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This Stovetop Mac and Cheese recipe makes the richest, creamiest, smoothest batch of mac and cheese you will ever taste! And it’s so simple! There’s no roux to make, no fancy ingredients, just classic macaroni and cheese made perfectly in one pot! And in less than 30 minutes!
Don’t get me wrong, I love a fancy mac and cheese. Like this spinach artichoke version I’m obsessed with. But! Sometimes you just want a mac and cheese recipe that is so easy and so creamy, it tastes like it came out of the blue box. That is this pasta recipe! The ultimate in homemade mac and cheese!
Ingredients needed for stovetop mac and cheese
That’s it! Seriously! Just a handful of ingredients and you’ll be well on your way to creamy stovetop mac and cheese!
Making macaroni and cheese without a roux
You’ll notice this recipe doesn’t call for any flour, and that’s on purpose.
With this stovetop cooking method and the ratios of ingredients, there is no need to make a roux!
It’s very commonly a base in macaroni, but we don’t need that hassle!
How do you make mac and cheese from scratch on the stove?
This is just a brief overview, find detailed instructions in the recipe card below!
The best cheese for mac and cheese
There is a lot of debate about which cheese is best in mac and cheese. I will always say medium cheddar. It isn’t too sharp (otherwise it would be called sharp, duh), and melts beautifully.
This is because as cheddar cheese ages, the enzymes that are used to make the cheese breakdown more of the fat and protein molecules in the dairy.
This is why mild and medium cheddar cheeses slice and melt so easily and why sharp and extra sharp cheddars are more crumbly. There's less moisture!
Just a note, I forbid you from using pre-shredded, bagged cheese. Using pre-shredded cheese in a cheese sauce is a terrible idea!
The shreds of cheese are coated with anti-clumping agents like cornstarch to prevent the shredded cheese from sticking together. (And no, shredded cheese cannot be rinsed off to wash the anti-clumping agents away.)
Stovetop Mac and Cheese Recipe
Equipment
- Large pot
Ingredients
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni
- 4 ounces medium cheddar cheese shredded
- ½ cup half and half
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add in the dry macaroni noodles and cook according to package instructions until al dente. (This means the noodles aren’t totally soft, but still have some firmness when bitten into.)
- Drain the pasta, reserving some of the pasta water, and return the cooked pasta to the pot. DO NOT RINSE THE PASTA.
- Add the shredded cheese, half and half, and butter to the pot. Mix the macaroni and cheese until smooth, adding a splash of the reserved pasta water if necessary, until the mixture is melted and creamy.
- Season with salt and pepper before serving.
Notes
- To reheat leftover mac and cheese, I just zap it in the microwave with a splash of half and half to smooth out the cheese sauce once more.
Nutrition
Yunix says
What is half and half
Amanda Gajdosik says
Hi Yunix, half and half is a dairy product sold in US grocery stores that is half whole milk and half heavy cream. If you can't purchase that, you can simply use 1/4 cup whole milk and 1/4 cup heavy cream. Thanks!