Easy Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese is filled with flavor and yet to simple and inexpensive to make. This will be your new favorite mac and cheese dinner!
Easy Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese
My kid loves macaroni and cheese. When she was little she called it “ah-boney-an-cheese.” So sweet! And sure, making it from a box when time is short is fine. But I recently realized just how easy and fast it can be to make it homemade. That is just one reason to love Easy Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese.
Other reasons I think this recipe is amazing is that it is absolutely delicious. Bonus: pretty cheap to make! Sure, it’s not $.69 a box for off-brand cheap, but it’s not too pricey at all. I actually buy all of the ingredients at ALDI. They even have the shredded gouda cheese I use!
So jump in and make this really awesome homemade macaroni and cheese–I really think you will love it!
For an extra kid-friendly meal, serve this macaroni and cheese with a side dish of my homemade apple sauce!
The Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make Easy Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese:
- Elbow macaroni
- Milk (whole milk is best)
- Sharp cheddar cheese
- Gouda cheese
- Butter
- Flour
- White pepper (you can use black pepper instead)
- Onion powder
- Salt
Keep reading for the step-by-step instructions and a printable recipe card below.
How to Make Easy Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese
STEP 1: Boil the macaroni noodles in salted water, just until al dente. Drain the pasta and set aside.
STEP 2: In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat then whisk in the flour. Cook the butter and flour together for 1 minute. This is called a roux (pronounced roo) and will thicken the cheese sauce.
Your roux should be a very light golden brown and bubbling like this:
STEP 3: Add the milk slowly, whisking well between each addition, until all of the milk is incorporated. Add the seasonings and mix well.
STEP 4: Add the shredded cheddar and gouda cheeses and stir until the cheese is melted.
I mean… yum.
STEP 5: Pour the cooked pasta into the cheese sauce and stir until combined. Serve the macaroni and cheese immediately.
How to Store Leftovers
Keep leftover macaroni and cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should keep well for up to three days.
How to Reheat Leftovers
To reheat, scoop the macaroni and cheese into a medium pot and add a little heavy cream. Warm the macaroni over medium heat, stirring often, until hot. Add additional cream as needed to make the sauce creamy again.
Easy Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
Easy Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese is filled with flavor and yet to simple and inexpensive to make. This will be your new favorite mac and cheese dinner!
Ingredients
- 1-pound elbow macaroni noodles, uncooked
- ½ cup butter (1 stick)
- ½ cup flour
- 3 cups milk
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded gouda cheese (or another cheese of your choice)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water with a few pinches of salt, then add the macaroni noodles. Boil the noodles just until al dente. Drain the noodles and set aside.
- In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the flour and whisk to combine. Allow the butter and flour mixture to cook over medium heat for 1 minute.
- Add the milk slowly one cup at a time, whisking each addition into the butter and flour until well combined before adding the next cup of milk.
- To the sauce, add the onion powder, white pepper, and salt.
- Allow the sauce to simmer over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until thickened, stirring very often to prevent the sauce from sticking and burning.
- Add the cheeses and whisk into the sauce until completely melted. Remove the cheese sauce from the heat.
- Add the cooked macaroni noodles and stir well. Serve the macaroni and cheese immediately.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: mac and cheese, macaroni and cheese, stovetop macaroni and cheese, homemade macaroni and cheese, gouda macaroni and cheese
Tell Me More!
After you make Easy Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese, come back and tell me how you like it! You can leave a comment and recipe rating in the comments section below. You can also click here to see this on Pinterest and leave a comment there or even your own picture of your dessert. Another option would be to tag me on Instagram @MomNeedsChocolate. Can’t wait to hear from you!
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