There is a several year gap in my life when I didn’t make mac and cheese because the only way I knew how to make it was from a box, and I had thrown away all the boxes because they were contaminated with hydrogenated oils.
Yes, a life without macaroni and cheese is sad. As much as we enjoy other comfort dishes like chicken and spinach enchiladas and homemade donuts, nothing beats a classic homemade mac and cheese recipe.
Could I have bought a box of organic mac and cheese instead of declaring our house to be a mac-and-cheese-free zone? Sure I could, but some boxes of organic macaroni and cheese have organic pasta, and not organic cheese. That defeats the purpose in my opinion, because if anything in the box should be organic, it should be the cheese.
Buying a box of mac and cheese also goes against my own goals of cooking from scratch as often as possible. Why cook from a box when I could make cheesy rice or pasta with my own 5 minute spinach pesto instead? It’s not quite the same, but at least I would know we weren’t eating unnecessary additives and preservatives.
Lastly, I’m not a fan of the way boxed organic mac and cheese tastes! Certainly it makes sense to NOT buy something you don’t like to eat, right?
Could I have made mac and cheese from scratch? Absolutely, but here’s the thing: I thought it was too hard.
Shocking right? Surely I’m not the only one who has never bothered to even try to do something because they THOUGHT it was too hard?
But here’s the kicker – it’s not hard at all! In fact, it’s one of the easiest recipes I’ve ever made. So easy that my kids almost know how to make it just by watching me!
It’s a shame that we had to go years without macaroni and cheese, but now that I have a tried-and-true homemade mac and cheese recipe that my family LOVES? Game on!
Three words come to mind when I think of mac and cheese: creamy, cheesy, comforting. Coincidence that they all start with the letter C? Absolutely.
Let’s investigate this mac and cheese recipe a bit and how it meets our 3 C criteria:
What is the Best Pasta for Homemade Mac and Cheese?
I used elbow noodles this time, but small or medium shells work great too. The key is to use a noodle that lets the cheese get inside yet still keep their shape – points for the cheesy factor.
Cute wheels and flat egg noodles? No go. Whether you use white or whole wheat pasta is up to you. I’ve used both and no one knew the difference.
What is the Best Cheese for Mac and Cheese?
Classic sharp cheddar is the main star for cheesiness, but cream cheese plays a very important supporting role to round out the creamy requirement. Plus cream cheese tends to cost less than cheddar, which means you can get away with using a little less cheddar than in most mac and cheese recipes.
Note that I said SHARP cheddar cheese – it’s another way to save on cheese (and it tastes better).
Butter + Milk for Mac and Cheese Recipe
Mac and cheese without butter and milk is just pasta and cheese. A.K.A. no creaminess whatsoever. You need our friends butter and milk to turn plain cheese into an amazing saucy sauce.
What are the Best Spices for Homemade Mac and Cheese?
Mac and cheese without spice lacks a depth, which is why you often see nutmeg listed in the ingredients. Maybe one day I’ll use whole nutmeg with a microplane, but until then, ground nutmeg will have to do.
I’ve also added a few other players too – garlic, onion and paprika – because they really kick up the comforting factor a few notches. Please don’t skip them, and if you add some chili powder too? Yum…
Are there Breadcrumbs in Stove Top Mac and Cheese?
There are none because this is STOVE TOP mac and cheese, not BAKED mac and cheese. Yes, there is a difference and I don’t like breadcrumbs on my mac and cheese anyway.
The Best Creamy Stove Top Mac and Cheese
I should preface this recipe by saying that this mac and cheese is NOT diet friendly. It’s not carb-friendly or low-fat and doesn’t fall into any other category that agribusiness says is good for you.
This is full-fat, from scratch, home-style cooking you imagine and salivate for when someone says mac and cheese. It’s made with 100% real food ingredients you can feel good about serving your family and oh, by the way, it’s ready in less than 15 minutes. –> That makes this Real Food FAST. Check out the 5 Day Challenge to Get Dinner on the Table FAST!
BONUS: Want to sneak in some veggies? Sub pumpkin puree or mashed sweet potato for the cream cheese! It still tastes amazing PLUS you can feed your picky eater some veggies and they won’t even know!
- 8 oz elbow pasta
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 4 Tbsp flour
- 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature and cubed
- 8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2-2½ cups milk, divided
- ¼ tsp each: garlic powder, ground nutmeg, onion powder, paprika
- ¼ tsp chili powder (optional)
- ½ tsp black pepper
- salt, to taste
- Cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Strain in a colander and set aside.
- In the same pot, melt butter. Add flour and stir so that it makes a paste with the melted butter. Allow the flour to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add 1½ cups of milk while stirring constantly. Stir until the sauce is smooth.
- Add the cream cheese and cheddar cheese and stir often until the cheese is melted.
- Season with the garlic powder, nutmeg, onion powder, paprika, pepper and chili powder, if using.
- Rinse the pasta with water so that the noodles don't stick together. Add the pasta to the cheese sauce and stir well, but gently so that the noodles don't break. Taste and add additional seasoning as desired. If the sauce is too thick, thin with milk ¼ cup at a time.
Oh yum, oh yum! I love home made stove top mac and cheese. And the fact that it’s full fat makes it more decadent. Happy Thursday, Tiffany.
I totally agree JoAnn. 🙂 If you’re making mac and cheese, go all out!
