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Quick and Easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese

Quick & Easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese. If your mac & cheese comes in a box & glows like a neon orange radioactive waste dump it’s time for something better!

photo of Quick and Easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese in a red serving dish

Quick and Easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese.

Originally published July 2012.

Olivia and Noah are in the kitchen making a family favourite side dish today. This recipe is great to make with a kitchen buddy because it’s good to have one person continuously stirring as the other slowly adds the cheese.

Does your mac and cheese comes from a box on the supermarket shelf and glows like a neon orange radioactive waste dump? It’s time to change your ways and discover something immeasurably better.

parmigiano reggiano shown in chunks and grated on a wooden background

Parmigiano reggiano is an excellent addition to this recipe. The better the parmesan, the better the flavour!

 

What we love about this great basic recipe is the number of flavour combinations possible. Easily achievable just by switching up the type of cheese and adding a different herb, spice or other flavour element.

Close up photo of Quick and Easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese

Quick and Easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese.

Quick and Easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese flavour combinations.

White Cheddar and Crumbled Bacon , Monterey Jack and Jalapeno, Swiss and Fresh Herbs, Colby and Chive.  Just about any cheese that will melt smoothly can be used alone or with an added flavour element.

Another great idea is to consider blended cheese combinations!  You can also add some cooked sausage or ham for a complete lunch or dinner meal too.

Brown the sausage well to start building flavour

Brown some sausage and add it to the mac and cheese for a tasty variation.

We like to spice this mac and cheese up a little on occasion too, especially when serving it as a barbecue side dish. That’s when we add a pinch or two of chipotle powder, chilli powder or smoked paprika.

Like this recipe?

If you liked this recipe you’ll be sure to find many more to try and love in our collection of 26 Best BBQ Side Dishes.

26 Best Barbecue Side Dishes photo collage for Pinterest

Like this Mac and Cheese recipe?

You’ll find lots of other great ideas  in our Side Dishes Category.

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Quick and Easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese photo with title text added for Pinterest

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photo of Quick and Easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese in a red serving dish
Yield: 6 servings as a side dish

Quick and Easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Quick and Easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese - Forget powdered cheese in artificial neon colors, this easy mac and cheese is real food, comes together quickly, and the kids will love it.

Ingredients

  • ½ lb pasta, cooked al dente. We like penne and rotini best because they hold the cheese sauce so well.
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 12 ounces evaporated milk, split in 2 six ounce portions
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 ½ tsp dry mustard powder
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • 12 ounces aged cheddar cheese, grated and separated in 4 equal portions

Instructions

  1. Cook the pasta in salted water as instructed on the package. Don't overcook it; nobody likes mushy mac and cheese.
  2. Drain the pasta and add the butter stirring until completely melted. Cover until ready to add to the sauce.
  3. Whisk together 6 ounces of the milk, the eggs, salt, pepper and dry mustard. Add 2 portions of the cheese, then add this mixture to the pasta and butter.
  4. Cook over low heat stirring constantly until the cheese melts, then quickly add the remaining milk, stirring until smooth.
  5. Add the other two portions of cheese one at a time, stirring constantly until the cheese is completely melted. Serve immediately.

Notes

The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1 grams

Amount Per Serving Calories 535Total Fat 32gSaturated Fat 19gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 150mgSodium 695mgCarbohydrates 34gFiber 1gSugar 7gProtein 24g

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Heath

Sunday 7th of November 2021

Best and easiest recipe!

Janet

Wednesday 23rd of June 2021

Can regular milk 🥛 be used ? Don’t you hate when we want to adjust your recipe?

Lynn Parsons

Tuesday 29th of June 2021

Yes you can substitute regular milk but it won’t be as rich.

Louise

Tuesday 22nd of June 2021

Can this be divided into portions and frozen for later use?

Lynn Parsons

Tuesday 29th of June 2021

We haven’t tried that

Toula Monasteridis

Friday 8th of February 2019

Wow! Thank you for the recipe Barry! Best Mac and Cheese! Just made it :)! No neon orange radioactive waste dump here lol!

Connie

Friday 25th of May 2018

How many servings does this recipe yield? I'm planning on making it for 15 people. Should I double it Thanks

Barry C. Parsons

Monday 2nd of July 2018

The number of servings is showing as 6.

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