Stove Top Mac And Cheese
This easy macaroni and cheese recipe comes together in less than 15 minutes, using one pot, on top of your stove.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces elbow macaroni (other shapes can also be used)
- 3 1/2 cups freshly grated cheddar cheese (sharp cheddar cheese works well - you can use other semi-hard cheeses as well)
- 4 slices American cheese (cut into smaller pieces, fresh sliced from the deli case is highly preferred)
- 4 ounces cream cheese (cut into chunks)
- 2 tablespoons butter (salted or unsalted )
- 1 3/4 cups half and half or milk (half and half will give a richer flavor)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
OPTIONAL ITEMS
- Hot sauce (a few drops)
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions.
- Drain pasta.
- Prior to placing pasta back into the pot, place butter, cream cheese and grated cheese into the pot.
- Pour drained pasta back into pot, on top of the ingredients. Add cut up slices of American cheese, and approximately 1 cup of half and half or milk into the pot.
- Return pot to stove and turn burner to low heat. Use the same burner already used to cook the past as it will still be warm. Give a good stir.
- Sprinkle in salt (and optional mix in items if using) and stir well. As cheeses start to melt, add an additional 1/2 cup of milk or half and half.
- Continue stirring over low heat until all ingredients have melted and have combined with pasta. It may take some time and stirring for it to all incorporate, just keep stirring.
- Add additional half and half or milk as needed to reach desired level of creaminess. If desired you can add more milk than is called for in the recipe.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
It's highly recommended that you grate fresh your cheese versus using pre-grated cheese, which contains added starches and anti-caking agents, resulting in cheese that doesn't melt as well.
Feel free to get creative, you can use white cheddar, sharp cheddar, or even other cheese varieties.
Nutrition
Calories: 560kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 24gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 88mgSodium: 904mgPotassium: 288mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 960IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 553mgIron: 1mg
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.