Outback Steakhouse Mac-A-Roo ‘N Cheese Revisited Copycat Recipe

This Outback Steakhouse Mac-A-Roo ‘N Cheese Revisited copycat brings back one of the most missed items from the Outback kids’ menu, a creamy, bright orange pasta dish with a sticky, glossy cheese sauce that coats every piece of macaroni. It takes about 30 minutes start to finish, so it fits a real weeknight without much planning.

The sauce leans on a mix of sharp cheddar and a touch of American cheese for that signature smoothness, and a little hot sauce keeps it from being one-note. Kids love it, and honestly, so do the adults who grew up ordering it.

Why I Love This Recipe

The cheese sauce here is genuinely smooth because the American cheese acts as an emulsifier, so it never breaks into a greasy, grainy mess the way an all-cheddar sauce sometimes does.

It reheats well too. A splash of milk and two minutes on medium heat brings it right back to saucy.

This is the version I keep coming back to when I want something fast and satisfying that everyone at the table will actually eat.

Recipe Ingredients

• 8 oz elbow macaroni – Standard dry pasta; the small elbow shape holds the sauce in the curve
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter – Unsalted lets you control the salt level; salted butter works but skip the added salt in the roux
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour – Thickens the sauce; gluten-free 1-to-1 flour also works here
• 1 ¾ cups whole milk – Whole milk gives the richest body; 2% works but the sauce will be slightly thinner
• ¼ cup heavy cream – Adds the extra richness that makes the sauce glossy and cling to the pasta
• 1 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded – Freshly shredded melts far cleaner than pre-shredded, which has anti-caking coating
• 2 oz American cheese (about 2 slices) – The emulsifying ingredient that keeps the sauce silky and smooth, not grainy
• 1 tsp hot sauce (such as Frank’s RedHot) – Adds background warmth without making the dish spicy
• ½ tsp garlic powder – Rounds out the savory notes in the sauce
• ½ tsp onion powder – Works alongside the garlic powder for that classic mac flavor
• ½ tsp kosher salt – Add to taste at the end; hold back if you used salted butter
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper – Just enough to cut through the richness
• ¼ tsp sweet paprika – Gives the sauce its characteristic orange-red tint

Variations / Substitutions

• Swap the cheddar for Colby Jack – The flavor is milder and even creamier, which some kids prefer over sharp cheddar.
• Use evaporated milk instead of whole milk plus cream – It gives a very similar richness in a single ingredient and is shelf-stable.
• Add ½ tsp smoked paprika instead of sweet – The sauce gets a subtle smoky edge that works well for adults.
• Stir in ½ cup cooked, crumbled bacon – Adds a salty, crispy contrast to the creamy sauce.
• Make it dairy-free – Use oat milk in place of whole milk, coconut cream for the heavy cream, and a plant-based cheddar-style shred; the texture is a little softer but still saucy.
• Add a protein – Fold in diced rotisserie chicken or pan-seared shrimp right before serving to turn this into a full main dish.

If you want something equally comforting with a baked topping, look up a Panera Bread Mac and Cheese Copycat Recipe for a different take on the same idea.

How To Make Mac-A-Roo ‘N Cheese

Step 1: Boil the Macaroni

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat, then add the 8 oz elbow macaroni and cook according to the package directions, usually 7 to 8 minutes, until just past al dente. You want the pasta slightly softer than you normally would for an Italian dish, because it will absorb some of the sauce and firm back up a little.

Drain the pasta and set it aside. Do not rinse it. The starch on the surface of the cooked noodles actually helps the sauce cling later.

Step 2: Build the Roux

In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the 2 tbsp unsalted butter over medium heat until it foams and the foam just starts to subside, about 1 minute. Add the 2 tbsp all-purpose flour all at once and whisk constantly for about 1 minute, until the mixture turns a light tan color and smells faintly nutty.

This short cook time on the roux is important. It gets rid of the raw flour taste that can make a cheese sauce feel heavy and starchy.

Step 3: Simmer the Béchamel

Pour in the 1 ¾ cups whole milk and ¼ cup heavy cream slowly, whisking the whole time so no lumps form. Raise the heat slightly to medium-high and keep whisking until the sauce comes up to a gentle simmer and thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 4 to 5 minutes.

The sauce is ready when you can draw a line through the coating on the spoon and it holds its shape for a couple of seconds. If it looks thin at 4 minutes, give it another minute. It will continue to thicken slightly once you add the cheese.

Step 4: Melt the Cheeses

Reduce the heat to low. Tear the 2 oz American cheese into small pieces and add them to the hot sauce first, whisking until fully melted, about 30 seconds. Then add the 1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar in 3 loose handfuls, whisking each one in fully before adding the next, about 1 to 2 minutes total.

