Mix in the mustard, onion powder, and Sriracha (or your favorite hot sauce). Let it simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until al dente (soft, but not completely mushy: it should still have a tiny bit of chew), about 10 minutes, or according to package directions. Making Creamy One-Pot Stovetop Macaroni and Cheeseīelieve it or not, once you have the cheese grated, this dish comes together in about 15 minutes flat.įirst, bring the liquids to a boil and mix in some salt and pepper. What emerges is unbelievably creamy and delicious. Then I lid the pot for a few minutes after mixing in the cheese. You are well aware of this fact if you've ever tried making (for example) a cheese dip by microwaving actual cheddar cheese (rather than the stuff in the box): you end up with a greasy, clumpy mess.Īlthough I melt the American cheese into the pasta and sauce while the pot is on the heat, I remove the pot from the heat before adding the cheddar. Add the cheddar cheese off the heatĬheddar cheese is notorious for misbehaving if it gets too hot. Instead, you can shred your cheese in advance to save time. Important notes on making Creamy One-Pot Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese Never use pre-shredded cheese!īags of pre-shredded cheese contain other ingredients like cornstarch to prevent the shreds of cheese from clumping together. We get further calorie savings by using skim milk rather than cream or whole milk: amazingly, the flavor doesn't suffer. The fact that the pasta cooks right in the pan adds some starch-but it also means that we don't have to make a roux with butter and flour to thicken the sauce. Then you add in the cheeses, and the whole pot transforms into a creamy dream-no additional cream needed! (If you like the one-pot meal strategy, be sure to check out my how-to article, Mastering Easy One-Pot Meal Recipes) It's like magic: the pasta cooks in water and just a bit of skim milk. I explain this more in Perfect Loaded Nachos. Yes, it's still "process cheese", but it IS real-AND it makes cheese sauces creamy like no other cheese.
Instead, we use a mix of cheddar and deli counter-quality American cheese.
What the recipe doesn't have is preternaturally orange "cheese sauce mix" with scary-sounding substances that aren't found together in nature.
This stovetop macaroni and cheese recipe is incredibly creamy and full of fantastic, cheesy flavor.
What's great about Creamy One-Pot Stovetop Macaroni and Cheeseįull disclosure: I am fully aware that this recipe will never win over the Kraft Dinner-heads. So, I figured that it was high time to post the stove-top version of this recipe. One reader even adapted the recipe for her stovetop (snaps to you, Debbie!). Now, I've been hearing from readers who have the reverse situation: their kitchen has no microwave. I wanted her to be able to make a comfort food meal that reminded her of home-right in her dorm room. My inspiration for the recipe was the fact that our daughter was visiting from college, where her dorm room has a mini fridge and a microwave.
Fast and full of flavor.Ī while back, I posted a recipe for making creamy macaroni and cheese entirely in the microwave ( Creamy Microwave Macaroni & Cheese). If you prefer a zesty tomato based macaroni dish, check out my One Pot American Goulash recipe.