I’m calling for a mac and cheese revolution. For those sweltering Summer days when cranking up the oven means turning our kitchen into a sauna, or for those times when I don’t want to be a dishwasher, but still want to have a satisfying home cooked meal, I need a meal that can be cooked fairly quickly and efficiently. I know Todd and I aren’t the only ones who come home from a hectic work day and ask that one universal question “What are we going to cook for dinner?”
Enter the solution and what I call, my mac and cheese revolution: the One Pot, Stove Top, Creamy Macaroni and Cheese recipe.
It’s simple, clear, and considerate of everything we need in order to still eat well and prepare quickly, without compromising on quality and taste.
- One Pot - Yes, you read it correctly. All the raw macaroni is cooked in one pot, without a pre-boil step that most other stove top recipes require. There is no extra pot to pre-boil or wash. One pot means less dishes!
- Stove Stop- Stove top means NO oven! During our hot summer days, that last thing that I want is to turn on my oven and sweat even more just for a bowl of mac and cheese. The stove top method is a wonderful way of cooking the macaroni pasta, quickly and to your desired texture. I can control exactly how soft or al dente I want my macaroni to be. Sometimes, I find myself over baking my mac and cheese in the oven, which ultimately turn out like FLAT, MUSHY mac pasta. Does this happen to anyone?
- Creamy - This mac and cheese recipe is slowly cooked in milk and a little butter. The cheese is added in the end and it’s so creamy and amazing.
- Low (er) fat? Healthy? – Gosh darn it, if I mentioned those words with a mac and cheese recipe, it could be contradicting and ludicrous. But clearly, I take all things into consideration, fat and flavor included. How to cook “better” and still not compromise the flavor? This recipe works wonderfully with low fat milk and I find that using less cheese still makes this recipe delicious. Now I’m not saying that this recipe is the poster child of a heart healthy, low carb nor fat free lifestyle. I’m just sayin’ that this recipe can be made with less fat and calories and still taste great. I’m just sayin’.
- Flavor blasts with creative cheeses- Now that I’ve figured out how to cook it easily and still maintain great texture, now comes the best part—-great flavor! Have fun with this recipe and experiment with flavorful, cheeses that melt well. My favorite is using parmesan and asiago cheese because I can use less cheese and still have bold flavor. Every single bite is delicious.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a huge fan of oven baked mac and cheese because the warm, comforting, casserole bake can’t be compromised. The cheesy crusts are a show stopper too. But when I’m starving and the weather is scorching hot, the last thing I want to do is to blast that oven to 350 degrees. And No, we don’t have central air conditioning!
A generous serving of cheesy, starchy, creamy goodness is that bowl of comfort to satisfy the most challenging of days. Macaroni and cheese is medicine, one of those forms of food therapy that make me feel better. If I can figure out ways to feed my starch loving soul with a cooking friendly version of my beloved mac and cheese, then I’ve solved another of life’s dilemna’s. This stove top, one pot recipe is the answer.
Now it’s time for me to go and experiment with another batch using….. blue cheese?
happy mac and cheese times to you,
-diane
Print This RecipeOn Pot, Stove Top Macaroni & Cheese Recipe
**Update- please read the comments by readers below before you start the recipe. Technique is very vital to making this recipe a success, as well as the type of ingredients, milk, cheese & macaroni that you use.
Some readers have had great success, while others have not. The input and advice from previous readers are extremely valuable.
The key to keeping this recipe creamy is to make sure the flame is low and to consistently stir the pot. The mac elbows need to be cooked slowly in the milk and any high heat will cause the milk to curl. Don’t leave the pot unattended.
Make sure you have both wet and dry measuring cups! Using the dry measuring cup to measure out the raw macaroni and wet cup for measuring out the liquid milk is crucial. There are volume differences between both dry and wet measuring cups. Read Here for more information.
Obviously with the stove top, there won’t be that cheesy crust that forms on top. But toppings of toasted bread crumbs or bacon should be a nice exchange.
2 cups large elbow Macaroni, uncooked (about 1/2 lb)
2 cups low fat Milk (about 16 oz)
if needed, additional 1/4 cup milk or water for final cooking
1 tablespoon Butter, for flavor ( I tried this recipe once without the butter and I didn’t notice any difference with the recipe. More heart healthy!)
1/2 teaspoon Mustard powder
1 teaspoon Salt, plus additional for final season later
generous dash of Nutmeg
1 cup Grated Cheese, any one or combination of ( jack, cheddar, swiss, mozzarella, gouda, parmesan*, asiago*, pecorino*) *Hard cheeses are best combined with a secondary, softer, better melting cheese.
additional toppings: bacon bits, bread crumbs, chopped parsley, diced tomatoes (optional)
black pepper to taste (optional)
1. Place raw elbow macaroni in colander and quickly rinse under water. Let drain.
2. In medium sauce pan (about 3.5 qt), add milk, raw elbow macaroni, salt, butter, mustard powder and nutmeg.
3. On medium heat, slowly bring milk/macaroni mixture to a simmer, stirring the macaroni frequently as it comes up to a simmer. This will separate macaroni and keep them from sticking together. DO NOT LEAVE THE STOVE! The milk mixture will come to a boil very quickly and leaving it unattended will leave a big mess on your stove stop.
