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, generally you need the actual 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 just some extra minutes than the boxed stuff—and tastes 100 occasions higher.
Made with actual cheese for a brilliant creamy, flavorful sauce.
Persist with sharp cheddar or combine it up together 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 too can 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 another related small pasta form.
Salted Butter: If utilizing unsalted butter, simply add an additional pinch of salt to the sauce.
All-Function Flour: This helps thicken the cheese sauce. You should definitely whisk it effectively 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 an alternative.
Salt: Begin with 1 teaspoon and modify to style after including the cheese.
White Pepper: Retains the sauce wanting clean with out black flecks, however you should utilize black pepper whether it is what you’ve got.
Milk: Complete milk provides the creamiest outcome, however 2% or 1% nonetheless works nice.
Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese: Freshly shredded melts finest. See our cheese swap word for extra concepts.

Utilizing Pre-Shredded Cheese

We get it, generally 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 bought, 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 need to cease there. This recipe works with all kinds of cheese, so be at liberty to get artistic together with your cheese decisions. Simply keep on with ones that soften effectively. 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. Wish to keep on with cheddar however change it up? Strive a pointy white cheddar for one thing just a bit totally different. Combine and match to search out your favourite combo!

After I need to get actually fancy, one in every of my favourite mixtures 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: Sizzling 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 approach to actually lots of of youngsters 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 a bit of higher.

For this recipe, you may add about 4 dashes of Tabasco or 2 tablespoons of Frank’s Crimson Sizzling once you pour within the milk. It’s a small step that makes a giant distinction, particularly in case you’re utilizing milder cheeses. Give it a attempt to you would possibly by no means skip it once more. My youngsters 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. Make sure that it’s totally cooled earlier than sealing it up.

Reheat in a saucepan on the range over low warmth till heated by means 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 may add 1 tablespoon of milk to a serving to assist deliver again among the creaminess.

Extra mac and cheese goodness…

Watch the video beneath 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 bought you coated with our cooking present. You could find the whole assortment of recipes on YouTube, our Facebook Page, or proper right here on our web site with their corresponding recipes.

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