Beat those winter blues with the ultimate comfort food: homemade Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese! This American favorite takes less than 30 minutes and can be served as a complete family-friendly dinner or a side dish for a family dinner or winter holiday. Made with evaporated milk, cream cheese, and whole milk for the creamiest homemade mac and cheese you'll ever have.
"This was SO good! My family is already asking for more!"
Table Of Contents
This ultra creamy stovetop macaroni and cheese is made with a blend of 3 cheeses, plus a combination of milk and evaporated milk and a seasoned paprika roux to make it extra creamy and delicious. It's a simple stovetop macaroni and cheese recipe that's ready to eat in less than 30 minutes and will please the whole family.
We make a lot of variations of mac and cheese, and it's hard to pick a favorite. We love a 4-cheese macaroni and cheese dinner that fools my kids into thinking their eating Chick-fil-A and a southern baked mac and cheese when we have holiday dinners. You can also change it up by pressure cooking a hidden veggie mac or broccoli cheddar mac and cheese for picky eaters. And for adults who love buffalo chicken, check out this slow cooker buffalo chicken mac and cheese.
Ingredients
To give our mac and cheese it's amazing creamy texture and incredible flavor, you need:
- evaporated milk
- cream cheese
- whole milk
- flour
- butter
- paprika
- extra sharp yellow cheddar cheese
- white cheddar cheese
- short pasta: elbows, farfalle, cavatappi, wagon wheels, etc.
Tips from the Chef
- The best macaroni and cheese recipes alway start with a roux made of butter and flour. I add paprika to season my roux. Not only does the paprika give mac and cheese a stronger taste, but it gives it a fabulous yellow-orange hue.
- For the best outcome don't use a package of shredded cheese. Buy a block of cheese and do the shredding yourself. It will melt better to make a smooth and creamy sauce.
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (cover so it boils quickly). Add pasta to the boiling water and cook 8-10 minutes. Drain.
- While the water boils and pasta cooks make the sauce. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large shallow pan until it's foamy. Add the flour and paprika and whisk constantly until a paste forms, about 1 minute.
- Add the whole milk, evaporated milk, and cream cheese. Whisk frequently, breaking up the cream cheese with a wooden spoon. Bring to a low boil. This takes about 5-6 minutes.
- Add the shredded cheese to the milk mixture 1 cup at a time. Whisk constantly until it's melted and smooth, about 3 minutes total. Season with salt and let boil for 2 more minutes while whisking constantly.
- Immediately add the cheese sauce to the cooked pasta and serve warm.
What To Serve With Mac and Cheese
Mac and cheese makes a hearty and cozy meal on it's own. You can serve it with a fresh garden salad or caesar salad, a bowl of soup or some air fried chicken nuggets for the kids.
How To Store
Mac and cheese keeps in the fridge for 5-7 days in a covered airtight container. It's freezer-friendly for about 6 months. When stored you'll notice the cheese sauce appears crumbly. It will become creamy again when reheated.
Recipe
Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 ounces elbow pasta
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 ½ cups evaporated milk
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup cream cheese
- 2 cups white cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 cups extra sharp yellow cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 teaspoon salt
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (cover so it boils quickly). Add pasta to the boiling water and cook 8-10 minutes. Drain.
- While the water boils and pasta cooks make the sauce. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large shallow pan until it's foamy. Add the flour and paprika and whisk constantly until a paste forms, about 1 minute.
- Add the whole milk, evaporated milk, and cream cheese. Whisk frequently, breaking up the cream cheese with a wooden spoon. Bring to a low boil. This takes about 5-6 minutes.
- Add the shredded cheese to the milk mixture 1 cup at a time. Whisk constantly until it's melted and smooth, about 3 minutes total. Season with salt and let boil for 2 more minutes while whisking constantly.
- Immediately add the cheese sauce to the cooked pasta and serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Midmodtom says
Recipe testing for the holidays led me to this and I found exactly what I have been looking for! Thank you! I added nutmeg, dry mustard and cayenne, but I think anyone can season it up or not as they wish. It is the sauce made with evaporated milk, cream cheese, and grated cheeses that makes this the best. Thank you!
Lilly says
THis mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food! Thanks for the delicious recipe!
Christina says
This was SO good! My family is already asking for more!
Amy says
Oh this recipe looks ultra creamy and so delicious! I have never done it with evaporated milk before and now I'm curious to try. I like my Mac 'n' cheese with a little bit of heat so I add some chilli pepper flakes at the end. Will try it this weekend!
Elizabeth says
Such a fabulous, comforting dish the whole family loves! Delish!
Alexandra says
For me, there is no better comfort food than Mac and cheese, and this recipe is ideal - so creamy and delicious!
AnnieBananie says
This recipe is amazing and so cheesy delicious. I added a generous amount of garlic hot sauce to give it a kick. It tastes great in the pot, baked with bread/Panko crumbs and as microwaved leftovers. Thanks for posting!
Kristina says
Oh, garlic hot sauce sounds delicious!! Now if only my little ones would eat it..! Thank you for the feedback, I am glad you enjoyed it.
Jessica Smith says
I did the same! Made a double recipe batch of Mac n cheese, grilled 6 chicken breast with “Slap yo momma” seasoning then sliced the chicken on top and drizzled garlic hot sauce and Chalula! It was soooo good! I have deep metal pan for lasagna and it all fit great. I don’t think it would have fit in a std 11” x 9” pan.
Debra Balzli says
made this for the kids for Thanksgiving. Will let you know how they liked it. I did add 1 tsp of dry mustard.