4. Once mixture comes to a simmer, immediately turn down heat to LOW. Macaroni will slowly cook in the milk. Having your heat too high will evaporate the milk too quickly!
5. Continue to stir the mixture frequently so that macaroni will cook evenly and absorb milk evenly. If you don’t stir your mixture frequently, you will get a big clump of macaroni in the end! Stir, stir stir!
6. Cook for about 15-20 minutes or until milk has been fully absorbed. If macaroni is not cooked fully, add a little more milk or water to mixture ( in small amounts) until macaroni is fully cooked. This will take about another 5 minutes.
7. When milk has evaporated, stir in grated cheese of your choice. Stir the cheese evenly into the macaroni.
8. Turn off heat. Place lid on top of pan and cover for about 5 minutes. This rest period will allow macaroni to plump up and absorb any excess milk.
9. Take a final taste and add additional salt to taste. Before serving, stir one final time to mix everything together.
Serve immediately. Feeds about 3-4 people.
Toasted bread crumbs: I love toasted bread crumbs and it’s so easy to make. Just break up some old bread, heat it up on a skillet. Continue stirring until crumbs start to brown and become fragrant. Remove from heat and top off your macaroni and cheese!
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{ 125 comments… read them below or add one }
I definitively know what you mean about oven + summer = sauna. Because it was Sunday and I had time for myself, I finally made my first bread. I forgot that bread needs to bake in a VERY HOT oven! I’m just dying… lol
You were much more clever with the mac & cheese. I never made this dish, I actually thought it was cooked on the stove… See, it totally makes sense…
I just made this and decided to throw it in the oven to get that crispy top, and it was still much quicker than making it the traditional way! Much less clean up too
Hi Melanie- Yes, it does get too hot to bake mac and cheese in the summer! BTW- this dish IS cooked on the stove.
beautiful photo and very good recipe!
This is pure comfort food and joy in a plate. Bringing this recipe on my camping trip. We are going to camp in Washington State & Siuslaw Nat’l Forest in Oregon. This will be perfect after a day hiking or at the beach
Wow, no draining, that’s pretty awesome
I have a feeling the mustard and toasted bread crumbs (yum) make this extra-awesome. Do you think that by using a nonstick pot and leaving the bottom to scorch for a bit after cooking then flipping it over to the serving platter will kind of recreate the brown-y-bit? Hmm, I think a little experimentation on my part is in order (though I don’t wanna wreck my pot!).
Wow! Been reading for a while but this is my first comment – want to thank you for suddenly making my favorite food a summer time possibility! I pride myself on my baked mac and cheese (I use shredded jalapeno jack cheese with cheddar to give mine an extra kick!). I will definitely give this a try this week!
That looks fabulous! I’m all for any recipe that doesn’t require me to turn on the oven! Actually, my mom makes her mac and cheese kind of like this. We call it “risotto-style” pasta. She does it with rice too, and uses Parmesan, Romano and Asiago cheeses. Molto delicioso!
Oooh I am so excited to try this! I am still searching for that perfect stove-top mac and cheese recipe but this could be the end of that search!
Perfect!! After weeks of rain here in the UK, the weather has finally perked up – though I suspect it won’t last…I’m kinda hoping it won’t actually so that I can make this while my macaroni cheese hating other half is out playing football, and I can curl up on the sofa with a big bowl
Cheers!
This is great!! ONE pot!!! I will give this a try! Great pics!!!
Oh geez, here i was trying to loose those extra honeymoon pounds and you have to go and throw this gorgeous little number at us!
Oh, how fantastic! I also love the picture of the swirl in the breadcrumbs!
I love summer recipes like these. I made a grilled 3-eggplant caponata the other afternoon so that I wouldn’t have to heat up the kitchen. Can’t wait to try this one.
I think my stomach just made the biggest and loudest growl ever…This is going to be on tonight’s dinner plans! Yeah for no oven time….we are melting over here too!
Gosh I am hungry now…
This looks amazing; bookmarking it for sure! Would also be perfect for those days when just one more pot or pan would put me over the edge…
Great post! I love Mac & Cheese, and this looks absolutely AH-MAZING! Thanks for sharing!!!
tremendous. outstanding. if the torrent of drool cascading down my face is any indication, you have a winning dish on your hands here.
May I suggest an improvement for the crumbs? If you can get a package of panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), melt a tablespoon or so of butter in a frying pan. Spread a thin layer of crumbs in the melted butter, and stir and toast till lightly browned. Might work with regular breadcrumbs too, but I’ve never tried it. Yes, you have another pan to wash. But you also have buttered crumbs! I always do my crumbs like this even for oven-baked mac and cheese or (oh yum) tuna casserole. I’m gonna consider giving your cooking method a try.
Your recipe looks wonderful! I like the toasted breadcrumbs on top.
