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closeup view of a pot of homemade creamy elbow mac and cheese stirred with a wooden spoon
5 from 6 votes

Stovetop Mac and Cheese

This easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese recipe is made fresh, from scratch, and is ready to eat in about 15 minutes. You won't need to buy boxed mac and cheese again!
Author Diana
Servings 4 servings
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces elbow macaroni uncooked, see note 1
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup all purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¾ teaspoon dry mustard powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper or black pepper
  • 1 ½ cups milk whole or 2%, see note 2
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese see note 3

Instructions

  • Cook the macaroni in a large pot of salted water until al dente, follow the package instructions. This usually takes about 10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce. In a saucepan, melt the butter and add the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, and mustard powder, salt and pepper and cook for 30 seconds.
  • Whisk in the milk until smooth and creamy.
  • Remove from heat and stir in the cheese until melted.
  • Stir in the cooked macaroni and serve warm.

Notes

  1. You can really use any pasta shape you like in your mac and cheese! Small shells, wagon wheels, penne, rigatoni, and other short pasta will all work.
  2. Don't try to use low fat or skim milk to make this, the sauce won't be thick enough.
  3. You can use different cheese. I suggest using mostly cheddar, as that is where the classic mac and cheese flavor comes from. Add other melty cheeses such as Colby, Monterrey Jack, Asiago, or Gouda. Parmesan can be added as well, but be sure to reduce the salt in the recipe.
  4. To Store: Store leftover stovetop mac and cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
  5. To reheat, warm it in a pan over medium-low heat. If it needs a bit of moisture, stir in a splash of water or milk.

Nutrition

Calories: 629kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 700mg | Potassium: 325mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1069IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 531mg | Iron: 1mg
Find it online: https://littlesunnykitchen.com/stovetop-mac-and-cheese/