This classic recipe for Creamy Stovetop Mac & Cheese is the ultimate comfort food and a great addition to your Thanksgiving menu. This perfect side dish or main course dinner has simple ingredients and comes together in 30 minutes or less for a quick weeknight dinner.
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Why You’ll Love this Recipe
There’s nothing better than a cozy bowl of extra creamy mac & cheese when the weather gets dark and gloomy. Maybe it’s my childhood memories of eating boxed mac & cheese with my mom, but I just truly love it. For this easy recipe you toss together cooked pasta with a creamy cheese sauce and dinner is served. Go wild with the cheese combos like adding pepper jack for a spicy twist.
Love this creamy macaroni recipe? Try my Creamy Thai Chicken Chowder that’s so simple and full of flavor, or this hearty and filling classic Split Pea Soup, or last but never least an FG reader fave Beef Stroganoff that comes together in 30 minutes or less and is soooo good.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Basic ingredients sometimes equal the best flavor. This easy homemade mac & cheese recipe is a family favorite.
- Macaroni: elbow macaroni shaped pasta is most authentic but use any type of pasta including gluten-free pasta
- Whole Milk: or part skim milk will also work
- All-Purpose Flour
- Shredded Cheeses: such as sharp cheddar cheese, colby jack cheese, white cheddar, or monterey jack. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in an anticaking agent which will give the mac & cheese a grainy texture, so shred your own cheese for best results
- Spices: garlic powder, ground mustard, smoked paprika, kosher salt, ground black pepper
- Optional Add-Ins: crispy bacon, ham, onions, peas, mushrooms, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower
Find the printable recipe card with exact measurements and instructions below.
Substitutes & Variations
- Pasta: use any type of pasta including gluten-free pasta
- Add Ins: try adding things like crispy bacon, ham, onions, peas, mushrooms, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower to add more flavor and amp up the veggies.
- Toppings: top with bread crumbs or more cheese and broil for a couple minutes or until the cheese melts.
How to Make Creamy Stovetop Macaroni & Cheese
This main dish recipe comes together really quickly. Stirring together different cheeses with warmed milk and tossed with hot pasta is all you need to make this pasta dish.
- Bring about a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat in a large pot. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, place 1 cup of milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat to warm. Add remaining 1/2 cup of milk and all purpose flour in a small bowl, whisk until there are no lumps. Whisk in the milk and flour mixture until the milk thickens slightly, similar to heavy cream, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Lower heat to low and stir in the cheese. Stir in the salt and spices until all the cheese has melted and the sauce is creamy. Remove the sauce from the heat and adjust seasonings if necessary.
- Add the pasta to the creamy sauce and stir well to combine. Add a splash of milk if you like it creamier.
What to Serve with Stovetop Mac & Cheese
Garlic Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
Roasted Butternut Squash with Sage & Pine Nuts
Tips for Storing Leftovers
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in a microwave safe container in short bursts. Add more milk if too dry.
- Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature before reheating.
More Recipes We Love
If you love this mac & cheese recipe, check out the others on the site and a few more recipes to get you salivating.
- Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese
- Mac & Cheese with Bacon
- Banana Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
- Spatchcocked Smoked Turkey
- Creamy Sausage & Pea Pasta
Creamy Stovetop Mac & Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb elbow macaroni, or other shaped pasta
- 2 cups whole milk, divided
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- 3 cups shredded cheese, such as sharp cheddar, colby jack, or monterey jack
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp mustard powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika, optional
Instructions
- Bring about a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat in a large pot. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, place 1 1/2 cups of milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat to warm. Add remaining 1/2 cup of milk and all purpose flour in a small bowl, whisk until there are no lumps. Whisk the milk and flour mixture into the warmed milk until it thickens slightly, similar to heavy cream, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Lower heat to low and stir in the cheese(s). Stir in the salt and spices until all the cheese has melted and the sauce is creamy. Remove the sauce from the heat and adjust seasonings if necessary.
- Add the pasta to the creamy sauce and stir well to combine. Add a splash of milk if you like it creamier.
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Nutrition
*Nutritional information is not guaranteed to be accurate.
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Hi! I’m Heather
I’m Heather, a recipe developer and content creator based in Vancouver, Washington. I started Farmgirl Gourmet in 2006 because I believed weeknight dinners shouldn’t be boring and gourmet shouldn’t mean complicated. I’m also the co-founder of Spiceology, so safe to say I think about food for a living. Stick around for recipes that actually make it into your regular rotation.
This recipe is easy and quick to make on the stovetop . No baking. We needed a little more salt, but otherwise it tasted great.
So creamy and cozy