This Creamy Stovetop Mac and Cheese is an easy 30-minute meal that your family will always agree on! It’s the BEST dinner recipe for a busy week and it’s easy to customize with different cheeses and add-ons.
Stovetop Mac and Cheese
It is really nice to have a few 30 minute meals that you can fall back on during a busy week, and this is definitely one of those recipes. It’s picky eater approved, takes no more then 30 minutes to make, and you can jazz it up all you want (more ideas on that below)!
The consistency of the cheese sauce is perfectly thick and creamy, (but not too thick). It’s just right. The flavors are enhanced with a touch of mustard powder and hot sauce, which you can’t taste at all in the recipe. (I promise).
Feel free to use a variety of different kinds of cheese for this recipe. Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Gouda, and Gruyere are all great options!
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Boil macaroni according to package instructions. Drain and set aside. Melt butter over medium heat and whisk in the flour. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the heavy cream/milk in splashes, stirring continuously. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Add hot sauce and seasonings.
Reduce heat to low and stir in the shredded cheese.
Add the drained macaroni and stir to combine. Serve!
What to Add to Mac and Cheese
- Pasta Options: Medium Shells, Cavatappi, Rotini, Fusilli/Bow Tie Pasta may also be used, just note that the cooking times may vary slightly.
- Cheeses: A combination of Smoked Gouda, Monterey Jack, Gruyere, Fontina, and Mozzarella may also be used. Note that extra sharp cheddar or aged cheeses won’t melt as well.
- Meats: Cooked Chicken, Ham, Pulled Pork, Bacon, Buffalo Chicken, Sausage, Kielbasa, and Hot Dogs.
- Vegetables: Corn, Peas, Mushrooms, Spinach, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Caramelized Onions, Green Onions.
Pro Tips
- Shred the cheese from a block as it will melt and taste much better than packaged shredded cheese. I use Cracker Barrel Sharp Yellow Cheese.
- You can’t taste the hot sauce or mustard powder in the mac and cheese, they are used as flavor enhancers. I usually use Texas Pete Hot Sauce. (Frank’s hot sauce is my trusty backup!)
- Love Mac and Cheese? Check out my recipes for the Crock Pot and Instant Pot. I also have a Copycat Panera Mac and Cheese, Chili Mac, Bacon Mac and Cheese and One Pot Broccoli Mac and Cheese!
Storage
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- 3.5 quart dutch oven. -This is the one I use and love, excellent quality.
- Box Cheese Grater– Shredding from a block tastes and melts much better than packaged cheese.
- Pinch Bowls– for measuring out seasonings ahead of time.
- Pasta Strainer– This is the one I have and love.
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Stovetop Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 cups macaroni, uncooked. (equal to 1/2 lb.)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup milk
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon each: salt/pepper
- ½ teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Pro tip: Shred the cheese from a block. It will melt and taste much better than packaged shredded cheese. See notes for brand of cheese that I use.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the macaroni. Bring back up to a boil and cook according to package instructions. Set a timer to avoid overcooking. Drain once cooked.
- While the pasta cooks, melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Use a silicone spatula to stir in the flour. Continue to stir for 1-2 minutes. Add the heavy cream/milk in splashes, stirring continuously. (If you add it too quickly you’ll “break” the roux and the sauce will be thin.)
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the seasonings and hot sauce. Reduce heat to low.
- Gradually sprinkle in the shredded cheese. Stir continuously until smooth and combined. Add the drained macaroni and stir to combine. Serve!
Notes
- I use Cracker Barrel Sharp Yellow Cheese for this recipe.
- You can't taste the hot sauce or mustard powder in the mac and cheese, they are used as flavor enhancers. I usually use Texas Pete Hot Sauce. (Frank's hot sauce is my trusty backup!)
Love Mac and Cheese? Check out my recipes for the Crock Pot and Instant Pot. I also have a Copycat Panera Mac and Cheese, Chili Mac, Bacon Mac and Cheese and One Pot Broccoli Mac and Cheese!
Delicious!!!
Yayyyy, thanks Kristen!❤️
2 cups of macaroni is 16 oz. It is not half a lb. It is 1 lb. half a lb is 8 oz
Hi Steve, that is not correct. 2 cups of uncooked macaroni is 8 oz, or 1/2 lb.
When u incorrectly mansplain measurements on a mac n cheese recipe 😂
Oh my gosh! Finally a homemade Mac and Cheese my kids will eat! This recipe is fantastic! We doubled it to have enough for our large family, next time I think we will have to triple it! Yum!
Oooh and I used 2/3 cheddar, 1/3 gouda in our mix of cheeses! Also added some garlic powder and omitted the hot sauce because of picky kids 😉
Oh, that sounds magnificent!!! Thank you for sharing, YUM!!
Hi Allyson!! I am thrilled that you and your family love this recipe!!! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it! -Stephanie
What hot sauce do you recommend?
I really like Franks!
delicioso! so very cheesy and comforting…thank you very much for this recipe!
You’re very welcome Summer, I’m so happy you thought it was delicious! My daughter loves this one. Thanks for the review!❤️
This is a fabulous stovetop option. I used a mix of Colby jack, provolone, and pepper jack as that’s what I had on hand. Turned out nice and creamy. I would make this one again in a heartbeat. I’ve been let down by other recipes for their lack of flavor. This one hits the mark. (I used ground white pepper, instead of black, and no extra salt.)
I’m so happy this hit the mark Dana! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review. I love your mix of cheeses!💗
Delicious! I added white pepper and it was heavenly
Yummm, nice addition Stacie! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!💗
Made this recipe! It was good but I like a lot of flavor in mine so I added half a teaspoon of lemon pepper, and a full teaspoon of hot sauce, an extra half cup of shredded cheese, another 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 cup of sour cream, and packet of kraft Mac and cheese seasoning. I was using the noodles from Kraft so it just made sense. With those additions it went from regular to outstanding. Thanks for the recipe!
You’re very welcome Kat, happy to hear you enjoyed it with the extra seasoning, nice work. Thanks so much for the great comments and review!💗
Awesome recipe! I was looking for a stovetop recipe and this one is great! I did add my own flair to it. First, I quadrupled the recipe ( big eaters in this house) and used 2 bricks of gruyere, one brick of horseradish cheese and one brick of sharp white cheddar. Heavenly!! Thanks so much for the recipe!!
You’re very welcome Anna, I love your tweaks! My husband would appreciate the horseradish cheese, yummm!❤️ Thanks so much for the great review!
This was easy, great, and loved by all! Perfect side dish I wonder who will get to the leftovers first!
I’m so happy this was such a victory Amy, I think you earned the leftovers!❤️