Hi! I’m the laziest cook on weekdays but I cooked this last night and it was so easy! It was perfectly creamy and I used a combination of parmesan and scamorza and man…thats a whole lotta flavor!
Oh wow, macaroni cooked in milk. I can only imagine how deliciously creamy that is (until next week, when I stop imagining and try it for myself).
Wonderful idea! Gosh you have saved me…my kitchen is already an oven, even without the oven on!
This is exactly the mac & cheese recipe I’ve been looking for! Believe it or not, I don’t like baked mac & cheese. I’m weird like that. I think it’s much more creamy if done on the stove-top and I like to see the actual separation of pasta instead of one large mass. Perfect, perfect, thank you!
This is Exactly the type of recipe I’ve been looking for this week – a real stove-top mac and cheese, not all those oven baked recipes. I never would have thought to boil the noodles in milk!
I am so going to make this!
WOW. I made this last night (with a combo of colby jack, goat cheese, and parm…low-fat milk, whole-wheat pasta) and it was incredible. SO CREAMY! I never knew low-fat milk and just a cup or so of cheese would result in such decadence. A true M&C revolution, just like you said. We ate it with steamed salmon and broccoli, and I made sure to save leftovers.
I’ll be posting some blog love for this, check out http://www.sustainablediet.blogspot.com for the post in the next day or two!
oh yum! this looks delish and love the one pot idea weather its summer or not! Definitely going to try this with gluten free macaroni pity its not even 10am I want it NOW!
Keep Cooking. The Gluten Free Scallywag.
well, the toasted bread crumbs are a must-add and those needs another pot… but i’m still very excited by this recipe
“high heat will cause the milk to curl.”
I think you mean “curdle.” As in, it makes curds, like cottage cheese.
Just made this last night. Super easy (no whisking and truly one pot!) and super cool bechamel/roux trick – instead of separately adding flour to a portion of milk, the starch that comes out of the pasta (that is normally drained away) thickens the milk. Another plus – no lumps! b/c no clumpy bits of flour were used. Super creamy cheesy dish w/ almost zero effort!
Also, skim milk works fine (all I had). Just used 2-3 Tbs butter, instead of just the 1 Tbs.
Looks like a great recipe, removes the extra step that Cook’s Illustrated’s stovetop M&C requires.
I found the secret to the creamiest possible Mac and Cheese. Aside from cheddar, Parmesano Reggiano & whatever other good cheese I have, I always add at least 8 oz of Kraft (or the store brand) Deli Deluxe American. It has to be the deluxe version that’s marked processed cheese food. There’s something in that cheese that gives the dish a super-smooth mouth feel. Also it melts easily and keeps the other cheeses from curdling, which is caused by overheating.
Thanks for the great recipes. Now to add Fish Sauce and see
FYI, works great with gluten free rice pasta, too. Didn’t even add the butter. Incredibly rich with just 2% milk and some good organic medium cheddar. Definitely a new weeknight staple!! Thanks!
Wow…now i am now starving! I love mac and cheese and have been craving it for weeks. Im going to try whole wheat pasta and ff 1/2 and 1/2 with no butter as a healthier twist….i’ll let you know how it comes out! Thanks for the great recipe!
Correction on the Amercian Cheese. It has to be marked Pasteurized Process American Cheese. Sorry for the incorrect post earlier.
I made this last night for a Pot Luck. It was really simple. I took my time bring it to a boil (about 20 min) and stired it ever 30 seconds but I still ended up with a decent amount of burned milk/pasta on the bottom. Maybe its because we have an electric strove top and the pot is like 20 years old? Ha.The pot is soaking right now. Either way it was sooo good. I did add butter but I added Truffle butter and it was hinting itsself in the background. So good!!! I will make again and again!
This was a brilliant method — just like making risotto, using the macaroni’s starch to thicken the liquid. Thanks for coming up with it! Mine turned out fabulous using fat free milk, just 1 T of light butter, and 2% cheese. I did wait too long before adding the cheese, I think, as it was too thick until I added a bit more milk to loosen it up. Next time I will check the pasta before the milk has completely evaporated. Thanks again!
Have to comment before the food coma sets in – made this for dinner tonight and am absolutely thrilled how it turned out. This may be the mac and cheese I’ve been waiting my whole life for.
Oh thank you, thank you! I have been searching for an easy creamy stop-top mac and cheese recipe that doesn’t have flour in it. This was awesome! I made it today.
If you care about the texture of your pasta(macaroni) boil your noodles first and make a cheese sauce using a rue or evaporated milk separately. But you will need TWO POTS. This gives you much more control over the firmness of your pasta. If you like a doughy texture go for this. I found it to be gloppy and mushy. The sauce ingredients are great on their own. Add boiled pasta to it.
I stumbled across your site while searching for a stovetop mac and cheese recipe, and I’m glad I did! You’re now added to my Reader.
