Stovetop Mac n' Cheese

This is my new favorite way to make macaroni and cheese.  I don’t think I can even look at the box of Kraft in my pantry and consider making it.  Think it will go in the donation box.
  Every once in a while my kids would ask for it but really only eat a bit of it.  Now, with this recipe, they clean their plate and ask for more!  They like it even better when I use their favorite cheese, Dubliner, from Costco.  It’s a sharp tasting white cheese from Ireland and once they sampled it there was no going back to plain old cheddar.  This is so easy and may even replace my baked macaroni.

I found that I ended up using more milk than the recipe calls for.  Basically I used 2 cups of milk for 1 ½ cups of macaroni.  It might make a difference if you use different shaped pasta such as shells which are a little thinner than regular macaroni noodles.  Play around with it when you try it to see what works best for you.  Make sure you don’t leave the stove though.  On my first attempt I stirred practically the entire time, on the second try I didn’t stir so much but just kept an eye on it.



Photo and Recipe courtesy of White on Rice Couple



The key to keeping this recipe creamy is to make sure the flame is low and to consistently stir the pot. The mac elbows need to be cooked slowly in the milk and any high heat will cause the milk to curl. Don’t leave the pot unattended.

Make sure you have both wet and dry measuring cups! Using the dry measuring cup to measure out the raw macaroni and wet cup for measuring out the liquid milk is crucial. There are volume differences between both dry and wet measuring cups. Read Here for more information.

Obviously with the stove top, there won’t be that cheesy crust that forms on top. But toppings of toasted bread crumbs or bacon should be a nice exchange.



2 cups large elbow Macaroni, uncooked (about 1/2 lb)
2 cups low fat Milk (about 16 oz)
if needed, additional 1/4 cup milk or water for final cooking
1 tablespoon Butter, for flavor ( I tried this recipe once without the butter and I didn’t notice any difference with the recipe. More heart healthy!)
1/2 teaspoon Mustard powder
1 teaspoon Salt, plus additional for final season later
generous dash of Nutmeg
1 cup Grated Cheese, any one or combination of  ( jack, cheddar, swiss, mozzarella, gouda, parmesan*, asiago*, pecorino*) *Hard cheeses are best combined with a secondary,  softer, better melting cheese.

additional toppings: bacon bits, bread crumbs, chopped parsley, diced tomatoes (optional)
black pepper to taste (optional)

1. Place raw elbow macaroni in colander and quickly rinse under water. Let drain.

2. In medium sauce pan (about 3.5 qt), add milk, raw elbow macaroni, salt, butter, mustard powder and nutmeg.



3. On medium heat, slowly bring milk/macaroni mixture to a simmer, stirring the macaroni frequently as it comes up to a simmer. This will separate macaroni and keep them from sticking together. DO NOT LEAVE THE STOVE! The milk mixture will come to a boil very quickly and leaving it unattended will leave a big mess on your stove stop.

4. Once mixture comes to a simmer, immediately turn down heat to LOW. Macaroni will slowly cook in the milk. Having your heat too high will evaporate the milk too quickly!

5. Continue to stir the mixture frequently so that macaroni will cook evenly and absorb milk evenly. If you don’t stir your mixture frequently, you will get a big clump of macaroni in the end! Stir, stir stir!

6. Cook for about 15-20 minutes or until milk has been fully absorbed. If macaroni is not cooked fully, add a little more milk or water  to mixture ( in small amounts) until macaroni is fully cooked. This will take about another 5 minutes.

7. When milk has evaporated, stir in grated cheese of your choice. Stir the  cheese evenly into the macaroni.



8. Turn off heat. Place lid on top of pan and cover for about 5 minutes. This rest period will allow macaroni to plump up and absorb any excess milk.

9. Take a final taste and add additional salt to taste. Before serving, stir one final time to mix everything together.

Serve immediately. Feeds about 3-4 people.