When you want creamy macaroni without opening a boxed dinner, this Parmesan Macaroni Mix gets the job done with pantry basics and a quick homemade cheese sauce. Mix the dry base ahead, keep it chilled, and dinner comes together fast with cooked macaroni, milk, water, salt, and margarine.
It makes a mellow, savory Parmesan sauce with a little paprika for color and ground mustard for depth. Nothing fussy here. Just an easy make-ahead mix that turns plain elbow macaroni into a simple side dish.
Ingredients for Parmesan Macaroni Mix
You’ll stir together a dry sauce base, then use part of that mix to make the finished macaroni. Freshly grated Parmesan gives the best texture and flavor here, since it melts into the sauce more smoothly than the dusty shelf-stable kind.
- 2 cups nonfat dry milk powder
- 1 3/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Additional ingredients for serving:
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons margarine
- 1 cup sauce mix
How to Make the Mix
- Combine the nonfat dry milk powder, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, flour, paprika, ground mustard, and pepper in a large zip-top bag.
- Seal the bag and shake until the mixture is evenly blended.
- Label the bag and store the mix in the refrigerator.
This batch makes about 4 1/2 cups of sauce mix, which is enough for roughly 4 batches of macaroni when you use 1 cup mix per batch. That yield is an estimate, but it’s close enough to plan supper without getting out a calculator.
How to Use the Mix
- Cook the elbow macaroni according to the package directions.
- While the pasta cooks, combine 1 cup of sauce mix, milk, water, margarine, and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce comes to a boil.
- Drain the macaroni.
- Stir the cooked macaroni into the hot sauce until every piece is evenly coated.
One prepared batch makes about 4 side-dish servings, or about 1 cup each. If you’re serving hungrier people or calling it lunch instead of a side, expect closer to 2 generous main-dish portions.
Helpful Tips
Whisk if needed. If the flour or cheese clumps while the mix sits in the fridge, pour the measured cup into a bowl and whisk it before adding the liquid.
Keep the heat moderate. Medium heat is enough. High heat can make the dairy and cheese catch on the bottom before the sauce thickens.
Salt to taste. Start with 1/4 teaspoon salt if your Parmesan is fairly salty. Use the full 1/2 teaspoon if you want a punchier, more boxed-dinner-style flavor.
Stir constantly once the liquid goes in. That keeps the flour suspended so the sauce thickens smoothly instead of turning lumpy. Handy, simple, and far less annoying than fixing a scorched pan.
If you need another homemade savory mix for the pantry, Creamy Garlic Alfredo Sauce Mix is a good one to keep nearby too.
Easy Variations
Make it sharper: Add a spoonful of extra grated Parmesan to the finished sauce just before you toss in the macaroni.
Add a little color: Stir in peas, steamed broccoli, or a few spoonfuls of drained pimientos after combining the pasta and sauce.
Use different pasta shapes: Small shells, ditalini, or mini penne work fine as long as you keep the cooked pasta amount in the same ballpark as 1 1/2 cups dry elbows.
Turn it into a fuller meal: Fold in diced ham or shredded cooked chicken and serve it as a simple main dish instead of a side.
For another Parmesan-heavy pantry shortcut, take a look at Parmesan Herb Biscuit Mix.
Storage
Store the dry mix in a tightly sealed bag or jar in the refrigerator. Because this version uses freshly grated Parmesan cheese, the cold storage is there for a reason, not decoration. A conservative shelf-life estimate is up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator for best quality.
Once prepared, refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and use them within 3 to 4 days. The USDA leftover safety guidance is a good rule to follow here, especially for a dairy-based pasta dish.
If the dry mix develops moisture, off smells, or visible mold, toss it. If the cooked macaroni turns dry in the fridge, reheat it gently with a splash of milk to loosen the sauce.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Parmesan macaroni as a quick side with baked chicken, meatloaf, pork chops, or simple roasted vegetables. It also works well next to anything with a tomato-based main dish, since the cheesy sauce stays mild and doesn’t fight for attention.
If you want to round out the plate without adding much work, pair it with green beans, buttered peas, or a crisp salad. It’s comfort food, not a complicated personality test.