As for the recipe, I was amazed to watch the noodles thicken up on the stove with just the milk. I added in some seasoned salt, pepper, nutmeg, paprika, and a dash of red pepper flakes, and stirred, stirred, stirred. No butter, because I ran out (how does that happen?!) 1c of cheddar, sprinkles of parm. Waited while it thickened, and ate. And was kind of disappointed, actually. Could be that it was mild cheddar (all I had on hand) and the parm was a bit much. Funky texture and not much flavor.
However, there’s a happy ending. This kind of defeats the purpose, but I decided to give it another chance by reheating it in the oven, topped with breadcrumbs, and… YUM. I’ve found my new mac and cheese recipe. Thank you!
This macaroni cheese is AMAZING!!!!
I never, never, never knew you could such an easy, quick, DELICIOUS (!!) macaroni cheese without a roux sauce!! In fact, this is EVEN better than a roux sauce; it’s simple, fast, uncomplicated and just plain GOOD!! I’m still remembering it…*sigh* Mmm…
Mine took a little longer because I had to add fresh milk several times; probably because I had the heat on too high (I was impatient for a bowl of mac ‘n’ cheese!! Hehe) but I didn’t mind at all. I just sipped a big, cool glass of water while I stirred my pasta. What a way to cool down (and still get a large dose of your favorite comfort food) in humid, tropical Africa!!
I topped my bowl of mac ‘n’ cheese with fresh, diced tomato, toasted, buttered breadcrumbs and a few sprigs of homegrown oregano. BLISS!!! =)) Make this, if you haven’t already!!
It’s good when you want something quick to eat, perfect for lunch/dinner, great when you haven’t got anything else in your cupboards/house and even nice for serving to company..
Thanks SO much for posting!!!
I am forever indebted to you. I have been searching for a good Mac & Cheese recipe for years. This one is perfect and so simple. I’ve bragged to everyone I know about this and sent several people here. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I have often searched the internet and tried many different mac and cheese recipes…but finally! Exactly the one I was looking for! Thank you so much! I tried it tonight and it was delicious…PERFECT!
I made this for lunch today with one minor change – I didn’t have elbow macaroni so I used shells. The sauce was delicious. I couldn’t believe how the milk absorbed into the pasta and thickened up so nicely!
The only problem is (even though I kept stirring) my shell pasta got all caught up in itself. The shells that remained on their own cooked perfectly with only one extra addition of milk but the ones that got stuck to each other were still undercooked. I can see that this would not be a problem if I had actual macaroni noodles! Will try again with the proper noodle.
Oh, I also didn’t have any mustard powder so I shook in some garlic powder instead. And I had no butter in the fridge, but the sauce wasn’t missing it at all!
I just made this recipie and I gotta say it was fantastic..I only changed one thing, I added a couple of dashes of Louisiana hot sauce and man oh man .. Good eats.. thanks for the recipie..
Awesome! I was afraid to try but like you were saying, I’d do anything to avoid turning on the stove! The only changes I made were using rotini cuz that’s what I had on hand, also used sharp white cheddar from Wisconsin, baby! Delicious. I’ll definitely make this again….Is there any problems with doubling the recipe? I didn’t think so but….Thanks again!
I just found this recipe through google and it was exactly what I was looking for, with the ingredients I had. I made it with fat free milk, chipotle powder and garlic powder (instead of mustard and nutmeg). It turned out great. Thanks so much for posting this!
I cannot wait to try this recipe. I was looking for a good recipe, cuz I am really craving mac n’ cheese, but I am only 20 years old and am still acquiring all the pans and dishes I am ever gonna use. This seems perfect. I will come back and tell you, what I think. Thank you again for posting this. I think I may use maple bacon on top, it should be a good contrast to the cheese.
Am am gonna try this today for sure. It looks so yummyyyyy……….
So glad I found this. Was doing a search on google of mac and cheese recipes without butter
Going to try it now. From the comments, it looks like a favourite! I’ll let you know.
Added you to my reader too! Awesome blog!
YUMMM it’s truly amazing, especially with nutmeg!
I finally found the perfect mac n cheese recipe after searching for years, and this is it. It is so simple compared to the others, yet taste so much better. I love the method of using the noodles own starches to thicken the sauce. Other recipes I tried called for flour and it always ended up so grainy or gummy. This is nothing like that at all. Its very creamy and flavorful. Thank you for this recipe.
I just tried making this and it turned out surprisingly well. I halved the recipe because it was just going to be me eating, I dunno if something got lost in the process but I ended up having to use a lot of extra water to keep it smooth and not too thick and a fair amount of extra cheese for taste. All in all it’s a great method, I will definitely be using it again in the future.
i made this recipe and it turned out feeling, and tasting, like play dough. I don’t know if it was the recipe’s fault or my own, but it was terrible.
Thank you so much! I followed your recipe to the dot and now my sisters can’t get enough of it!
Wow just made this, but used McLaren’s Imperial Sharp Cheddar (cold pack cheddar in the red tub) and is the creamiest mac and cheese ever! Best thing is that McLaren’s requires no shredding and melts instantly!
