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Stove top mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food! This macaroni dish is cooked right in a creamy sauce and finished off with grated sharp cheddar. All of this magic happens in one pot, so no extra dishes needed! Say bye to boxed mac and cheese, because the moment you have this, you will never go back.
It’s the perfect side dish next to crispy air fryer chicken tenders, a pan of cheesy pull-apart garlic bread, or a slice of small batch cornbread.
Homemade one-pot mac and cheese, the ultimate American comfort food! Can you believe I never had mac and cheese until I moved here?
Actually, I tried the boxed mac and cheese my aunt brought with her to Algeria and fell in love immediately. So you can imagine how mind-blown I was when I tried the real thing after moving here. Of course, after that, I had to learn how to make it at home, because a girl just gotta satisfy her cravings quickly when they hit!
That’s how this recipe came about. It’s an easy recipe made on the stove top in less than 30 minutes, perfect for someone who had just moved to America. Years later, I still love it, and it works for everything from weeknight dinners to family cookouts, Thanksgiving, and Christmas dinner. For an easy meal, serve it with my juicy air fryer chicken breast, or browse all my pasta recipes for more ideas.
Why This Recipe Works
- One pot. The pasta cooks right in the sauce, so there’s no draining and no extra dishes.
- Ready in under 30 minutes. It’s an easy weeknight recipe.
- Extra creamy. Milk and a splash of heavy cream make a silky sauce that coats every noodle.
- The perfect side dish. It goes with everything, and it pairs especially well with a Starbucks grilled cheese copycat on a cozy night in.
- So versatile. Swap the cheese, add mix-ins, or bake it with a crunchy topping.
Key Ingredients
- Macaroni pasta: I keep it classic with elbow pasta, but any small pasta works, like penne or shells. Leftover elbows are perfect for my tuna pasta salad.
- Milk and heavy cream: Use whole or 2% milk. The heavy cream keeps the mac and cheese extra creamy.
- Sharp cheddar: The sharper the better for the most flavor. Grab a block and grate it yourself, since most pre-shredded cheeses have an anti-caking coating that affects the texture.
- Nutmeg and ground mustard: Optional, but this is how my family likes it. A tiny pinch of each makes the cheese taste cheesier.
Butter, flour, water, salt, and pepper round it out. Full ingredient amounts are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Substitutions and Variations
- Protein mix-ins: Stir in grilled chicken, cooked shrimp, or crispy bacon.
- Veggie mix-ins: Roasted veggies, caramelized onions, or sauteed mushrooms all work.
- Buffalo mac: Swirl in a few spoonfuls of buffalo sauce for a spicy kick.
- Chili mac: Turn it into a hearty one-pot dinner, like this chili mac.
- Lighter version: Some cooks blend silken tofu into the sauce for extra protein. You’ll find a protein mac and cheese like that in my silken tofu recipes roundup.
How to Make Stove Top Mac and Cheese
- Melt the butter. Melt it in a large pot over medium heat. I use my Le Creuset Dutch oven.
- Cook the flour. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute to make a smooth roux.
- Add the water. Pour in the water and cook for about 2 minutes, until the mixture thickens slightly.
- Pour in the milk and cream. Stir until smooth.
- Add the pasta and seasonings. Stir in the dry macaroni, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and ground mustard, bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer.
- Simmer the pasta. Cook for 9 to 10 minutes, stirring often so the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Add the cheese. Take the pot off the heat, then add the shredded cheddar.
- Stir and serve. Stir until the sauce is smooth and creamy, then serve right away.
Expert Tips
- Shred your own cheese. Pre-shredded cheese has an anti-caking coating that can make the sauce grainy.
- Add the cheese off the heat. It melts smoothly instead of turning stringy or oily.
- Stir often. Since the pasta cooks in the milk, frequent stirring keeps it from sticking and helps it cook evenly.
- Stick to small noodles. Elbows, small shells, or penne cook in the same time as this recipe.
- Serve it right away. The sauce thickens as it sits, so add a splash of milk if it gets too thick.
Stove Top Mac and Cheese FAQs
Yes and no. Most store-bought shredded cheeses have additives like potato starch or powdered cellulose to keep them from clumping, and those affect how smooth your stove top mac and cheese turns out. It’s best to grate a block yourself, though I’ve made it both ways and it still tastes amazing.
Absolutely. Traditional stove top mac and cheese uses sharp cheddar, but gouda, gruyere, mimolette, fontina, mozzarella, and asiago are all great options, alone or in a combination. Just make sure you pick a cheese that melts well.
You definitely can. Top your stove top mac and cheese with buttery toasted breadcrumbs and bake it at 350°F for 10 to 15 minutes, then serve.
Store leftover stove top mac and cheese in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing it, since freezing changes the texture of the sauce completely.
Yes! Reheat stove top mac and cheese in the microwave or on the stove over low heat. Stir in a few spoonfuls of milk first to bring back that luscious, creamy texture.
More Comfort Food Favorites
If you made this Stove Top Mac and Cheese, tell me which cheese you used! Leave a ⭐ star rating and a comment below. I love hearing from you!
The best Stove top mac and cheese EVER!
Ingredients
- 8 oz dry pasta
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 & 1/2 tbsp flour
- 1 1/2 cup water
- 2 & 1/4 cup 2% milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg optional
- 1/8 tsp ground mustard optional
- 1 cup sharp shredded cheese
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat then add in the flour and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in the water, and cook on medium heat until the mixture thickens slightly. This will take about 2 minutes.
- Add in the milk and heavy cream, stir to combine then add in the macaroni pasta, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and ground mustard. Give it a quick stir and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to simmer.
- Cook the pasta in the milk mixture for 9-10 minutes, making sure to stir often to keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Remove the pot from the heat and add in the shredded cheese, stir until the sauce is smooth and creamy then serve immediately!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
