Straightforward Stovetop Mac and Cheese

Mac and cheese is our favourite consolation meals. And whereas we love the nostalgia of that orange mac n cheese in a blue field, typically you need the true deal. Our recipe is made with actual cheese, and it doesn’t that rather more work than making it from a field! We promise, it’s value it!

Make it a meal and serve with these scrumptious Crockpot Ribs and a few Coleslaw.

Why My Recipe

Takes only a few extra minutes than the boxed stuff—and tastes 100 instances higher.
Made with actual cheese for an excellent creamy, flavorful sauce.
Stick to sharp cheddar or combine it up along with your favourite cheeses.

An overhead image of creamy Easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese in a cast iron pan.

This recipe is ideal for busy weeknights, choosy eaters, or anybody who simply desires a bowl of basic mac and cheese made proper. Sharp cheddar provides you that basic taste, however you may also mess around with different cheeses relying on what’s in your fridge. It’s quick, straightforward, and far more scrumptious than something that comes from a field.

Ingredient Notes

Ingredients for Easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese.

Elbow Macaroni: Basic and dependable, however you may swap in shells, cavatappi, penne, or some other related small pasta form.
Salted Butter: If utilizing unsalted butter, simply add an additional pinch of salt to the sauce.
All-Objective Flour: This helps thicken the cheese sauce. You’ll want to whisk it nicely with the butter to keep away from any lumps.
Onion Powder: Provides taste with out precise onions. Don’t skip it. It makes a distinction.
Floor Mustard: This enhances the cheese taste. You need to use 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard as a substitute.
Salt: Begin with 1 teaspoon and alter to style after including the cheese.
White Pepper: Retains the sauce wanting easy with out black flecks, however you should use black pepper whether it is what you’ve gotten.
Milk: Complete milk provides the creamiest consequence, however 2% or 1% nonetheless works nice.
Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese: Freshly shredded melts greatest. See our cheese swap notice for extra concepts.

Utilizing Pre-Shredded Cheese

We get it, typically grabbing a bag of pre-shredded cheese is simply simpler. And sure, it would work on this recipe! Simply know that pre-shredded cheeses are coated with anti-clumping brokers like potato starch, cellulose, or natamycin. These components can mess a bit with how easily the cheese melts, so your sauce won’t end up fairly as silky.

For the creamiest, dreamiest mac and cheese, freshly shredded cheese is the way in which to go. But when pre-shredded is what you’ve received, go forward and use it. Your mac and cheese will nonetheless be scrumptious.

Different Cheese Choices

Sharp cheddar is a basic for a motive, however you don’t must cease there. This recipe works with all types of cheese, so be happy to get artistic along with your cheese decisions. Simply follow ones that soften nicely. Nobody desires a bizarre, clumpy sauce.

Gouda, gruyère, fontina, provolone, and mozzarella are all nice choices. Even brie or goat cheese can work if you wish to be fancy. Need to follow cheddar however change it up? Attempt a pointy white cheddar for one thing just a bit totally different. Combine and match to search out your favourite combo!

After I wish to get actually fancy, considered one of my favourite combos is cheddar, goat cheese, brie, and smoked provolone, which I exploit in my gourmet mac and cheese.

A spoon in a bowl of creamy Easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese.

Chef’s Secret: Scorching Sauce

Right here’s a trick straight from professional cooks. Add a splash of scorching sauce to your cheese sauce. It doesn’t make it spicy, we promise! We’ve served it this strategy to actually tons of of children and we’ve by no means had a criticism about it being spicy. It simply bumps up the cheese taste and makes every thing style somewhat higher.

For this recipe, you may add about 4 dashes of Tabasco or 2 tablespoons of Frank’s Pink Scorching whenever you pour within the milk. It’s a small step that makes a giant distinction, particularly in the event you’re utilizing milder cheeses. Give it a try to you may by no means skip it once more. My children can all the time inform if I do!

Storage & Reheating Directions

Retailer leftovers within the fridge in an hermetic container for as much as 4 days. Be sure it’s absolutely cooled earlier than sealing it up.

Reheat in a saucepan on the range over low warmth till heated by way of. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk to a serving to deliver again some creaminess.

Reheat within the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in between to assist it warmth evenly. You’ll be able to add 1 tablespoon of milk to a serving to assist deliver again a number of the creaminess.

Extra mac and cheese goodness…

Watch the video under the place Rachel will stroll you thru each step of this recipe. Typically it helps to have a visible, and we’ve all the time received you lined with our cooking present. You will discover the entire assortment of recipes on YouTube, our Facebook Page, or proper right here on our web site with their corresponding recipes.

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