Should have read the comments and paid attention to LARGE elbows. Just made it with small, and the macaroni have absolutely no integrity left; I have a pot of paste on my stove. Absolutely terrible.
Hi… I tried this receipe and it lead to disaster! I stood in front of the stove and stirred and stirred…. it got VERY thick… I added milk…. still stayed thick and the noodles didnt cook well.. they werent clumpy just not done and very pasty
not one I will try again.
This recipe is GREAT! I’ve been looking for a good one, and this is it! For a nice little addition, in the very beginning, saute the butter with some minced garlic, then add the milk, salt, noodles and bring to a boil. It adds a nice ‘adult’ flair!
Also, I used small shells and it worked great with those.
Thanks for this recipe – it’s amazing!
My noodles all fell apart! I was cooking on very low – did I stir it too much?
The recipe looked so good, but did not work for me…
Alison
It seems alot of people are saying this turns out “mushy” or “pasty” but I’ve made it well over a dozen times and that’s never happened. It could be because I always make a half batch (I’ve never made a whole batch before), or because I always use small noodles – never large ones. Also, I have to say I neglect it. I only stir it a couple times while the milk is boiling until the very end when it starts to thicken. (One time I completely boiled all the milk out of it because I walked away for too long. Oops.)
Heavenly days, this so goooood! And so easy! I love that I don’t have to fire the oven. The texture is so amazingly creamy. THIS is the recipe that I will use time and time again. Thanks so much!!!
I added an extra cup of chicken broth and a couple of handfuls of chopped raw cauliflower to Step 2. Also added some sour cream because it really thickened up at the end. I’d imagine adding bacon will be my natural path of progression.
This recipe ROCKS! I live in Taiwan, where summers are SWELTERING and kitchens are small–ovens are almost nonexistent. I can’t just go and buy a box of Kraft here, but all the online recipes I’ve come across require an oven, so I’ve lived the past 2 years without this delicious treat. Thanks to your recipe, I have made some of the best, creamiest, most amazing mac n cheese I’ve ever had– I don’t think I’ll ever make another kind. It’s simple, fast, easy and DELICIOUS. Thank you!!
sounds delicious <3 definitely gonna give it a try some time soon
thank you!
This is -literally- the best Mac and Cheese I’ve ever had. By far, hands down and so forth. Wow.
Had it on a sandwich with a homemade Juicy Lucy- woooooooow.
THANK YOU! xoxoxo
This sounds so good. Is is possible to make in a crock pot? If all you do is bring milk to a boil, then let noodles cook, could they be finished in the crock pot? Just curious.
Hi Susan,
We don’t have a crockpot at home, so don’t have a great deal of knowledge regarding cooking with them. From what we know that sounds like a feasible plan, but we don’t know if you’ll need to make any adjustments to the quantity of milk. If you try it, we’d love to know how it turns out. Good luck!
I showed my husband this and read the first line. Total fist pump! He was pumped up to join the revolution. This looks good and healthier than most. Thanks for sharing I will be trying it this weekend.
Let me start by saying I love the flavor and creaminess of this mac n’ cheese. I had problem though – my noodles got pasty and didn’t cook well at all. I’m wondering if I turned the heat too low? I will certainly try again.
HI there,
I posted your blog on my foodie page to highlight this amazing recipe. Hope you come check me out and join the page too!
C
I found a link to this recipe on Pinterest, I love this idea for Mac & Cheese and will definitely give it a go, but peoples comments about this recipe’s great shortcut to the bechamel/roux made me think about trying it when I next make tuna mornay! All you’d need to do is add canned tuna & sweetcorn at the end, loving the one pot dish!
Tried this recipe tonight, it was delicious! I changed quite a few things though. First, I used whole wheat shells because I don’t often buy macaroni and didn’t have any in the kitchen. I used Cheddar and Parmesan cheese and also added a little bit of turmeric and frozen peas. I saw a recipe that had tuna and peas with mac and cheese that looked tasty, but I had no tuna so I thought I would still add the peas. Overall, it was fantastic. Standing over the pot for a while was tedious but well worth it! Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so sorry to say that I would not recommend making this! I thought it looked amazing, so I did it for the first time for some friends coming over, and I was embarrassed–i was so so stodgy and starchy. There may be a way to change this?, but I did follow the recipe to the best of my ability. I agree with another commenter that it may be best to just do the noodles separately so they don’t become a clump. I think it’s the starch in the pasta that becomes what the flour is in a roux.
I made this today and my sauce didn’t turn out quite as creamy/smooth as I expected. It was a bit grainy but overall still tasted good and my son loved it – ate his whole portion! I used whole wheat shells and was concerned there wouldn’t be enough liquid but they cooked up just fine! I didn’t put in the mustard powder but I doubt that was the issue with my sauce. Do you think it makes a difference if you use pre-shredded cheese vs. shredding your own?
Hi Sara. It sounds like the cheese was the culprit. All cheeses melt differently, giving you a different texture for the sauce. Especially many pre-shredded cheddar cheeses. If you melt them too fast, the oils will separate from the curds giving you a grainy texture. Try either cooking on lower temperature or a different cheese. Good luck.
