Easy One Pot Macaroni and Cheese
This easy one pot macaroni and cheese recipe has to be one of the best kept secrets in the culinary world. And if you or your family loves macaroni and cheese, I not only urge you to try it, but I also challenge you to find a better, easier method for making this classic favorite treat.
Because nothing beats how easy this version is to make. It only requires one pot, you do not have to make a roux for thickening the sauce and you don’t need to cook the macaroni ahead of time. You just dump most of the ingredients into the pot, cook, stir and serve.
And believe me when I say–your final product won’t be a bunch of dry macaroni with stringy lumps of cheese looking for something to cling to. It will turn out to be perfectly cooked macaroni nestled in a creamy, zesty cheese sauce.
How Do You Make Easy One Pot Macaroni and Cheese?
The process for making this macaroni and cheese is very simple. As the macaroni cooks in a mixture of milk, water and salt, you stir it vigorously. This action agitates the macaroni noodles, causing it to release the starches that are already present in the pasta while it cooks. This is very similar to the process of making risotto.
You start vigorously stirring the mixture 5 minutes into cooking, leaving another 2 minutes for beating and cooking further. When you do this, you will notice the milk starting to thicken, creating a sauce. You then stir in the cheese until melted, and your macaroni and cheese is ready!
I really hope you’ll give this easy stove top macaroni and cheese recipe a try. I know when you do, you might never bother with any other recipe again. And don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment about how it turned out for you!
If you liked this recipe, you might also enjoy these easy savory dishes!
- Cheesy Cauliflower Bake
- Heinz Copycat Baked Beans
- Haluski – Fried Cabbage and Noodles
- Hamburger Helper Copycat
- Turkish Style Green Beans
Easy One Pot Macaroni & Cheese
Ingredients
- 1½ cups milk
- 1 cup water
- 1½ cups macaroni uncooked
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups cheddar cheese grated or chopped
- Additional milk or cream for thinning
Instructions
- In a medium sized pot, combine the milk, water, macaroni and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to ensure macaroni is not sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Once mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 3 minutes.
- After 3 minutes, begin stirring the mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon as it continues to cook. This action is essential as it releases the starch from the macaroni, causing the milk to form into a sauce. Continue this vigorous beating for 4-5 minutes while it cooks, until the milk looks creamy and the macaroni is al dente.
- Add cheese and stir until it is completely melted into the sauce. If you are using chopped cheese, you can leave little bits here and there still showing for a more homestyle look. Add a little more milk or cream if necessary and it will become more creamy. Cover and let rest for 2 minutes. Serve immediately as a meal or side dish.