & Cheese Recipe
  • Prep/Total Time: 30 min.
  • Yield: 8 Servings
15 15 30

Ingredients

  • 1 package (16 ounces) elbow macaroni
  • 1 cup 2% milk
  • 1/4 cup butter, cubed
  • 1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic pepper blend
  • 1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Colby cheese
  • 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
  • 1/2 cup crushed saltines
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

  • Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, combine the milk, butter, dressing mix and seasonings; heat through. Stir in Monterey Jack and Colby cheeses until melted. Stir in sour cream.
  • Drain macaroni; stir into cheese sauce with the saltines. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutritional Facts 1 cup equals 488 calories, 23 g fat (14 g saturated fat), 66 mg cholesterol, 1,357 mg sodium, 52 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 18 g protein.

Originally published as Ranch Mac 'n' Cheese in Taste of Home April/May 1995, p29

Full-Bodied White Wine

Enjoy this recipe with a full-bodied white wine such as Chardonnay or Viognier.

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Reviews for Ranch Mac & Cheese

Ranch Mac & Cheese Recipe

Ranch Mac & Cheese

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(11-20) of 45 reviews

Reviewed on Feb. 20, 2011 by rellmac

This is an amazing dish. While it definitely doesn't "taste" like a traditional mac n cheese, it's quickly become a favorite side dish in our house. We often use whatever cheese we have and found straight cheddar also yields delicious results. It's also excellent as leftovers the next day.

Reviewed on Feb. 19, 2011 by mamapierce

So easy and delicious! I love the flavor and texture from the saltine crackers. Yum.

Reviewed on Jan. 14, 2011 by abbie23

This recipe is a favorite in my house! I was on the search for a great mac&cheese, and I found it with this one! The best part is that it is different than your everyday mac&cheese. I chose to add crumbled crackers mixed with butter to the top and bake it for 20mins. Awsome recipe... Thanks Michelle!!

Reviewed on Nov. 20, 2010 by Shawnee2020

I get a little frustrated with people who complain about the salt content or fat content, or any other "unhealthy" ingredient. No one ever claimed this was a healthy recipe. If you are looking for that, google. Otherwise please don't complain. It's one thing to prefer less salt, it's another to have expectations that were never intended.

Reviewed on Nov. 05, 2010 by devilgrrl

I didn't have saltines, so i used Ritz crackers instead & also I didn't have the 2 cheeses listed so i used shredded cheddar cheese. Very different & very delicious! I can't imagine going back to the boxed mac & cheese after having this. I love it!

Reviewed on Oct. 05, 2010 by pearlrvr

Wonderful robust flavor! I made several substitutions to suit our tastes and what we had on-hand, but this seems fool-proof! I omitted the garlic salt and garlic pepper and instead used 1/2tsp garlic powder and 1/2tsp of Kosher salt. I kept the 1tsp lemon-pepper as-is. I used mild cheddar and mozzarella and omitted both the saltines and parmesan. My 21/2 year old who will not sit through a meal kept his seat and devoured this one!

Reviewed on Sep. 10, 2010 by KY_Cook

A little salty for my taste, so I used garlic powder as well. Otherwise, it was totally delicious and well worth serving again :)

Reviewed on Jul. 31, 2010 by harleybratt

this recipe is excellent, also i used the recipe to make cheesey ranch potatoes, the same recipe just sub potatoes for the noodles and its delicious.

Reviewed on Jul. 14, 2010 by cookinNC

My family really loved this! I have made it twice and will probably substitute some garlic powder for the garlic salt next time. I also made it this last time with a substitution for the ranch dressing ( 2 t dried onion, 1 T dried parsley, 1/8 t garlic powder, and 1/2 t salt) which doesn't have quite the same flavor but is still good and much cheaper. Appreciate all the previous suggestions for cutting the salt down: it tastes good the way it is, but that IS a lot of salt! :)

Reviewed on Jul. 05, 2010 by smada3

p.s. i did not used the garlic salt either just used garlic powder

 
 

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