Creamy Stovetop Mac and Cheese
Elbow macaroni gets a generous coating of smooth, cheddar-forward cheese sauce in this stovetop mac and cheese. The pasta cooks separately while butter, flour, and whole milk form a sauce that lightly coats a spoon but still pours easily.
Stirring the shredded cheese in off heat helps keep the sauce glossy rather than grainy. Toss in the elbows, loosen the coating with a little milk if needed, and serve right away with freshly ground black pepper.
Ingredients for Creamy Stovetop Mac and Cheese
- 12 ounces dry elbow macaroni (340g)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (about 45g)
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (about 25g)
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk (about 600g), plus up to 1/2 cup more as needed
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded (about 2 cups or 225g)
- 4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, freshly shredded (about 1 cup or 115g)
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
Yield: About 6 side-dish servings or 4 main-dish servings. Time: About 10 minutes prep and 15 to 20 minutes cooking, or 25 to 30 minutes total when the pasta and sauce cook concurrently.
How to Make Creamy Stovetop Mac and Cheese
- Prepare the cheese and water: Shred both cheeses. Bring a large pot of water to a full boil and salt it. Keep the extra milk nearby for adjusting the sauce.
- Cook the macaroni: Boil the elbows uncovered, stirring occasionally. Start checking 1 to 2 minutes before the package’s suggested al dente time. Drain when tender with slight resistance and still holding their shape. Make the sauce while the pasta cooks.
- Cook the roux: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan large enough to hold the pasta, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until smooth and lightly bubbling but not browned.
- Add the milk: Slowly whisk in a splash of the 2 1/2 cups milk until the roux is smooth, then gradually whisk in the rest. Add the mustard powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook uncovered over medium to medium-low heat, stirring, for about 4 to 6 minutes. Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer until it lightly coats the back of a spoon but still pours easily.
- Melt the cheese: Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the cheddar and Monterey Jack a handful at a time until melted and glossy. Add half the black pepper, then taste and adjust the salt. Do not boil the sauce after adding the cheese.
- Coat the pasta: Fold in the drained macaroni. If the sauce looks stiff, stir in extra milk 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time until the elbows are separate and glossy. If needed, warm briefly over very low heat while stirring. If the saucepan is too small, combine the pasta and sauce in the pasta pot off heat.
- Serve: Spoon into bowls immediately and scatter the remaining black pepper over the top. A white scalloped bowl matches the pictured presentation.
How to Keep the Cheese Sauce Smooth
Whisk the first splash of milk into the roux slowly to make a smooth base before adding more. Once the milk sauce has thickened, take the pan off the heat and stir in freshly shredded cheese by handfuls. Residual heat melts the cheese without the hard bubbling that can make the sauce grainy or oily.
Getting the Right Creamy Consistency
The milk sauce should coat a spoon, not become paste-thick. Cheese and pasta will thicken it further, and the elbows will absorb moisture as they sit. If the finished mac and cheese starts to clump, stir in warm milk a tablespoon or two at a time until sauce clings to the individual pieces again.
Cheese and Pasta Choices
Sharp cheddar gives the sauce its main flavor and light-orange color; Monterey Jack adds a milder, smooth-melting portion. Shred both from blocks when possible. Medium shells or cavatappi can replace the elbows, but the finished dish will look different, and each shape needs its own package-time check.
Serving, Storing, and Reheating
Serve promptly as a main dish or a side. A small portion can accompany sheet-pan salmon and garlic asparagus.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently and adding a splash of milk as needed. For one portion, microwave in short intervals, stirring between them. The reheated sauce may not be as smooth as when freshly made.
Nutrition
Approximate nutrition per side-dish serving, based on 6 servings and excluding extra milk: 555 calories, 25g protein, 28g fat, and 51g carbohydrates. A main-dish serving, based on 4 servings, has approximately 835 calories, 38g protein, 42g fat, and 76g carbohydrates.
Approximate values per 100g of prepared mac and cheese: 185 calories, 8g protein, 9g fat, and 17g carbohydrates. Values vary with the cheeses, how much water the pasta absorbs, and any additional milk.
Equipment
- Large pot
- Heavy-bottomed saucepan
- Whisk
- Colander
- Cheese grater
Ingredients
For the Pasta
- 12 ounces dry elbow macaroni (340 g)
- Kosher salt, for the pasta water
For the Cheese Sauce
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (about 45 g)
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (about 25 g)
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk (about 600 g), plus up to 1/2 cup more as needed
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded (about 2 cups or 225 g)
- 4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, freshly shredded (about 1 cup or 115 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
Instructions
- Shred the cheddar and Monterey Jack. Bring a large pot of water to a full boil and salt it. Keep the extra milk nearby.
- Boil the macaroni uncovered, stirring occasionally. Begin checking 1 to 2 minutes before the package’s suggested al dente time. Drain when tender with slight resistance, and make the sauce while the pasta cooks.
- Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until smooth and lightly bubbling but not browned.
- Slowly whisk a splash of the measured milk into the roux until smooth, then gradually whisk in the remaining milk. Add the mustard powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Cook the sauce uncovered over medium to medium-low heat, stirring, for 4 to 6 minutes. Keep it at a gentle simmer until it lightly coats the back of a spoon but still pours easily.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the shredded cheeses a handful at a time until melted and glossy. Add half the black pepper and adjust the salt to taste. Do not boil the sauce after adding the cheese.
- Fold in the drained macaroni. If the sauce is stiff, add extra milk 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time until the pasta is coated and glossy. Warm briefly over very low heat while stirring if needed. If the saucepan is too small, combine the pasta and sauce in the pasta pot off the heat.
- Serve immediately and scatter the remaining black pepper over the top.
Tips
- Whisk the first splash of milk into the roux gradually to make a smooth base.
- Shred cheese from blocks for a smooth, glossy sauce.
- Remove the sauce from the heat before adding the cheese, and do not boil it afterward.
- Add extra milk a tablespoon or two at a time if the finished pasta becomes too thick.
Variations
- Shell or Cavatappi Mac and Cheese: Replace the elbow macaroni with medium shells or cavatappi, checking each shape for doneness according to its package time.