I just made it 10 mins ago. Yum. I added some Velveeta.
I love putting some ground mustard into the sauce. I will have to try nutmeg.
I’ve tried mustard before Jeanne, but it conflicts on my taste buds. Nutmeg though – YUM! 🙂
I started making this, this year! I have been playing with the base recipe I found! I can’t wait to try out this one! A life without Mac and Cheese is a boring life!!
I agree Rebecca! If you’re up for experimenting, try subbing half the cream cheese with Greek yogurt. I’m making a similar recipe with this sub and it’s SO creamy!
For the past few years, my daughter has refused to eat any kind of mac and cheese except for boxed. (It’s actually one of only a handful of entrees she’ll eat at all.) Fortunately, I recently found an over recipe that she loves, and is MUCH tastier than the boxed stuff. I’m definitely going to to give this recipe a try, too!
i never thought about cream cheese……oh my, going to try that next time…..in a couple of weeks….well sooner…..ok ok…tomorrow….lol lol
I always cook a whole package of elbow mac….I then have enough for 3 casserole dishes, one to eat that night and two for the freezer. Takes the same amount of time. I do this with cottage pie as well as lasagna’s.
Def going to try the nutmeg as well. I sometimes put cinnamon in my meatloaf and nutmeg with cheese sounds just as weird eh??
Cinnamon doesn’t sound weird at all! I put it in my slow cooker carnitas: https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/2017/01/best-slow-cooker-carnitas/ 😉
I’ve made mac and cheese from scratch before but usually do the baked variety. For a while now, though, I’ve done the boxed versions because they are so convenient! I find it so hard to do EVERYTHING homemade/from-scratch because of the time and clean-up involved. Anyhoo… made this for lunch today to have with my girls and it’s so good! Nice and rich and creamy. Actually, I think the sauce would stick just fine to a shape other than elbows or shells but it’s nice to keep it classic. Used wheat elbows and will do shells next time. I happened to use a favorite variety of sharp cheddar, Cracker Barell’s Aged Reserve. I’m finding it hard not to eat all the leftovers!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Karla! I know boxed is convenient – I fall victim too! But if you’re really short on time (or to just get ahead) you can make the noodles & shred the cheese ahead of time. Store the cooked noodles in a bag, shredded cheese + cream cheese + spices in another bag, then both of those in one bigger bag labeled “mac & cheese.” Then when you want to make the recipe, move it all to the fridge the night before and for dinner, all you have to do is make the roux and dump it all in!
Hi Karla…..I run my own business, so I know what it’s like not to have time, and then again because I am my own boss I work only as much as my daughter and I want. She’s my partner in crime running a cleaning business. Sometimes a client will cancel and that’s when we decide to make multiples of everything. I have a small freezer and some space in my side by side so I can’t go nuts. I would like to…..LOL I’ve found it takes the same amount of time to prep for one meal as it does for 3 or 4, so we usually try to make 4, have one that night and the rest go in the freezer. Cottage pie is a favorite and I will admit to using instant potatoes from Bob’s Red Mill. Same with Mac and Cheese, and Lasagna. So nice when you know it’s going to be a heavier day tomorrow to take one out of the freezer and thaw in the fridge overnight. This leaves my weekends free for canning.
Tiffany, you are so right. Sometimes, you just need the comfort!! Thank you for the great idea of using cream cheese. Delicious. I think cream cheese is my new go-to idea for cheese modifications!
You’re so welcome Karen!! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
I found it quite bland and my 16 year old wouldn’t finish his portion. It tasted like milky pasta. Very creamy and looked delicious but not tasty at all. How can I fix up the leftovers to have some taste to it? I followed the recipe…
Bland? Yikes!! Can I ask if you’re used to cooking mac and cheese from scratch? Or are you use to cooking from a box? And did you use mild cheddar cheese and/or the chili powder? I’d add more seasoning for sure, and taste as you go along. I’d also use sharp cheddar cheese.
By any chance have you ever made this and then put it in the Crock-Pot on warm? I’m making dinner for my daughters basketball team, and it will be about 2-3 hours from the time I can make this to the time they will eat. Trying to figure out if it will hold up ok. Thanks!
I haven’t Christa, but I’d be afraid the slow cooker would burn it. Instead, I’d recommend boiling the noodles and prepping everything else (i.e. shredding the cheese). Then it’s about 10 min when the girls get home. 🙂
Thanks for responding Tiffany! I actually won’t be there when the girls eat, so maybe I will have to save this for another time. I’ll definitely make it sometime though!
So I decided to test it out at home tonight when I was going to be around to watch it. I made it as directed, then put it in my Crock-Pot on the “warm” setting (not low). It was in there for 1 1/2 hours and was just fine!
Oh good!! I’m so glad it worked out!
Wow! I’m 53 and have just gotten into from scratch recipe’s. I too always thought Mac n cheese was to hard but you made it simple and tasty, thanks. I’m adding you to my desk top for easy reference!!
Thank you Katrina! So glad you liked this recipe! ♥
I love this recipe! Gonna make it tonight. I usually use sour cream in my Mac and cheese, makes it really creamy…
I’m so glad you liked this Tracey!
I made this today. I used 8oz cream cheese and 2 c Mozzarella and used Spanish paprika, granulated garlic, kosher salt, white pepper, nutmeg and ground mustard. And I used butter (real) and whole milk. Thanks for sharing.