Easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese: No baking is necessary for this simple homemade mac and cheese recipe, which can be prepared in 15 minutes on the stovetop with just 8 ingredients! It’s time to give up packaged mac and cheese in favor of this incredibly smooth, creamy, and cheesy homemade dish!
Easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese
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Ingredients
Cheese Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder (optional but recommended)
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¼ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (8 oz)
Instructions
- Follow the directions on the package to cook the elbow macaroni. Remember to season the water used to boil the noodles with ¼ teaspoon of salt. After draining, put aside.
Prepare the cheese sauce as follows:
- In a small bowl, combine flour, sea salt, and garlic powder. Put aside.
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over a medium heat.
- Mix in flour mixture with a whisk.
- Cook mixture until mixture begins to brown, about 1 minute.
- After adding one cup of milk, whisk the liquid until it’s smooth.
- Whisk in Greek yogurt or sour cream until smooth.
- Simmer for three to five minutes, or until the sauce thickens, over medium-high heat. Keep it from boiling.
- After the mixture becomes thick enough to stick to the spatula, turn down the heat and stir in the cheese.
- Mix the mixture until it becomes smooth and the cheese melts. If needed, taste and adjust with extra salt or seasoning.
Put Together and Serve
- When the pasta is cooked, add it to the saucepan with the cheese sauce and stir to distribute the sauce evenly.
- Allow the macaroni and cheese to cool for three to five minutes, or until the cheese sauce has slightly thickened and adhered to the noodles.Warm up and serve!
ALSO SEE
Notes
How to Store Mac & Cheese
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Reheat
- Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave. You may need to add another 1-2 Tablespoons of milk to make the mac and cheese creamy again after storing.
Ingredient Substitutions:
- Macaroni. I have used just about every noodle variety under the sun to make this mac and cheese recipe, and it always turns out delicious! You can also use gluten-free pasta, whole wheat pasta, chickpea pasta, etc.
- All-Purpose Flour. There are a few substitutions that work well for the flour, including corn starch, tapioca starch/flour, and all-purpose gluten-free flour.
- Milk. Any kind of liquid dairy works well in this recipe. Just remember, the higher the fat content, the creamier your homemade mac and cheese will be. 2% milk, whole milk, half and half, and cream all work well!
- Sour Cream. I have used Greek yogurt in place of sour cream, with excellent results.
- Cheese. I recommend a high-quality medium-to-sharp cheddar cheese for the best flavor!
- Garlic powder. This ingredient is optional, but I think it adds just a touch of flavor that takes this mac and cheese recipe up a notch without making it unpalatable to kids. Adjust the amount to your family’s tastes!
Nutrition
- Serving: 0.5cup
- Calories: 271.1kcal
- Carbohydrates: 25.3g
- Protein: 12.3g
- Fat: 13.8g
- Saturated Fat: 8.5g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 3.5g
- Cholesterol: 41.7mg
- Sodium: 351mg
- Potassium: 102.8mg
- Fiber: 1.1g
- Sugar: 2.6g
- Vitamin A: 460IU
- Vitamin C: 0.1mg
- Calcium: 252mg
- Iron: 0.3mg
