This stovetop mac and cheese is a one pot dish of tender macaroni in an ultra creamy cheese sauce. The best macaroni and cheese recipe!
After you try this homemade one pot mac and cheese, you’ll never turn to the boxed version again. Serve your mac and cheese with roasted broccoli or glazed carrots for a complete meal.
There’s nothing better than homemade mac and cheese, and there are so many different ways to prepare it. I have a really great slow cooker mac and cheese that the family loves, but when we want dinner in a hurry, I turn to this stovetop mac and cheese recipe.
How do you make stovetop mac and cheese?
The great thing about this stovetop macaroni and cheese is that it can be cooked in a single pot. The pasta is simmered with milk and seasonings under tender, and then a ton of cheese gets stirred in and everything cooks until it’s smooth and melted.
I use regular elbow macaroni for this recipe. You can really use any short type of pasta, but be aware that the cook time may need to be adjusted.
What is the best cheese to use for macaroni and cheese?
Cheddar cheese is my favorite choice for macaroni and cheese. It’s flavorful, melts great and gives the mac and cheese its traditional orange color. That being said, make sure you’re using a regular mild, medium or sharp cheddar cheese and not a cheddar cheese that’s extra sharp or aged. The aged cheeses can separate when melted and you won’t get a smooth and silky sauce. I often add in small amounts of other types of cheese for extra flavor, like parmesan, jack cheese or mozzarella. For this recipe, I’ve added some mozzarella because I love the creamy flavor it adds to this dish.
What can you add to mac and cheese to make it better?
I am a purist, and I love my mac and cheese simply with the noodles and cheese sauce, with a little parsley for garnish. But there are countless ways to dress up your macaroni and cheese. Some suggestions are:
- Crumbled bacon
- Grilled chicken
- Fresh herbs
- Broccoli
- Hot Sauce
- Jalapenos
What spices go well with mac and cheese?
Spices are a great way to accentuate the flavor of the cheese sauce. I typically add salt, freshly ground black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and smoked paprika to my macaroni and cheese. You could also use regular paprika, cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper, garlic salt, or chili powder.
What goes with mac and cheese?
I typically serve this stovetop mac and cheese as a side dish, but my kids often eat it as a main course! Here are some entree and side dish suggestions to go with your mac and cheese.
- Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
- Brown Sugar Pork Chops
- Baked Lemon Chicken
- Honey Roasted Carrots
- Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
- Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
Stovetop Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups water
- 3 1/2 cups milk
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the flour, then whisk until combined, about 30 seconds.
- Pour in the water and whisk until smooth and just thickened.
- Add the milk and whisk until combined.
- Stir in the macaroni, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika and pepper, then bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is done.
- Turn the heat to low, then stir in the cheeses. Keep stirring until the sauce is smooth. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
tamara says
May 12, 2019 at 11:54 amI substituted rotini for the macaroni in this recipe, and even though I increased the cooking time of the pasta by 2 minutes, the pasta was still very undercooked. I highly recommend adding several minutes of cooking time for any pasta larger that macaroni. The sauce, however, was great, the blend of cheeses creates a wonderful creaminess that does not come with many homemade mac and cheese recipes.
Portia says
April 19, 2019 at 2:53 pmCan this be made a day ahead and reheated the next day or will it get a little dry?
Sara says
April 19, 2019 at 8:16 pmThis mac and cheese will firm up quite a bit when it’s cooled. I would recommend reheating it on the stove over low heat, then add a little milk or cream to thin the sauce back out.
Deon says
April 4, 2019 at 2:02 pmI made this dish and it’s super tasty and sooo delicious thank you so much!
Jillian says
April 3, 2019 at 4:28 pmDelicious!! Thanks for this recipe! I modified it slightly, based on the ingredients I had on hand. It turned out so creamy and so yummy!
Shannon says
March 19, 2019 at 12:39 pmI look a LOT and have never had good luck with cheese sauces. This is such a game changer! Cooking the pasta in the sauce is so smart! I didn’t realize that perfectly smooth texture was even possible for a homemade cheese sauce. Thank you so much!
Sara says
March 19, 2019 at 2:14 pmSo glad you enjoyed it, I really appreciate you reporting back!
