Homemade Stovetop Mac and Cheese

A saucepan full of homemade Mac and cheese.

5 from 9 votes

Homemade Stovetop Mac and Cheese

This easy mac and cheese recipe is made completely on the stovetop and without any odd ingredients. Have your side dish or main course on the table in under 30 minutes!

Prep Time10

Bake Time6

Total Time16

Recipe Author Lynn April

Servings: 12 servings

Ingredients

▢ 2 Tablespoon (28g) unsalted butter
▢ 2 Tablespoons (15g) all-purpose flour
▢ 2 cups (480mL) water
▢ 4 cups (960mL) milk I prefer whole
▢ 1 teaspoon salt
▢ ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
▢ ¼ teaspoon onion powder
▢ 1 pound (454g) elbow macaroni uncooked
▢ 4 cups (452g) shredded cheddar cheese¹

Need to keep track of your ingredients?Check out my Printable Ingredient List!

Instructions

In a large pot or deep saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour, then whisk until combined.
2 Tablespoon (28g) unsalted butter, 2 Tablespoons (15g) all-purpose flour
Add the water and whisk mixture until smooth. Add the milk and whisk again until everything is combined.
2 cups (480mL) water, 4 cups (960mL) milk
Add the salt, garlic powder, and onion powder and whisk one more time until combined.
1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder
Add the uncooked macaroni elbows then increase the heat to bring the mixture to a boil. Immediately turn down the heat and simmer² the mixture while stirring constantly for 6 minutes, or until the noodles are at desired tenderness.
1 pound (454g) elbow macaroni
Reduce the heat to low, then stir in the shredded cheese until smooth. Serve immediately. Store leftovers covered tightly in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Mac and cheese freezes well, up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator.
4 cups (452g) shredded cheddar cheese1

Notes

Shredded cheese: I highly recommend shredding cheese off the block for this mac and cheese recipe. Pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking additives on it that inhibit melting completely smooth.
Simmer: it's imperative the heat isn't too high so that the liquid evaporates too quickly. Adjust the temperature as needed. You can always remove some of the liquid after the noodles are completely cooked if you think it's too wet. Keep in mind, though, that the noodles will absorb moisture as they sit.

Nutrition Disclosure

All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.