Mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food. Is it because we have fond memories of the Blue Box as a kid? Possibly. Is it the irresistible cheesiness? Most definitely. While the Blue Box was great back in the day, our tastes have matured to move away from the store-bought mac and cheese. If you’ve never had made-from-scratch mac and cheese, you are in for a serious treat. We know parents and kids will agree that the real cheddar cheese in this creamy sauce just can’t be beaten.
Why Our Recipe
- Ready in about 15 minutes (depending on how long it takes you to boil water).
- Can use sharp cheddar or switch things up with other melting cheeses.
White Pepper vs. Black Pepper:
White pepper and black pepper are both the fruit of the pepper plant. They are processed differently which causes the change in color, and end up tasting slightly different. White pepper is hotter than black pepper, but black pepper has a more complex flavor. White pepper tends to have more floral and earthy notes to it.
Pasta Options for Easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese:
Mac and cheese traditionally uses macaroni, but you really can use almost any small, tube-shaped pasta. Cavatappi, shells, farfalle, and penne are all other great pasta options.
Can I use pre-shredded cheese?
Pre-shredded cheeses are mixed with either potato starch, powdered cellulose, and natamycin, or a combination of the three to prevent clumping. These agents have an impact on how the cheese melts. The best mac and cheese uses freshly shredded cheese as it melts better, but pre-shredded cheese can also be used in a pinch. The results may not be as velvety smooth, but it’ll still taste delicious.
More Than Just Cheddar
Classic mac and cheese is made with a good sharp cheddar cheese, but you can also switch things up and use another kind of cheese, or a combination of cheeses. You want to be sure that whatever cheese you use is a good melting cheese. Gouda, brie, provolone, goat cheese, mozzarella, gruyere, fontina, and asiago cheese are all commonly found cheeses that are good for melting. For a fun twist on cheddar, try a sharp white cheddar cheese!
Storage and Reheating Instructions:
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium-low heat until warmed through. You may need to add a scant amount of water to the saucepan to thin out the sauce.
More cheesy pasta…
Creamy Fettuccine Alfredo
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Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta
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Creamy Chicken Tetrazzini
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3 Cheese Chicken Cavatappi
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Watch the video below where we will walk you through every step of the recipe with a video demonstration.
Can you use whole milk? Does it change the consistency if you use whole milk?
Yes you can use whole milk. It adds more fat to the recipe which is always delicious.
I doubled the recipe. It was very good except 3 teaspoons of onion powder was way too much. The onion powder taste drown out all the other flavors. I ended up making a topping out of panko, parmesan cheese and butter and putting that on top. I put it in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. The topping helped with the onion taste and it tasted more like mac and cheese. Everyone really liked it.
Simple recipe, great results
This is the best homemade Mac and cheese I’ve ever made. And the easiest, no fuss. Best texture, perfectly velvety, hit the spot for my Blue Box loving husband. I’m not a huge fan of Mac and cheese and even so, I’m sold on this. Retained just a little, about an 1/8th cup pasta water to help coat it even more. TBH probably didn’t need it, the sauce was just right. Only thing changed was the pasta, used shell as that’s what I had on hand. Thank you for this lovely staple of a recipe, spices are on point which is so important. I also appreciated the conversion thing about, it worked out very well! Thank you!
just made this tonight…so delish! I’ll definitely be making this again. I don’t usually leave reviews but this was so easy and yummy I had to this time!!!
Do I have to use salted butter for this recipe or can I use unsalted?
You can certainly use unsalted butter and then salt to preferential taste.
This was an unexpected treat!!! Needed a quick recipe, literally stumbled on this on, kept my fingers crossed that it wouldn’t be awful…and boom!!! Total success. And my Mac n cheese food critic children agreed!!
This is so simple and delicious! My husband loves it. I use Zenb pasta. The Zenb is only 12 oz but that means extra cheese sauce. Yummy! This cheese sauce would be great as a dipping sauce for French fries or over vegetables… or pretty much anything! It’s so good.
I haven’t tried this recipe yet. It’s very similar to what I’ve been doing for years however.
Make sure you cook out the raw flour taste when making the roux. The roux should be dark blonde to be sure the flour is cooked through, I’d go another minute or two personally. This will add more color to the finished dish too. You can add some dry white wine or broth (1/4 cup) to add some depth once you begin the roux too
As for the cheeses, try sharp white cheddar and gruyere 50-50. It won’t be the color you’ll expect, but the flavors will come together nicely.
My sauce was very watery. I am not a good cook and did something wrong for sure. Can anyone help me please as I want to try it again. Thanks!
You may have not cooked the flour long enough. It does not need to brown but cook and stir it with the butter and spices for about 2-3 minutes. Then add your milk about 1/2 cup at a time and stir with a whisk to get rid of any lumps, keep adding milk and stirring with whisk. Let cook about 5-6 minutes stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens. Then cut off the heat to add the cheese. I used evaporated canned milk and added about 1/2 cup or less of sour cream to add a tangy taste. Add a small amount of milk at a time if it gets too thick after adding macaroni. Good luck, cooking is all about trial and error.
I like the idea of just 1 variety of cheese! I don’t like cheddar cheese in anything! I find it greasy and no cheesy pull like u get with white cheese! I like ooey gooy white cheese! Mutz, Swiss, Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack!