Super creamy and cheesy Stovetop Mac and Cheese. You are going to love this simple one pot recipe, plus it's a hit with the kids! This awesome Macaroni and Cheese takes less than 20 minutes to make!
Mac and cheese is my kid's all-time favorite food! I mean can you blame them, it's so good! My littlest actually doesn't really love pasta, he is my good eater and could eat fruits and veggies all day long!
If he does eat pasta though it has to be covered in cheese. My oldest, on the other hand, is more of a boy after my heart and loves pasta.
We both could eat it in about any form but covered in cheese is definitely our favorite way to eat it. If you love Mac and Cheese as much as we do then check out my other recipes next.
How to make Stove Top Mac and Cheese?
Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese is a classic recipe that people have been making for years. This recipe is easy to make, and loaded with cheesy creamy goodness.
And as you all know, I love a great recipe that has easy clean up! So yes, this is another great one pot recipe you all will love!
Ingredients:
- Elbow Macaroni
- Butter
- Flour
- Milk (just to taste)
- Cheddar Cheese (shredded)
- Salt
- Pepper
Directions:
Step One - Cook macaroni according to box instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Tip: Try to keep your noodles al dente as they will cook more once mixed in with the cheese.
Step Two - In a large saucepan melt butter on medium/low heat. Add flour and whisk constantly for 1-2 minutes.
Step Three - Slowly mix in milk and smooth. Add more or less milk to get the thickness of the sauce to how you like it.
Simmer for about 5 minutes to thicken still whisking occasionally.
Step Four - Slowly add in cheese about a cup at a time whisking and allowing to melt before adding more. Season cheese sauce with seasoning salt and pepper.
Add cooked macaroni to the saucepan and mix until well combined and all noodles are coated in cheese.
Step Five - Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes to thicken. Serve and enjoy!
What are the best cheeses for Mac and Cheese?
The best cheese for a Macaroni and Cheese honestly is a good Sharp Cheddar. That melted with milk and some salt and pepper makes creamy perfection. There are some other great cheeses for mac and cheese you can use as well!
- Cheddar Cheese is definitely the king of cheeses for Mac and Cheese.
- Gouda Cheese is a nice rich and classy cheese that melts great!
- Cream Cheese is a great addition to add some extra creaminess to your mac and cheese.
- Velveeta. While some people do not think Velveeta is a cheese worth using, it provides an almost perfect melt and coating of your noodles. Not to put him on the spot, but this is my husband's favorite kind of mac and cheese.
Can I use bag shredded cheese for this recipe?
Bagged shredded cheese is not the best option for Macaroni and Cheese.
Bagged shredded cheese usually has additives that help the shelf life of shredded cheese last longer.
You want to use a fresh Cheddar Cheese block and shred it yourself for the best cheese option.
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Stove Top Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound Elbow macaroni
- ½ cup Butter
- ⅓ cup Flour
- 5 cups Milk more or less to taste)
- 4 cups Cheddar cheese (shredded)
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
Instructions
- Cook macaroni according to box instructions. Drain and set aside.
- In a large saucepan melt butter on medium/low heat. Add flour and whisk constantly for 1-2 minutes.
- Slowly mix in milk and smooth. Add more or less milk to get the thickness of the sauce to how you like it. Simmer for about 5 minutes to thicken still whisking occasionally.
- Slowly add in cheese about a cup at a time whisking and allowing to melt before adding more. Season cheese sauce with seasoning salt and pepper. Add cooked macaroni to the saucepan and mix until well combined and all noodles are coated in cheese.
- Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes to thicken. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Had to come back to comment! This was sooo good! My whole family loved it. I put the remaining Mac and cheese in muffin tins and topped them with more shredded cheese and smoked paprika. I broiled them until the tops were brown. Mac and cheese cups! Thank you for sharing!!
Mac and cheese cups sound amazing! Thank you so much for coming back and leaving a comment.
Good stuff! Quick and easy for last minute poolside cookout!
I am looking to make a very large batch, feeding about 50-60 people, would it be ok to use half Velvetta and half cheddar on the cheese? Should I do mild or sharp on the cheddar? Thank you
Honestly, yes that is totally ok. I think sharp cheddar would be better because Velvetta is a more mild flavor already.
I tried to make this, and the cheese broke down to a gritty mess and would not mix into the sauce. I had to throw it all out. I used block cheese vs Shredded, but I've had the same experience with Shredded in the past.
Did you add your cheese all at once? Usually to help the you can add just a little at a time and mix until melted then add in more.
I made this like recipe says and then added 6 slices of deluxe American cheese!! This is a new family favorite!! A little soupy so next time I’ll add less milk, throw some cheese on top and bake in the oven!!
My guys in the family love Mac and cheese burgers, yep the Mac and cheese on their burgers!! This was perfect!!
Can you bake the Mac and cheese once you are done with the stovetop cooking? Just to brown the cheese a little?
You definitely can. I would bake it at 350 for about 10 minutes to brown the top.
This was really easy & my family loved it! I did add a bit more seasoning (dashes of paprika & chili/garlic/onion/mustard powders) while cooking, but that’s just how I roll. I will definitely be making this again. Thanks!
Tried this and was great, reheat was difficult but a little milk helped the sauce thin out.
fantastic. so easy to make and tastes amazing.... thanks
I am so happy to hear you liked it!
I don't have flour do I have to use it
If I don’t have butter, is there something I could use as a substitute?
If you don't have butter you could just skip it. If you would like to substitute it out you can use sour cream, cream cheese, or a little oil.
Can you tell me what size box of elbow noodles you used? Excited to try this!!
Just your standard 16oz box.
Delicious. Will be my go to recipe from now on
Hi, was browsing Google for stovetop mac'n'cheese, and yours looked good - turned out great!! Thanks for the guidance 💕
So happy to hear you like it! Thank you for the review!
Sunday 🏈 , your Mac and cheese, and delicious!
Had extra cheese & used it for nachos 😋😋!!
Oh nice! You put it on top of nachos? That sounds amazing!
I’ve made this recipe a handful of times! I do 2c heavy cream and 3c milk! I looooveeee this recipe so much. Makes perfect stove top Mac and Cheese. Sometimes I like to make buffalo chicken tenders, or I cook bratwurst and serve it with it on top. Super tasty! Thanks 🙂
So glad you like it!
I’ve made this recipe several times, tonight I had three stripes of left over bacon that I chopped super fine, really good!!!
That sounds good!!
Recipe was very good, but I needed to add 1.5 cups of cheese to the recipe. Once I added the extra cheese, it was perfect!
So glad you liked it Lisa! More cheese is always a good thing in my books 😊
Can i make it a day ahead of time?
You sure can! Just allow it to fully cool and place it in a food storage container in the fridge. May need to add up to a 1/2 cup of milk when reheating just to get things moving!