Velveeta Shells and Cheese
Velveeta Shells and Cheese is the box mac and cheese generations of kids grew up eating straight from the pot. This copycat recipe captures that same creamy, velvety texture and mild cheesy flavor using real deli American cheese, sharp cheddar, and a splash of distilled vinegar. Making it at home means you get all the nostalgia of the original with real, recognizable ingredients. It comes together in under 20 minutes and works equally well as a weeknight side or a simple main course.
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Velveeta Shells and Cheese has a flavor that’s hard to describe but instantly familiar: mild, tangy, creamy, and deeply satisfying. The original achieves its smooth, pourable sauce through processed cheese and a precise balance of fats and emulsifiers. This copycat version recreates that balance using real ingredients from any grocery store.
The sauce relies on two cheeses working together. American deli cheese provides the smooth, easy-to-melt, approachable mild flavor that forms the base. Freshly shredded sharp cheddar adds just enough bite to keep the sauce from tasting one-dimensional. A pinch of turmeric handles the signature bright yellow color.
Why you should try making Velveeta Shells and Cheese at home
For the ultimate in creamy, cheesy supermarket mac and cheese, you can’t get much better than a box of Velveeta Mac and Cheese Shells. The combination of evaporated milk and a surprising secret ingredient, distilled vinegar, helps to recreate the nostalgic tang and velvety texture that made the original such a childhood favorite. You‘d be hard-pressed to find a more decadent mac ‘n cheese anywhere. This recipe works as both a side and a main course, and, maybe best of all, it calls for real cheese and fresh ingredients, so you can feel good about serving it to your family.
Ingredients and their roles in this recipe
For the pasta, you will need:
- Mini pasta shells, like Conchiglie – these small pasta shells are wonderful at capturing the cheese sauce. If you can’t find Conchiglie, you can use any short pasta you have on hand.
For the sauce in this copycat Velveeta Shells and Cheese recipe, you’ll need:
- Evaporated milk – gives the sauce extra creaminess and keeps it thicker than using milk or heavy cream.
- Whole milk – loosens the sauce to give it the proper consistency.
- Canola oil – adds additional fat to give the homemade shells and cheese the same appearance as the boxed variety. Increasing the fat also helps the cheese to melt more evenly.
- American deli cheese (use a deli block cut into cubes) – melts easily and has a mild flavor that everyone likes.
- Sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded – Contributes just a bit of sharpness to keep the cheese sauce from being boring.
- Salt – enhances the taste of all the other ingredients.
- White distilled vinegar – the secret ingredient that brings even more tang that heightens the creaminess and prevents the sauce from tasting flat.
- Turmeric – colors the sauce the brilliant yellow of Velveeta.
How to make shells and cheese
To prepare the shells:
- Cook the pasta in salted water for about a minute longer than the box says.
- Drain the cooked shells, but don’t rinse them off. The starch will help thicken the sauce.
- Reserve for later.
To prepare the cheese sauce:
- In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk together the evaporated milk, whole milk, and canola oil until the mixture begins to steam.
- Add the cubed American cheese and whisk until it completely melts.
- Reduce the heat to low and whisk in half of the shredded cheddar cheese. Once the sauce is smooth, add the remaining half of the cheddar cheese.
- Once the second addition of cheddar cheese is melted, whisk in the salt, distilled vinegar, and turmeric.
- Give the sauce a taste. It should be mild, yet have a slight tang. If it is too tangy, add more evaporated milk.
- To finish the homemade shells and cheese:
- Dump the cooked and drained shells into the pan with the cheese sauce. Stir well to coat and remove the saucepan from the heat.
- Allow the sauce to firm up slightly before serving.
What to serve with Mac ‘n Cheese
Mac and Cheese Shells go with just about anything, but they pair best with classic Southern favorites. Below are three recipes you definitely want to try.
Cracker Barrel’s Smoky Southern Grilled Chicken – You won’t believe how complex and flavorful this quick, easy chicken dish tastes, made with only two ingredients. Smoked paprika and seasoned salt combine in one secret seasoning that will make you the king of the grill at your next cookout.