💸 Budget101® Price Breakdown: Parmesan Macaroni Mix
Ingredient |
Walmart Item |
Pkg Price |
Amount Used |
Cost Used |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Nonfat dry milk powder |
$9.28 |
2 C. |
$1.74 |
|
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese |
$2.78 |
1 3/4 C. |
$2.15 |
|
All purpose flour |
$2.96 |
1/2 C. |
$0.08 |
|
Paprika |
$1.24 |
1 t. |
$0.04 |
|
Ground mustard |
$3.98 |
1/2 t. |
$0.10 |
|
Pepper |
$2.48 |
1/4 t. |
$0.02 |
💸 |
Cost |
|---|---|
🧾 Total Batch Cost |
$4.13 |
👨👩👧👦 Cost Per Serving |
$0.26 |
📅 Walmart prices last verified August 26, 2026. Prices may vary by location and are subject to change. Learn how to calculate the cost of a recipe on your own!
🛒 Walmart Grocery List
- Nonfat Dry Milk Powder, 64 oz
- Grated Parmesan Cheese, 8 oz
- All-Purpose Flour, 5 lb
- Paprika, 2.5 oz
- Ground Mustard, 1.5 oz
- Ground Black Pepper, 3 oz
- Elbow Macaroni, 16 oz
- Whole Milk, 64 fl oz
- Table Salt, 26 oz
- Margarine Sticks, 16 oz
- Sauce Mix, 1 packet
Not sure exactly what this batch costs you per serving? Here’s how to break down the real cost of any recipe so you know before you shop.
Frequently Asked Questions about Parmesan Macaroni Mix
You can, but the sauce usually tastes saltier and a little less rich. Freshly grated Parmesan melts more smoothly into the sauce, while the shelf-stable shaker kind is drier and can leave the texture slightly grainy if you boil it too hard.
One cup of sauce mix makes enough sauce for 1 1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni, which works out to about 4 side servings. If you serve it as a main dish, count on closer to 2 larger bowls.
Because the flour and cheese settle fast once the liquid heats up. Steady stirring keeps the flour from lumping, helps the cheese melt evenly, and saves you from scraping a scorched layer off the saucepan later.
Absolutely. Small shells, mini penne, or ditalini work well because they hold onto the sauce about as well as elbows do. Just keep the amount close to 1 1/2 cups dry pasta so the sauce-to-pasta ratio stays right.
Take the pan off the heat and whisk it firmly for 30 to 60 seconds. Most lumps come from flour that was not fully dispersed at the start, so whisking the measured sauce mix before adding the milk and water helps prevent the problem next time.
Yes, swap it in at the same amount, which is 1 1/2 tablespoons. Butter gives a slightly richer finish, while margarine keeps the flavor closer to an old-school boxed macaroni and cheese.
Double everything in the prepared batch, not just the pasta. That means 3 cups uncooked macaroni, 2 cups sauce mix, 1 cup milk, 1 cup water, 3 tablespoons margarine, and 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt, depending on your taste.
You can, but the sauce may separate a bit when reheated because it contains dairy and cheese. If you freeze it, cool it quickly, pack it tightly, and reheat gently with a splash of milk so the sauce comes back together.
Stir in cooked chicken, diced ham, peas, or broccoli after the pasta is coated. That turns the same base into a simple main dish without changing the sauce ratio or making more work than necessary.
Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk per serving before reheating and warm it slowly. The pasta keeps absorbing sauce in the fridge, so a little extra liquid fixes the thick, gluey texture that leftovers like to develop.
📌 Love this Parmesan Macaroni Mix? Pin it!
Did you make this recipe? Tell us how you served it or what you added to make it your own in the comments below.
🖨️ Print-Friendly Parmesan Macaroni Mix
Parmesan Macaroni Mix
Ingredients
- 2 cups nonfat dry milk powder
- 1 ¾ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Equipment
Instructions
- Combine the nonfat dry milk powder, Parmesan cheese, flour, paprika, ground mustard, and pepper in a large zip-top bag.
- Seal the bag and shake until well blended.
- Label and store in the refrigerator.
Recipe Size Alteration
💡 If you altered the ingredients above by doubling or tripling the recipe, you may also need to change the pan/dish size and adjust the cook time.
Notes
For each prepared batch, use 1 1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 1/2 tablespoons margarine, and 1 cup sauce mix.
Cook Time reflects mix preparation only. Prepared macaroni requires additional stovetop time.
Estimated cost is based on researched online retail pricing and will vary by store and location.
Prep time is an estimate for grating, measuring, bagging, and labeling.
how much of the parm dry milk mixture is needed to make the sauce?
1 c. of mix per recipe