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 price 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 instances higher.
Made with actual cheese for a brilliant creamy, flavorful sauce.
Keep on 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 traditional mac and cheese made proper. Sharp cheddar provides you that traditional taste, however you may as well mess around with different cheeses relying on what’s in your fridge. It’s quick, simple, and far more scrumptious than something that comes from a field.

Ingredient Notes

Ingredients for Easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese.

Elbow Macaroni: Traditional 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-Function Flour: This helps thicken the cheese sauce. Be sure you 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 modify to style after including the cheese.
White Pepper: Retains the sauce trying clean with out black flecks, however you should utilize black pepper whether it is what you’ve gotten.
Milk: Complete milk provides the creamiest end result, however 2% or 1% nonetheless works nice.
Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese: Freshly shredded melts greatest. See our cheese swap observe for extra concepts.

Utilizing Pre-Shredded Cheese

We get it, generally grabbing a bag of pre-shredded cheese is simply simpler. And sure, it should 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 prove fairly as silky.

For the creamiest, dreamiest mac and cheese, freshly shredded cheese is the best way 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 traditional for a purpose, however you don’t must cease there. This recipe works with all kinds of cheese, so be at liberty to get artistic together with your cheese selections. Simply stick to 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. Wish to stick to cheddar however change it up? Strive a pointy white cheddar for one thing just a bit completely different. Combine and match to seek out your favourite combo!

Once I need to get actually fancy, one in every of my favourite mixtures is cheddar, goat cheese, brie, and smoked provolone, which I take advantage of 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 touch of scorching sauce to your cheese sauce. It doesn’t make it spicy, we promise! We’ve served it this technique to actually tons 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 little thing style a little bit higher.

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