"My easy stovetop mac and cheese recipe is the creamiest, most delicious I’ve made. Thanks to a simple homemade cheese sauce (with a couple secret ingredient!), this macaroni and cheese is on your table in under 30 minutes!"
Even when you're super busy, you don't have to settle for instant mac and cheese made with lumpy, bland powdered cheese. You can make this during the week after a long day, and sit and enjoy a bowl of comfort food.
Un-Baked Mac & Cheese
Servings – 8 Prep Time – 10 Minutes Cook Time – 30 Minutes
Ingredients:
1 lb elbow, shells or spiral macaroni, any pasta you like will work as well
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 can - 10 1/2 ounces condensed cheddar cheese soup
3 cups milk, whole or 2% reduced fat preferred
1 pound cheddar cheese, shredded
4-ounces cream cheese, softened, optional
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 sleeve Ritz or other butter crackers, crushed
Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta, and then follow package directions, but cook 1 minute less than the package calls for. Drain.
Melt the butter in a large, high-sided pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter and whisk it into the butter (it will be thick, almost paste consistency). Continue to whisk until it smells toasted and looks light brown, 1 to 2 minutes.
While whisking, pour in a cup of the milk. Whisk until smooth (it will thicken), then whisk in another cup until smooth, and finally whisk in the last cup.
Continue to cook, constantly whisking until the sauce begins to simmer and thickens. The sauce only thickens after it has reached a simmer.
Turn the heat to low then stir in the cream cheese. When the cream cheese is mostly melted into the sauce, stir in the cheddar cheese soup. Once the cream cheese is melted and the soup is combined, add the cheddar cheese; a handful at a time, until it melts into the sauce. Season with salt and black pepper. If the flavor does not pop, add a bit more salt.
Stir in the cooked pasta. It will look like there is too much sauce, don’t worry. The pasta will absorb the extra moisture as it stands. Turn off head and let sit for 5 minutes.
Crush the sleeve of butter crackers.
Stir mac and cheese once more, add crushed crackers to the top and serve.
Serve alone or with my Speedy Chicken and Roasted Asparagus for a family meal!
Notes:
You can jazz up this recipe into a marvelous casserole dinner dish!
Add ins:
Chopped cooked bacon and chunks of tomatoes for a fresh casserole.
Chunks of lobster or imitation crab meat for seafood casserole dish.
Chunks of smoked ham or cut up hotdogs
Cooked bag of frozen broccoli florets and a can or two of tuna fish for a tuna casserole.
Shredded chicken and a bag of cooked frozen carrots for a potpie-ish casserole.
This recipe is one food you can play with!
Nutrition:
Calories 571 / Total Fat 31.9g /Saturated Fat 18.2g / Cholesterol 89.6mg / Sodium 564.7mg / Carbohydrate 48.7g /Dietary Fiber 2g / Total Sugars 2.3g / Protein 21.8g
"This recipe is a keeper. Makes a large pot of mac and cheese for a family, douple the recipe for a crowd. Great to transport for potlucks and cookouts!"
CWT is not a certified dietician or nutritionist. Any nutritional information shared on this site is an estimate counted through measurements and package nutritional information used in each recipe. If calorie, macro counting and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through your choice of nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary depending on national brands used per recipe.