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…
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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.
I just made this mac & cheese recipe. Very good, but a few varieties of cheese would be better than just sharp cheddar.
I very much like the strong flavor of kraft deluxe mac n cheese. But I prefer homemade over boxed when I can. Over the years, I’ve tried to recreate it and can’t. Most homemade mac n cheese tastes so bland! This one by far had the most flavor. But I had to add a little more of the spices to enhance it better. I’m looking for that strong flavor. Does anyone have any suggestions? I also don’t like that weird film flour puts in your mouth. Is there something I can do to help stop that? I just don’t want want in my mac n cheese. It’s a great recipe! I’m just looking for additional suggestions. Thank you!
You need to cook the flour/butter mixture (roux) for at least three minutes, making sure all of the flour is incorporated. That should take care of the aftertaste. Try adding a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce – it enhances the flavor without adding “hotness.”
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 (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.
Nicole, I use either smoked gouda or smoked gruyere. Amps up the flavor. Hope my recommendation helps you.
For extra deliciousness add small can of diced tomatoes with green chilies. Has a little bite to it. Yum!!!!
I made this last night for my family for dinner. It took about 12min to put together start to finish, and was delicious. I have 3 kids 7&under, all three made clean plates! Even my picky husband (who has never been a fan of homemade Mac n cheese) made a clean plate! We will be making this again! I will say the sauce makes A LOT of sauce for 1lb of pasta. Could easily make more pasta if you are feeding a bigger crowd, or decrease the sauce amount.
I made this for dinner tonight and it was delish! This is now my ‘go to’ for Mac & cheese. I didn’t have regular whole milk but I had a can of milk and used that. It was either a can of carnation or pet milk. I won’t change a thing, it was so good.
i made it for my friend and her family they loved it
Very good, I’ll use little less flour and kids said to use little mustard powder too.
I think I messed it up a little and made it too thick but it still turned out really delicious! Thank you!
I don’t know what I would do without you love all your recipes quick easy and simple I save all your videos and your recipes are amazing thank God I got you on my side keep posting all those good recipes you are amazing
Oh My Goodness! Wanted to fix hubby some “comfort food” last evening and boy oh boy did this do the job! Since it is just the 2 of us I halved the recipe and still had left overs (which he will consume tonight) Really this is an amazing “stove top mac and cheese” recipe…and quick too. Thank you so much!!!
Perfect! It’s creamy but not too creamy, cheesy but not too cheesy, and the seasonings give it just enough umph to make it yummy! I made it for my one year old and she loved it!