Sara-
Sometimes preshredded cheese has been tossed with something to keep them from sticking. I have had a simular problem using it for Fondue. Try a slower and lower melt, that may help. Good Luck!!
I too found this to be a lumpy, sticky mess. I wish now that I had read through all of the comments before I made it. It would have been helpful to know that you don’t stir it until the end.
I’m an 8th grade family & consumer sciences teacher (home ec, for those of us over the age of 30) and I’m always looking for healthier versions of foods that my students love (lots of them are not very adventurous eaters yet). This one is perfect! I used small whole wheat elbows, skim milk, no butter, 1 c. extra sharp cheddar, and the exact seasonings in the original recipe. It was rich, creamy, and smooth. I personally thought it was a little TOO rich and will cut back the cheese to 3/4 c. I did have to add about 6 T. of water during cooking. So happy they don’t have to make a roux – any time I’ve had them try anything with a roux in the past about half of them won’t cook it long enough and it just tastes like flour – yuck!
I second Steve. This sauce recipe (skim milk, shredded cheese, salt, mustard powder, nutmeg) is simple and great, but cooking the noodles in the pre-cheese milk mixture results in a ton of clumpy starch and mushy pasta, even after rinsing. You will have much better results simply making the cheese sauce in one pot and cooking the noodles in the other. Yeah, you don’t get the fun novelty of being able to say “I cooked this all in ONE pot… no draining or anything!” but your results are so much better. Reduce the milk by at least half, cook the sauce in one pot (and you won’t even need to make a roux, at least if you’re trying to go for the creamy, gooey stovetop style mac n’ cheese) and then add the cooked pasta later. So, so much better. But a lot can be learned from a recipe like this… it’s got some great “essentials”!
Thanks so much for this fabulous recipe! It was a cold and rainy day here and this was the perfect meal for tonight. I made it with almond milk and it still turned out creamy, cheesy and delicious!
I cannot wait too try this!!! I have 2 boys that love mac and cheese and have given up on anything that comes in a box (unless it is crackers). I have been the on craving Mac & Cheese lately with the weather turning. Cant wait to make this for dinner tomorrow.
This was a great recipe! Not starchy… not sticky… not lumpy. just perfect!
Dear Diane and Todd,
I tried this recipe last night and it is fantastic! I even used accidentally-purchased 2% american cheese deli slices, quite possibly the most disgusting product, and it turned out great. It was creamy, melted cheese dip over pasta. I will be making this repeatedly, in countless variations. Thank you so much for sharing! Seriously. Loved every bite and can’t wait to make it again.
Thank you so much! This is delicious! I used a little more milk than called for and cheddar cheese. It was heavenly and I will certainly make again. I added some boiled chopped carrots towards the end so I could feel less guilty!
I am going to give this a try with almond milk as I’m lactose intolerant! I bet it will be delish!!!
If I do this I can handle the cheese called for.
Thanks, no more heating up the house during the summer.
Super awesome and easy technique! I modified it to make buffalo chicken mac and cheese and it turned out really good. It was a little bland before I added the buffalo chicken because i just used mild cheddar, so I recommend using a stronger cheese or a variety of cheeses than what I used. Otherwise, it was super creamy and delicious!
Delicious recipe! I found it on Pinterest and had to try it. One pot = one happy Momma at clean up time. I cooked it with whole milk (that’s what we have around the house) and skipped the butter and it turned out soooo creamy. I added some extra cheese – I love cheese – and was pleased, along with my little one with the ultimate oooey gooey cheesy creamy results. I would suggest to follow the directions and “stir, stir, stir” I didn’t have any problems with burning at the bottom and I tested my noodles as they cooked. I am a snob when it comes to noodles and insist that they be al dente. I kept testing as I went and finished cooking the dish about 5 minutes early so I didn’t have soggy noodles. The one thing that I will change when I make it again is less salt (I’m not a big salter and a whole tsp was a little too much for me) and I like stirring in some pureed butternut squash to add in some vitamins.
Thanks for sharing a keeper of a recipe!
I made this a few nights ago with white cheddar cheese and “cavetappi” pasta. It took a little extra milk, just cus of the oddly shaped noodles I think. They have lots of surface area haha. It was like a revalation, how creamy it was! However… It cooled off pretty quickly and the cheese started solidifying a bit. The cheese sauce texture turned to kind of like mashed potatoes? Not the taste, just the texture. I’m not sure how well this recipe would reheat. It was delicious, but not something i would make often just because of the amount of time spent standing and stirring.
Emily- thank you for your comment! The type of pasta will definitely change the texture of the pasta and how much milk it will require. Thicker, longer cooking pasta might even require double the milk.
This is hands-down the best Mac-n-Cheese recipe I have ever cooked! I’ve made it twice, and both times it was perfection. So very easy, I can’t believe I’ve been making anything else before now.
Thank you so much for sharing the recipe, and for your beautiful blog. It’s an absolute joy to browse your recipes, read your stories, and feel your love for food.
Oh my word! This recipe is so good! I made it last night with almond milk, and the taste was fantastic!! It was beyond easy to make, and the taste is out of this world! I used the smallest elbow macaroni I could find and a combo of pepper jack, colby jack and cheddar cheeses. Fantastic! This is definitely going to be my go to macaroni and cheese recipe from now on. Thank you!!
Looking forward to trying this!
I found this recipe to be soggy, startchy and rather bland. Cooking the pasta in another pot will definitly improve things and I will give it another try later. Great concept just not to my taste,
I can’t wait to give this a try! I am with you on the trying it with Blue Cheese! Actually, TGIFriday’s had a 5 cheese macaroni and cheese for awhile that was awesome! It had Fontina, Blue, Gruyere, White Cheddar & Parmesan cheeses, which I’m betting would be awesome in this recipe as well!
I tried it with a common gratin cheese mix – the result was DELICIOUS!
I did add a bit of water at the end to really COOK the pasta, just cooking in milk the pasta was a bit too chewy. Finishing touch with some ham and mushrooms.
Will try this with blue cheese or any other strongly flavoured cheese too!
I usually read the reviews before making a recipe, so I can learn from other’s mistakes. I was in a hurry and didn’t take the time, so of course, I made several. I only had rigatoni and I think those noodles are just too big, it was starchy and pasty. I also think I might have turned the heat down too soon. All the milk was not absorbed and I couldn’t get the cheese to melt. I also had to double the cheese to get any flavor (mild cheddar). I ended up putting the whole mess in a casserole pan and sticking it in the oven to get the cheese melted. I think it will be a great recipe if I can get my own snafus worked out. I plan to try it again as my family loves Mac and Cheese. Thanks for the recipe.
My daughter is dairy-free but I wanted to try this for her using her special milk and cheese! It worked out great! I halved the recipe and used coconut milk. For the cheese, I used Daiya cheese. I could have used more milk a little longer cooking time – we were just eager to try it out! My daughter said, “I love it!” and that is high praise for my pickiest eater!
This is incredible!! I am the sweet person at holiday meals, because I am not good at sides or appetizers. You gave a recipe that I can take and be confident about and feel like the adult I am. Now I have to figure out how to travel a half hour with it??
Found this gem on Pinterest – it’s making the rounds! Bulked it up with spinach and it was a hit. Even my 11-month old loved it.
Thanks!
I was a little nervous at first, but it turned out great! I’d love to know if you have tried this in the crockpot!
I made this recipe minus the nutmeg and mustard powder, because im a college student and didnt have any in my apartment, plus garlic salt and it was delicious! i also used soy milk instead of regular milk and i think it made it creamier. I highly recommend this!
This recipe inspired me to finally crack the gluten/lactose-free mac n cheese I’ve been longing for. Without any flour to contend with, I successfully substituted my favorite, organic lactose free milk. Luckily, for me, I can tolerate some low lactose cheeses. I used a combination of cheddar, parmesan and emmental. Overall, this was a complete success proven by my “gluten-full” husband gobbling every last morsel. This will most definitely be a favorite in our recipe book.
Advice: It was a rather sweet tasting dish. Can you suggest how to have a more savoury/spicy outcome?
Thank you.
I just made this dish. Very cheese and taste great!!!
I found this recipe on Pinterest and wrote about it here. It was definately the creamiest mac n cheese, but I used colby and cheddar and it tasted kind of bland. I think it must need a really strong sharp flavored cheese. So don’t be like me! Use cheese with lots of flavor!
MrsBlocko- thank you for the input about the cheese. Cheese varies so much in terms of flavor and saltiness. Hopefully future makers will read your comment and use a flavorful cheese.
it seemed like it was going to be good…but it wasn’t.
I made this with gluten-free pasta, mature cheddar and full-fat milk (that’s all we had). It was simple and delicious, but I do agree that it was a wee bit bland – which is absolutely unsuprising considering it is macaroni and cheese – I added a touch more salt and pepper, and my husband and I topped ours with hot sauce and the kids had ketchup, as is traditional in our house. We were all happy and full and not left with the mountain of dishes that Mac and Cheese night usually heralds.
Thanks for going through the trouble of inventing the recipe and then photographing it and sharing it with all of us!
We made this last night and it was absolutely delicious. Used cheddar and monterey jack, can’t wait to make it again, yum!
I’ve been looking for this kind of recipe so long. I didnt own a oven or any fancy cooking appl.that makes life easier, just a stove. I loved mac n cheese that have it once a week over my fave joint, expensive though.
This recipe calls for the pasta to rinse then put with the milk on a pot and cook slowly. This why the pasta comes out soggy and clumpy. Immediately after being cold wet the pasta starts to breakdown/melt also while stirring. This starch is what makes the milk dries up quick leaving the pasta stil uncooked.
As per package says to boil water before adding pasta,then lower heat. So, either milk or water, the liquid should be hot enough for so the pasta surface will cook as soon.
