Forget the boxed stuff. Homemade Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese is over the top cheesy, creamy, yummy good! 20-25 minutes tops and one pot is all you need to make an ultimate mac and cheese your family will cheer for.
Why You’ll Love Stovetop Mac & Cheese
- Traditional baked southern macaroni and cheese recipes, like my Ultimate Pepper Jack Mac & Cheese, Pimento Mac & Cheese and Loaded Seafood Mac & Cheese are absolutely delicious, but when you need a down and dirty recipe that’s super creamy, ultra comforting and just plain gets the job done, this is it.
- As a result, this is a busy weeknight, straight to the table kind of dish that’s a big family pleaser.
- Because you’ve made it, you know the ingredients are good- cheese, cream, butter, broth, flour, macaroni and a few spices for flavor. That’s it.
- You can switch up the cheeses and even add in extra ingredients like ham or broccoli to make it a meal, like in my Creamy Broccoli Mac and Cheese.
Tips For The Best Stovetop Mac and Cheese
- To make homemade macaroni and cheese, grating your own cheese is an absolute MUST. Bags of pre-shredded cheese might seem like a good shortcut, but don’t be tempted! Pre-shredded cheese is coated with anti-caking agents like potato starch to keep it from sticking and clumping together in the bag. But those agents also keep it from melting with a smooth and creamy liquid melt.
- In addition to grating your own cheese, choosing a good melting cheese is key. Classic mac and cheese is made with cheddar. I use sharp cheddar for its great flavor. However, extra sharp or aged cheddar tend to separate are being heated.
- Some cheeses to consider subbing for or mixing in with your cheddar are Gouda, Gruyere, mozzarella, Swiss, Colby and Pepper Jack.
Recipe Ingredients & Overview
I’ll walk through an overview of ingredients & steps in these next sections along with helpful tips!
Look for specifics at the end of the post in the recipe card.
- elbow macaroni
- sharp cheddar cheese (in a block)
- chicken broth
- half and half cream
- cream cheese
- butter
- all purpose flour
- ground mustard
- onion powder
- paprika
- black pepper
How To Make Stovetop Mac and Cheese
To make sure this recipe goes smoothly, the cheese needs to be grated and the ingredients measured out before cooking starts. There’s really no time in between steps.
Boil Macaroni. Boil macaroni in chicken broth and salted water in a large pot until the pasta is al dente. Let the pasta drain in a colander and put the pot back on the stovetop to make the cheese sauce.
Make the Cheese Sauce. Melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour, making a smooth paste. Then whisk in the seasonings. Continuing to whisk, slowly pour in chicken broth and then half and half. Add cheese one handful at a time, whisking until each melts before adding another. Lastly whisk in cream cheese.
Add the Pasta. Fold in drained macaroni and you’re ready to serve!
PRO TIP: Block cheese you’ve grated yourself always melts best. But did you know that room temp cheese grates more easily and melts more quickly and smoothly than cold cheese?
How To Store & Reheat
Leftovers keep in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days in an airtight container. Reheat individual servings in the microwave or reheat all the leftovers in a saucepan on the stovetop over low heat while stirring. You may want to add a just a little broth to loosen up the cheese while heating.
Making Ahead & Freezing
To make this ahead of time, I usually cook the pasta the day before (or even at the beginning of the week, if I am meal prepping) and store it in the fridge in a zip top bag. You can also go ahead and grate your cheese. When I’m ready to make my mac and cheese, I just pull out my prepped ingredients, make my sauce and fold in my pasta for a hot and comforting side dish in minutes!
More Cheesy Pasta Recipes to Love
- Creamy Fettuccini Alfredo
- Cheesy Tuna Noodle Casserole
- Easy White Ravioli Casserole
- Rotel Chicken & Spaghetti
- Tomato Alfredo Baked Ziti
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni (about 2 cups, uncooked), prepared in 3 ½ C chicken broth + enough salted water to allow pasta to roll and boil
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup flour
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 2 cups half & half cream
- 4 cups chicken broth (3 ½ C to boil the macaroni, ½ C for the cheese sauce)
- 3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (8 ounce block)
- 2 ounces cream cheese, cubed
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring to a boil 3 ½ C chicken broth and enough salted water to give the pasta room to move and roll while boiling. Add macaroni and cook to al dente. Drain pasta in a colander and put sauce pan back on the stovetop to make the sauce.
- Melt the butter in the sauce pan. Sprinkle in flour. Whisk until there are no lumps and flour makes a thick paste. Whisk in seasonings.
- Whisk in broth, continuing to whisk until there are again no lumps. Whisk in half and half.
- Added grated cheese one handful at a time. After each handful, whisk slowly until cheese is melted before adding another handful. Add cream cheese and whisk until smooth.
- Fold in pasta and serve! Top with extra black pepper, if desired.
Notes
- Packaged shredded/grated cheese does NOT work for this recipe. It is coated with starches to keep the cheese from clumping together in the bag, and those starches will keep your cheese from melting quickly and smoothly.
- Room temperature, hand-grated cheese melts the best.
- Boiling your pasta in broth infuses loads of flavor.
Nutrition
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