Claim Jumper BBQ Baby Back Ribs – Moist, sticky, and sweet, these baby back ribs are super tender and flavorful thanks to a combo of Coca-Cola and Italian dressing. It may be a bit unconventional, but one bite is all it takes to prove that it is sometimes a good thing to be a little strange.
KFC Honey BBQ Wings – These wings are dipped in buttermilk, then double-coated in seasoned flour before being fried to a golden brown. But it’s the homemade BBQ sauce that takes these from just your average wingdings to the sweet and smoky wings everyone loves.
Storing and reheating instructions
Refrigerator Storage: Allow the shells and cheese to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming on the surface. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. The pasta will continue to absorb the sauce as it sits.
Reheating Method: The microwave is the best option. Place an individual serving in a microwave-safe bowl, stir in a splash of whole milk, cover loosely, and microwave on 50% power for one minute. Stir and continue in 30-second intervals at 50% power until heated through. On the stovetop, reheat in a saucepan over low heat, stirring continuously and adding whole milk as needed to loosen the sauce.
Freezer Storage: Not recommended. The dairy-based sauce separates and becomes grainy after freezing and thawing.
Love mac and cheese? Try these recipes!
- Costco Mac and Cheese
- Applebee’s 4 Cheese Mac and Cheese
- Cracker Barrel Mac and Cheese
- KFC Mac and Cheese
- Luby’s Mac and Cheese
- Stouffer’s Mac and Cheese
Check out more of my easy side dish recipes and the best DIY recipes right here on CopyKat!
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Velveeta Shells and Cheese Copycat
Ingredients
- 8 ounces shell pasta
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ½ tablespoon canola oil
- 4 ounces American deli cheese (purchase from the deli & cut into cubes)
- 2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese freshly shredded
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
- 1/16 teaspoon turmeric
Instructions
- Cook the shells in well-salted water until just past al dente, a little softer than you’d cook pasta for an Italian dish. Velveeta shells are tender. Drain but don’t rinse, and don’t toss with butter.
- While the pasta drains, warm the evaporated milk, whole milk, and canola oil together in the same pot over medium-low heat. Whisk gently until just steaming.
- Drop in the American cheese first. Stir until completely melted and smooth. The American cheese is doing the emulsifying work here.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add the grated cheddar in two handfuls, stirring after each addition until smooth. Keep the heat low.
- Stir in the salt, vinegar, and turmeric. Taste. The sauce should be mild and lightly tangy. If it’s too sharp from the cheddar, add a splash more evaporated milk.
- Add the drained pasta and fold to coat. Let it sit for one minute off the heat, and the sauce will tighten slightly around the shells and cling the way the box version does. Serve immediately.
Hi Stephanie,
I made this last night and my family loved it! When making the cheese sauce, on low it tended to get a little grainy. I didn’t have whole milk but I used some 1/2 & 1/2 milk with the evaporated milk. When it started to cool, it did look more grainy also. Will adding more milk, maybe get some whole milk as we use 2%. Is there anything else I could have done to stop this from happening? I don’t like to use Velveeta cheese, but it does melt so much better. You wouldn’t happen to have a copycat version for Velveeta cheese now wouldn’t you??? Thanks for a great recipe and I’ll add more milk and see if that works!
I would try turning down the heat a bit on your stovetop, this may have added it getting grainy. I used to have a recipe for homemade velveeta, and this is the link to the recipe for homemade velveeta.
We do not have deli American Cheese in Canada. Would Velvetta™ or clone house brand block cheese product work instead of the American Cheese ingredient? Thank you.
You could use Velveeta instead. I think American cheese would work better though. I haven’t tried the clone brands that are available to you, the brands I have tried, Kroger, and HEB seem to work well.
Thank you for the reply. BTW, we appreciate that you provide the weight of ingredients when appropriate. We use the kitchen scale tare function to keep the number of containers to a minimum. Weighing ingredients is easy and more repeatable. Again, thanks.
I love doing this when I bake! It makes things so much easier to clean!