My favorite creamy stovetop macaroni and cheese recipe comes together fast for a rich, ooey, gooey cheese sauce and pasta the whole family will love.
My husband is a boxed Velveeta Shells and Cheese fan and I’m a Panera Bread Mac n’ Cheese devotee. This recipe for creamy luscious Macaroni and Cheese captures the rich, cheesy essence of both for a stovetop meal big enough to feed the whole family.
How do you make Creamy Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese?
My recipe uses a tried and true method of first creating a roux with equal parts butter and flour then adding ample liquid in the form of whole milk and cream or half and half. It’s almost a bechamel sauce, but not quite because I don’t scald my milk before whisking it into the cooked butter and flour mixture. I just drizzle the cold liquid in small amounts first and then slowly add the rest.
You could, of course, take that extra step of scalding the milk, but my cheese sauce always comes out creamy even without that step, so why dirty another dish?
Once you have reduced your creamy white sauce by cooking over medium-low heat and whisking for a few minutes, you sprinkle in your seasonings (salt and dry mustard are a must!) and then add in freshly shredded cheese, stirring until perfectly smooth and creamy.
Fold in a whole pound of cooked short pasta, like shells, and start eating it, with a spoon, right out of the pot. Just kidding. You should really share with your family.
Do you have to shred the cheese yourself for the best Macaroni and Cheese?
Yes!! Put down that sad bag of pre-shredded cheese and take the extra 60 seconds to grate a block of sharp cheddar cheese yourself. Or delegate that task to another able-bodied man, woman, or child.
I love convince foods as much as the next reasonable person, but a creamy, dreamy Macaroni and Cheese is no time to cut corners. The “anti-caking” substance they use in shredded cheese is no good for your cheese sauce.
What is the best pasta to use in Macaroni and Cheese?
Any short shape of pasta will do. We use the shell shape in our house but any broad short shape will work such as elbows or even rigatoni. Is this really a question? It’s that dreamy cheese sauce that everyone’s after, the shape of the pasta is irrelevant as long as it does its job in soaking up as much cheesy saucy goodness as possible.
Do you have to use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt?
I always use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt for any recipe calling for coarse or kosher style salt. Diamond Crystal is lighter, flakier, and less salty than other kosher salts such as Morton’s. In fact, the Morton’s brand is twice as salty. I like to err on the side of less salty (then salt to taste at the end) to ensure I don’t end up with a salty kitchen disaster. Read my post on Kosher Salt for more on this fascinating topic.
Can you bake this perfect stovetop Macaroni and Cheese?
Yes. I know there are some of you out there who will only be happy with a baked mac ‘n cheese. Is this going to turn out like your childhood baked mac and cheese? I couldn’t possibly say. I made this recipe to be the creamiest stovetop Macaroni and Cheese because that’s all I care about in life. And my kids of course.
I have however baked this exact recipe for another fun retro dinner: Tuna Noodle Casserole. To my knowledge that was always made with cream of chicken soup and egg noodles, but people around these parts assure me it’s made with macaroni and cheese.
How do you make Tuna Noodle Casserole with Macaroni and Cheese?
Fine. If you’re curious: add two 5 ounce cans of tuna (well drained) and about a cup of frozen peas to this finished stovetop mac and cheese recipe. Pour it into a rectangular baking dish and sprinkle with a sleeve of crushed ritz crackers and 3-4 tablespoons melted butter. That part is not optional. Bake at 375 until bubbly. About 15-20 minutes.
Okay, back to my perfect Creamy Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese: Let’s make it!
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My favorite creamy stovetop macaroni and cheese recipe comes together fast for a rich, ooey, gooey cheese sauce and pasta the whole family will love.
Ingredients
- 1 lb dry short pasta
- ¼ cup (4 TBSP) unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1–1/2 cups whole milk
- 1–1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 tsp kosher salt*
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp dry mustard powder
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 8 oz block extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 4 oz American cheese, grated
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions while making your sauce. Drain, return to pot, and set aside.
- Melt butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Once melted add in flour and cook for about 2 minutes, whisking constantly.
- Splash in milk and heavy cream in small amounts, whisking well after each addition. Continue splashing in milk slowly, whisking well until you have a soupy liquid.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and whisk consistently until the sauce becomes thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.
- Remove sauce from heat and whisk in spices.
- Stir in cheeses, a handful at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Add sauce to pot with cooked pasta and stir to combine. Season with additional salt to taste.
Notes
For the kosher salt, I always use Diamond Crystal brand. Salt to taste if using another variety.
Optional spices to add: 1 tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp onion powder.
While the pasta water is coming to a boil is the perfect time to grate your cheese and measure out the ingredients.
Keywords: creamy stovetop macaroni and cheese
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