Stovetop Mac and Cheese
The easiest creamy Stovetop Mac and Cheese recipe is ready for the table in just 20 minutes!
Course Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword creamy stovetop mac and cheese, easy mac and cheese, stovetop mac and cheese
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings
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people
Calories 414.3 kcal
Author Blair
Ingredients
list of 10 items
16 ounces elbow macaroni
¼ cup salted butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk (2% or whole)
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground mustard
Dash ground nutmeg
Dash of pepper
Optional garnish: dusting of paprika
list end
Instructions
list of 3 items
1. Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions. Drain.
2. In a large Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour; cook, whisking constantly for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk; bring to a boil over
medium heat, whisking constantly.
3. Remove from the heat; gradually whisk in all of the cheese until melted and smooth. Whisk in the salt, ground mustard, nutmeg and pepper. Stir in cooked
pasta and garnish with paprika, if desired.
list end
Recipe Notes
Write list…
• To cut down on the prep time, I like to get the pasta boiling while I prepare the rest of the ingredients (such as grating the cheese). Then, as the
pasta finishes cooking, you can whisk together the cheese sauce simultaneously. This way the pasta isn’t sitting around getting cold while you prepare
the sauce, and everything comes together quickly at the end.
• This particular macaroni and cheese is best when served immediately, so I do not recommend preparing the dish in advance.
• It’s important to use a block of cheese that you grate by hand. Do not use pre-shredded cheese in a package, because those packaged shredded cheeses
include a powdery coating with stabilizers that prevent the cheese from melting smoothly.
• The recipe calls for sharp cheddar cheese, but you can use just about any good melting cheese that you prefer (or a combination of more than one type
of cheese). For instance, mild cheddar, gruyere, gouda and fontina would all work well. You can even throw in some (gasp!) American cheese — good old Velveeta!
— if that’s what your family enjoys.
• If you don’t have elbow macaroni on hand, you can substitute with another type of small pasta shape (such as small shells, cavatappi or ditalini).
• I typically use 2% milk since that’s what we keep in the fridge, but you can substitute with whole milk or heavy cream. Just don’t use a lower fat milk
like skim or your sauce won’t have that creamy mouthfeel.
• The ground mustard and the ground mustard are nice “extra” touches that add depth of flavor to the creamy sauce, but they’re certainly not necessary.
You can omit either (or both) of those ingredients if you don’t like them or if you don’t have them on hand.
• It’s important to salt the water before boiling your pasta. This is your chance to season the pasta for a flavorful dish!
• Cooking for a smaller family? You can scale the recipe down to serve just 2 or 4 people. For instance, cut the recipe in half for 4 people, or cut the
ingredients in fourth for 2 people.
• Optional mix-ins: Use this base recipe and add any of your favorite proteins, vegetables or seasonings. For instance, try chicken, shrimp, bacon or ground
beef. You can stir in some peas or steamed broccoli, or season the macaroni with Italian seasoning, Cajun seasoning, or my
all-purpose “house” seasoning.
Nutrition Facts
Stovetop Mac and Cheese
Amount Per Serving (1 /8 of the dish)
Calories 414.3 Calories from Fat 156
% Daily Value*
Fat 17.3g27%
Saturated Fat 10.4g65%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5g
Monounsaturated Fat 4.2g
Cholesterol 50.4mg17%
Sodium 392.5mg17%
Potassium 146.1mg4%
Carbohydrates 49.1g16%
Fiber 2.1g9%
Sugar 4.2g5%
Protein 17g34%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
From the seasoned mom
_._,_._,_
The easiest creamy Stovetop Mac and Cheese recipe is ready for the table in just 20 minutes!
Course Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword creamy stovetop mac and cheese, easy mac and cheese, stovetop mac and cheese
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings
undefined
people
Calories 414.3 kcal
Author Blair
Ingredients
list of 10 items
16 ounces elbow macaroni
¼ cup salted butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk (2% or whole)
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground mustard
Dash ground nutmeg
Dash of pepper
Optional garnish: dusting of paprika
list end
Instructions
list of 3 items
1. Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions. Drain.
2. In a large Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour; cook, whisking constantly for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk; bring to a boil over
medium heat, whisking constantly.
3. Remove from the heat; gradually whisk in all of the cheese until melted and smooth. Whisk in the salt, ground mustard, nutmeg and pepper. Stir in cooked
pasta and garnish with paprika, if desired.
list end
Recipe Notes
Write list…
• To cut down on the prep time, I like to get the pasta boiling while I prepare the rest of the ingredients (such as grating the cheese). Then, as the
pasta finishes cooking, you can whisk together the cheese sauce simultaneously. This way the pasta isn’t sitting around getting cold while you prepare
the sauce, and everything comes together quickly at the end.
• This particular macaroni and cheese is best when served immediately, so I do not recommend preparing the dish in advance.
• It’s important to use a block of cheese that you grate by hand. Do not use pre-shredded cheese in a package, because those packaged shredded cheeses
include a powdery coating with stabilizers that prevent the cheese from melting smoothly.
• The recipe calls for sharp cheddar cheese, but you can use just about any good melting cheese that you prefer (or a combination of more than one type
of cheese). For instance, mild cheddar, gruyere, gouda and fontina would all work well. You can even throw in some (gasp!) American cheese — good old Velveeta!
— if that’s what your family enjoys.
• If you don’t have elbow macaroni on hand, you can substitute with another type of small pasta shape (such as small shells, cavatappi or ditalini).
• I typically use 2% milk since that’s what we keep in the fridge, but you can substitute with whole milk or heavy cream. Just don’t use a lower fat milk
like skim or your sauce won’t have that creamy mouthfeel.
• The ground mustard and the ground mustard are nice “extra” touches that add depth of flavor to the creamy sauce, but they’re certainly not necessary.
You can omit either (or both) of those ingredients if you don’t like them or if you don’t have them on hand.
• It’s important to salt the water before boiling your pasta. This is your chance to season the pasta for a flavorful dish!
• Cooking for a smaller family? You can scale the recipe down to serve just 2 or 4 people. For instance, cut the recipe in half for 4 people, or cut the
ingredients in fourth for 2 people.
• Optional mix-ins: Use this base recipe and add any of your favorite proteins, vegetables or seasonings. For instance, try chicken, shrimp, bacon or ground
beef. You can stir in some peas or steamed broccoli, or season the macaroni with Italian seasoning, Cajun seasoning, or my
all-purpose “house” seasoning.
Nutrition Facts
Stovetop Mac and Cheese
Amount Per Serving (1 /8 of the dish)
Calories 414.3 Calories from Fat 156
% Daily Value*
Fat 17.3g27%
Saturated Fat 10.4g65%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5g
Monounsaturated Fat 4.2g
Cholesterol 50.4mg17%
Sodium 392.5mg17%
Potassium 146.1mg4%
Carbohydrates 49.1g16%
Fiber 2.1g9%
Sugar 4.2g5%
Protein 17g34%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
From the seasoned mom
_._,_._,_