I followed the recipe twice. But on the 3rd what I did instead of rince I blanched,then add on the simmering milk and cook slowly as the recipe rquires. I used cheese spread and cream cheese and filled cheese. Really dont hav knowlge about cheeses,those youre saying are hard to find and way too expensive here. still got yummy thumbsup with my kids. Thanks so much.
I made this yesterday, and it was amazing…hands down the best mac n’ cheese I’ve ever made. These are my modifications: I doubled the recipe for my 3 boys, using bowtie noodles instead of macaroni noodles. I used 3 TB unsalted butter. I used a mix of the following cheeses: 1 cup TJ’s shredded mexican blend, 1/3 cup shredded havarti, 1/3 cup shredded romano, 1/3 cup shredded parmesan. I did end up needing to add some water to get the noodles cooked, and I added a little at a time, stirring constantly until the noodles were cooked. Lastly, I also steamed and pureed 1 cup of cauliflower and mixed it in with the cheese. My family had no idea until I told them, and they loved it.
I forgot to add that I left out the mustard powder and nutmeg and added garlic powder.
Just made this using American cheese. Next time I think I will leave out the nutmeg because it was a little overpowering, but I might have used too much! I also added Sriracha (hot chili sauce) at the end, and it was sooo good!
I tried this tonight, but I can’t get over how SALTY it is. I like salt, but this is so salty, it’s almost inedible. I read and reread, I used the 1 tsp of salt in the recipe, and that is it, I’m not sure why it came out so bad.
I made this tonight using medium macaroni noodles with ridges, 2% organic milk, a little squirt of grey poupon because I had no mustard powder, sharp cheddar, and goat cheese. I toasted parmesan bread crumbs and made a topping with those, bacon, and parsley. I did end up having to add about an extra 1/3 C of milk because my noodles absorbed the first 2 cups very quickly, but they were still done and tender well before 20 minutes. This dish turned out phenomenally. The goat cheese really sealed the deal. It melts extremely well, and has a good strong flavor. The zing of the sharp cheddar reminded us that this was, in fact, mac & cheese and gave the sauce a creamy yellow color. My only criticism is that if you’re serving this as a main dish, rather than a side, it seems like the recipe might need to be doubled. My husband and I easily put away what’s recommended as 3-4 servings by ourselves.
In response to Sarah Paige, it might be your organic, lactose-free milk that gave your dish a sweet taste. I’ve found that organic milk tends to be quite a bit sweeter than regular milk. I read once that it has to do with the UHT pasteurization method used for organic milk. The high pasteurization temperatures bring out more of the milk sugars, or something.
Rachel- thank you for the valuable input regarding the use of organic, lactose-free milk. This can definitely change the flavor and/or consistency of the macaroni and cheese recipe.
Wow! That was soooo easy & turned out delicious! It’ll definitely be a repeat in our household
It tasted good but took over an hour before the noodles cooked in the milk. If I make this again I will precook the macaroni somewhat.
Great concept! Thanks for sharing the recipe. Made it tonight and loved it! Even before adding the cheddar, it was tasty – almost like alfredo sauce. It does get too thick very quickly, so it might be challenging to take to a potluck or something. But if you’re just going to eat it right away, it’s amazing!
Some ideas: 1) I warmed the milk (until the butter melted) before adding the pasta, and I think that helped with the sogginess, as another poster suggested. 2) I added sour cream at the very end and that thinned it some while adding a nice flavor.
Thanks again!
Made this tonight with light soy milk, shredded cheddar, no butter and ‘smart taste’ macaroni and it came out great! I was worried about the soy milk but it is completely fine as long as you’ve had soy milk before and know the flavor. Thanks for such a great twist on my favorite meal!
wow this is amazing! i’m a HUGE mac and cheese fan-but always from scratch. i’ve been making a rue for so long to get the best texture. your recipe has replace my stand by
This was way too salty, I’ll try it again and wait to add salt to taste at the end. Thanks for the recipe!
Made this tonight after finding it on Pinterest. I tripled the recipe, to use up an entire bag of noodles (I thought I was going to double it, but I measured out the rinsed pasta with a dry measuring cup, and found the 16oz of shells was a full 6 cups, so increased the milk & other ingredients accordingly), and it did turn out a bit soggy, but nothing too bad. I was making what my family calls ‘tuna glop’ (mac & cheese with tuna and peas) anyway, so being a bit gloppy was no problem.
I checked the pasta as it cooked, and it seemed about done before all the milk was absorbed, but I knew I’d be adding more stuff, so that worked for me. When the pasta was ready, I added about 3 cups of shredded mild cheddar and stirred to melt it. Then I turned off the heat and added about 2 cups of frozen peas (still-frozen) and 2 cans of drained tuna.
My 6-year-old and husband loved it, and I enjoyed it as well. Thanks for the recipe!
thanks for sharing. made this tonight. i made it as per your instructions. i did need to add another 1/2 cup of milk. i left out mustard and added a little too much nutmeg, but the result was awesome. i stirred it constantly. my dh said that it is the richest mac and cheese he has ever eaten. my girls loved it. thanks again!