This post includes a recipe for Creamy Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese (and how to give it a dreamy crispy top), as well as a link to the recipe for my Mom's homemade baked macaroni and cheese below…
Remember when we were told to avoid mac and cheese because of all those “dangerous” fats? Fear no more! All the fats in this dish are good for us. And thank God they are, because nothing says comfort food like a serving of macaroni and cheese.
Keep in mind that as much as I don't like any boxed foods around here, sometimes I do still buy the organic boxed macaroni and cheese for when Kent and I are going on a date night and the kids want to make that stuff, but that powdery cheese, ugh, it just doesn't seem right somehow. (We tell the kids to use extra butter for more nutrition though.) So this version is super easy AND now that our daughter is in chef school, she usually just makes this homemade version for all of the kids anyway and we say, “See ya!” as we head out the door. It's nice having older kids, and older kids who love to cook is even better!
It's a hit!
This type of meal is a big deal for Moms, because the whole family will chow down what you've made, which is always refreshing. This fast, easy, and healthy creamy stovetop macaroni and cheese was a definite hit, all of the kids had seconds or even thirds, and back in the day, even the pickiest eater in my daycare had two helpings!
NOTE: it's actually a lot creamier than this photo shows. I stink at taking pics of food and this is the best shot I could find!
Creamy Stove-top Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta of your choice-- preferably organic. My favorite now is spelt pasta or einkorn pasta! You can try whole grain pasta if your family likes it, but my family doesn't.
- 1/2 cup butter-- pastured butter is best
- 1/2 cup flour-- I use einkorn flour mostly now, or organic all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk sometimes I'll use cream for part of that amount, read about healthy milk choices
- 8-12 ounces of your favorite cheese-- we use organic cheddar, shredded -- plus a little extra for the top if desired, see the instructions below
- Sea salt and pepper to your taste
- 3/4 cup Organic cracker crumbs-- I like these crackers best for this recipe or seasoned bread crumbs--this is optional but so good! (I save the bread ends that no one wants and every now and then I’ll put them through the food processor and add a little garlic powder, sea salt, pepper, maybe some Italian herbs and keep it all in a baggie in the freezer to use in quick meals like this.)
- 1/3 cup melted butter to mix with the cracker or bread crumbs
Instructions
- Boil pasta with 1 Tablespoon of sea salt added to pasta water. Now make a basic cheese sauce while the pasta is cooking…
- Melt butter in a medium sized saucepan. When it's hot, add flour and whisk well; keep whisking while it cooks for 2 minutes or so, but keep the heat on low-medium and don't let it burn. Add milk very slowly and keep whisking, it'll start to thicken. Once you have it all stirred in (again, keep whisking and don't have your heat too high or it will stick and burn), add the cheese. Keep whisking as it melts and add some pepper and plenty of sea salt to give it a great taste. Do some taste testing to get it right, add more cheese if you’d like. (This cheese sauce is also great on steamed veggies and it's the same sauce I use for my ham & escalloped potatoes.) If it gets too thick, add a little more milk and whisk more. When the pasta is cooked, strain it then stir everything together and you're done!
- If you want it extra tasty, sprinkle on some bread crumbs or cracker crumbs mixed with melted butter. Sometimes I'll double the recipe and put it all into a buttered baking dish, add extra cheese on top and the seasoned bread crumbs/crackers, then bake till it's hot and golden at about 350* or instead of baking, just throw it under the broiler for a few minutes to get the top golden and crispy.
Notes
Let me know if your family loves this creamy stovetop macaroni and cheese too!
***NOTE: See the comments below from a reader who shares her Mom's recipe for an easy one-pan stove-top mac & cheese.
More you might like:
Linda Browne says
Hi Kelly
I am excited to try this recipe. We are huge mac and cheese lovers here!
One question on the pasta/flour. Does it need to be soaked to neutralize the phytic actid or does einkorn/spelt not have that issue. I am trying to switch out all our flour products – crackers, bread etc. with ones that don’t damage the bone structure/teeth and am a bit daunted at thinking I have to make everything myself. Thank you so much.
Linda Browne
KitchenKop says
Yes even Einkorn and spelt do have phytic acid, but I’m learning more that as long as you don’t eat a ton of it, it’s mostly okay for those with good gut health, so I’ve worried less about this over the years.
Kelly
Linda Browne says
Good to know. Thank you so much Kelly. I appreciate these recipes.
Blessings
Linda
Heather says
We use a variation of this recipe on our Food Truck. Our truck is a bbq truck, so we smoke our own cheese and use it in the recipe. Of course we top it with some pulled pork as well.
KitchenKop says
Sounds delicious!!! Where are you located?
Ashley says
Just fixed this recipe for lunch and my 3 yr old loves it! She odds used to the boxed stuff too, so I’m glad she took to this so well. We’ll just freeze the leftovers and eat them next week. Thanks for sharing!
Lucy says
I’ve been moving away from “the box” for quite a while now although my children are so drawn to the awful orange color. I found my way around this by using mashed sweet potato as a base. I’m not usually in favor of hiding veggetables in their food because I think it’s important they know what they’re eating but in this case if they knew it was in there they probably wouldn’t eat it. So I’m not telling! 😉
Marie says
Kelly, one more varation on the two-pan stove-top version: I season the cheese sauce with a bit each of turmeric, cumin and cayenne in addition to the sea salt. That gives it that extra bit of interest and improves the color! I also throw in veggies with the pasta (steamed on top of the cooking pasta), although the kids have complained that that’s not “real mac and cheese” (but cleaned their plates regardless). And now… off to look up the eggy version! 🙂
KitchenKop says
Oooooh, how fun! I’m going to find that and print it out!
Thanks!
Jenn says
This is really after the fact, but I wanted to point you towards Alton Brown’s Stovetop Mac-n-Cheese recipe — it doesn’t use flour, and it has eggs in it (more nutrition) and I’ve successfully made it with regular whole milk, or a mixture of whole milk and cream, rather than evaporated milk. It’s so easy and delicious and perfect — I had to find a good scratch mac-and-cheese recipe when I started dating my now-husband because he refused to eat boxed stuff!
Erin says
I’ve been looking ALL OVER for the perfect stovetop recipe, when mac’n’cheese becomes an urgent need. I’ve tried white sauces and heavy cream and eggs and…. the above recipe, so simple, so perfect – and only ONE PAN! I used a little butter too, and monterey jack and cheddar. Thumbs up from the husband, the kiddo, and me!!
Kelly the Kitchen Kop says
I finally tried the above stove-top one-pan recipe – the kids loved it! Only using one pan was a definite bonus. (I also added a couple tsp. of butter to the recipe.) Very easy. 🙂
Kelly says
I received this comment over at another post and wanted to add it here:
“Kelly
Just wanted to give you my moms simple mac and cheese recipe. Cook and drain your macaroni. Put back in the pot along with a small amount of milk (Mom never measured just poured in about enough to cover the bottom of the pot by about 1/4-1/2 inch). Top with cheese (again Mom never measured and often used different kinds of cheese – shredded, presliced, sliced off the block over the pot – cheddar, colby, swiss, etc, or ussually a combo). Place the pot on low and cover just until cheese melts. Stir. Add pepper and salt to taste. This is the only recipe I have ever used. It is quick – on the table in under 15 minutes, uses only 1 pot – a plus for busy Moms, tastes great and can be made using healthy ingredients. Hope this helps.
Mischele”