Molly says
March 11, 2019 at 4:16 amGood , solid recipe. The sauce always comes out right for me and I like how the recipe actually seasons the sauce , rather than just adding cheese. I added a bit of Worcestershire to mine and it was really good. I also used shells one of the times I made it and I think next time it would be better to boil the noodles separately then add them because the sauce was cooking out of the pot before the noodles were fully cooked but I think that’s because I used shells instead of elbow macaroni .
Renae McNeil says
March 10, 2019 at 1:33 pmMy husband is a picky eater. He loves everything I’ve made with your recipes. Thank you so much for sharing!!! I can’t wait to see you post next!! Thanks again!!
Sara says
March 10, 2019 at 2:18 pmSo happy to hear he’s enjoying the recipes!! Thank you for following along!
Preston Simmons says
February 23, 2019 at 12:16 pmHello, could you still bake this recipe?
Sara says
February 23, 2019 at 11:02 pmYou could bake it at the end after it’s cooked through?
Kim says
February 17, 2019 at 7:03 amI usually make Ruth Reichl’s baked mac n cheese or some variant, but wanted a stove top version that’s quicker/ or geared for kids…this worked great! It’s so cheesy and creamy since the the pasta releases the starches in the actual sauce, that really makes the dish!
Sara says
February 17, 2019 at 9:04 amSo glad to hear you enjoyed it, thanks for coming back to comment!
Cream says
February 17, 2019 at 4:53 amThis was my first time making homemade mac & cheese and it came out great; super easy and delicious. The only issue was I should have read the serving information, because I did the full recipe for only my wife and me and I suspect we will be eating the rest of it over the course of the next week.
Sara says
February 17, 2019 at 9:05 amSo glad to hear you enjoyed it, thanks for coming back to comment!
Shareka says
February 6, 2019 at 3:30 pmI usually do baked mac but was in a hurry. The kids loved it!!
Im picky and I loved it.
Thanks
Sara says
February 6, 2019 at 9:25 pmSo happy to hear you enjoyed it, thank you for reporting back!
JamieGA says
December 25, 2018 at 2:14 pmMy son requested stovetop mac and cheese for Christmas dinner, being I usually only do the baked style. I did a quick Google search and after reading ingredient list decided to try your recipe. My whole family loved it and had seconds. I may never go back to backed again!!! I followed to a t using a combo of sharp cheddar and pepper jack. Thanks for such a great recipe!
Sara says
December 26, 2018 at 8:19 amI’m so happy to hear everyone enjoyed the mac and cheese, I hope you had a great Christmas!
Jennifer Hannaberry says
October 18, 2018 at 7:34 amThank you for the recipe. My son loves mac and cheese and he only eats this particular frozen brand or in a particular restaurant. I made these last night, and he loved it. He said, “Mama, this is the best mac and cheese ever and healthier because you don’t have to buy the frozen ones.”
Sara says
October 18, 2018 at 7:11 pmI’m so happy to hear he enjoyed it! My kids love this one too!
Tellz says
October 8, 2018 at 7:10 pmThis turned out so good! My little one loved it! I should add that I ran out of milk, so i added 1 cup of buttermilk to make up the 3 1/2 cups of milk. It was so creamy. We had it with oven baked chicken and broccoli!
Sara says
October 8, 2018 at 9:28 pmSo glad you enjoyed it!
Debbie says
May 7, 2018 at 7:21 pmOh yummy! I love the edea of the toppings!
Laura Dove says
April 27, 2018 at 11:40 amYUM! Macaroni cheese is my kids favourite meal if all time! I love this version, I will try it!
Debra Hawkins says
April 26, 2018 at 7:46 pmMac and Cheese is one of my absolute favorite foods! I am always trying new versions. Adding this one to my menu next week!
Ricci says
April 26, 2018 at 6:53 pmAs much as I LOVE Mac and cheese I have never made it homemade before. That’s just a SHAME!! I need to try this recipe ASAP!!
Heather says
April 26, 2018 at 8:07 amYum! That mac and cheese does sound fantastic. My kids love adding peas to theirs, but like you I don’t need anything other than cheesy goodness in mine.
Trina says
April 25, 2018 at 7:58 pmMy kids could live off nothing but mac and cheese, but it gets old for us adults so I am always looking for new twists on our recipe. I will be making this for sure!