Keeping the heat on low here is the most important thing you can do for this sauce. High heat after adding cheese causes the proteins to seize up and turn grainy. Low and slow gives you the glossy, smooth result you are after.

Step 5: Season and Coat the Pasta

Add the 1 tsp hot sauce, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, ½ tsp kosher salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, and ¼ tsp sweet paprika directly to the cheese sauce and whisk to combine. Add the drained macaroni and stir well over low heat for about 1 to 2 minutes, until every piece of pasta is coated and the sauce has thickened slightly around the noodles.

Step 6: Plate and Garnish

Spoon the mac and cheese into a wide bowl or a small cast-iron skillet if you have one handy. Dust a small pinch of sweet paprika over the top for color, and serve it right away while the sauce is still glossy and loose.

Recipe Tips

• Shred your own cheese. Pre-shredded cheddar is coated in cellulose or potato starch, which prevents it from melting cleanly and can make the sauce slightly grainy. A box grater takes 2 minutes.
• Pull the milk off the fridge early. Cold milk added to a hot roux increases the chance of lumps. Room-temperature milk whisks in much more smoothly.
• Do not overcook the pasta. Elbow macaroni sitting in a thick cheese sauce will continue to hydrate. If you cook it fully firm at this stage, it turns to mush by the time it hits the bowl.
• Loosen leftovers with milk, not water. A splash of whole milk and low heat brings the sauce back to its original consistency. Water dilutes the flavor.

Bake times may vary slightly if you decide to finish this under the broiler for a gratinéed topping:

How To Store

• Refrigerate – Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. The pasta will absorb more sauce as it sits, so it will look thicker when cold.
• Reheating – Add 2 to 3 tbsp of whole milk per serving and warm over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce is loose and smooth again. The microwave works in a pinch at 50% power in 30-second bursts, stirring between each one.
• Serve Cold – Cold mac and cheese straight from the fridge is actually a solid option as a quick lunch, similar in texture to a pasta salad.

What To Serve With Mac-A-Roo ‘N Cheese

A simple green salad with a sharp vinaigrette is one of the best pairings here because the acidity cuts through the richness of the cheese sauce and resets your palate between bites. Steamed broccoli or roasted broccoli does the same job while staying kid-friendly. If you want to lean into the Outback theme, a grilled chicken breast or a seared sirloin alongside makes this a convincing weeknight copycat dinner, since the savory char on the meat plays well against the creamy, mild pasta.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make the cheese sauce ahead of time and reheat it?

Yes, but make it no more than a day ahead and store it separately from the pasta. Reheat the sauce on low with a splash of milk, then toss in freshly cooked pasta when you are ready to serve, since pasta stored in sauce overnight can get quite soft.

Why is my cheese sauce grainy?

Graininess almost always happens because the heat was too high when the cheese went in. Proteins in the cheese tighten and clump above about 160°F (71°C), so pull the pan off the heat if it feels too hot, and add the cheese on the lowest flame your stove can manage.

Can I freeze this mac and cheese?

Technically yes, but the texture suffers. The sauce tends to separate and the pasta turns soft after freezing. Refrigerating for up to 3 days is a much better option for this particular recipe.

Can I double this recipe for a crowd?

Yes, it scales up evenly. Use a larger saucepan so the roux has room to cook without burning, and expect the sauce-building time to increase by about 2 minutes since there is more volume to heat through.

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Mac-A-Roo ‘N Cheese Recipe

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 8 oz elbow macaroni
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 ¾ cups whole milk
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 1 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded
• 2 oz American cheese (about 2 slices)
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp sweet paprika

Method

 

1. Boil the 8 oz elbow macaroni in well-salted water for 7 to 8 minutes until just past al dente. Drain and set aside without rinsing.
2. Melt the 2 tbsp butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the 2 tbsp flour, and whisk for 1 minute until light tan.
3. Whisk in the 1 ¾ cups whole milk and ¼ cup heavy cream slowly. Simmer over medium-high heat, whisking, for 4 to 5 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
4. Reduce to low, add the 2 oz American cheese in pieces and whisk until melted, then add the 1 ½ cups cheddar in 3 handfuls, whisking each one in fully.
5. Whisk in the 1 tsp hot sauce, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, ½ tsp kosher salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, and ¼ tsp sweet paprika. Add the drained macaroni and stir over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes.
6. Spoon into a bowl or small cast-iron skillet, dust with a pinch of paprika, and serve immediately.

Notes

The sauce will look slightly thinner than you expect right before you add the pasta, and that is fine. The starch on the noodles thickens it a little more as you stir. If you are making this for younger kids, skip the hot sauce or cut it to ¼ tsp — the flavor is still there, just without any background heat.