This creamy stovetop mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food side dish. It's rich, creamy, and made with gruyere and sharp cheddar cheese for maximum cheese flavor!
Make a batch of stovetop mac and cheese any night of the week. It's surprisingly simple to make from scratch and tastes way better than the boxed stuff.
This mac and cheese comes together in less than 30 minutes on the stovetop and is easy to customize. Make yours with macaroni or shells and your favorite types of melty cheeses.
Ground mustard, paprika, salt, and pepper add a mild savory flavor to the cheese sauce, making it perfect for the entire family. Add a dash of hot sauce (like in my baked mac and cheese) for a hint of heat and even more flavor!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Macaroni - Can be substituted with any medium sized pasta. Shells or penne are great options.
- Butter - Can be salted or unsalted.
- All-purpose flour - Necessary to make a roux along with the butter, which thickens your cheese sauce.
- Seasoning - Salt, pepper, paprika, and ground mustard add savory flavor to the cheese sauce. A dash of hot sauce also makes a great addition - I add it every time I make mac and cheese.
- Milk - Use whole milk for a richer, thicker cheese sauce. A higher fat milk also helps prevent the sauce from getting grainy or curdling. I do not recommend using 1% or skim milk in this recipe. Whole milk can be substituted with half & half for an even richer, thicker sauce.
- Shredded cheese - This recipe can be made with all sharp cheddar or all gruyere, but I enjoy the flavor from using both together. Any melty cheese works well in this recipe, like monterey jack or gouda. I highly recommend buying a block of cheese and grating it yourself. Most pre-shredded cheeses are coated in a powder to prevent clumping. When melted, it adds a grainy texture to the sauce.
Tips and tricks
Making a roux - Allow the butter and flour to cook for a minute or two before adding additional ingredients. This creates a roux. The roux helps thicken the sauce and coats the proteins in the cheese and milk, which prevents them from clumping together.
Use a high quality cheese - Preferably cheese that's shredded fresh from a block, not pre-shredded in a bag. Pre-shredded cheeses are coated in anti-clumping powders that add a grainy texture to sauces when melted.
Add cheese after removing from heat - Before adding and melting the cheese, remove the pot from the heat. When cheese is melted at too high a heat, it can curdle and separate.
Use whole milk - For creamy, smooth texture, use whole milk. The high fat content of whole milk helps coat the proteins, preventing them from clumping together.
Frequently asked questions
Cooked pasta and dairy-based sauces don't thaw well, so I don't recommend freezing cooked mac and cheese.
To help prevent the sauce from separating, I recommend reheating leftovers on the stovetop over medium-low heat and adding a splash of milk or cream to help maintain the creamy texture of the sauce. Too high of heat can cause the sauce to separate or get grainy.
Mains to serve with mac and cheese include oven roasted brats, baked chicken drumsticks, or oven baked ribs. Sides to add to mac and cheese include roasted cauliflower, a garden salad, or roasted frozen broccoli.
Add toppings like bacon or shredded rotisserie chicken to turn mac and cheese into a complete meal on its own. Green onions, a dash of hot sauce, jalapenos, or toasted bread crumbs also make great toppings. Check out my loaded mac and cheese recipe for more ideas.
Grainy sauce can happen for a few reasons. Using pre-shredded cheese in a bag can add a grainy texture when melted. Melting cheese at too high a heat can cause it to separate and add texture to the sauce. The fats in whole milk and regular cheese help them to withstand higher heat and are less likely to separate when cooked. Using low fat milk or cheese substitutes can cause your sauce to break more easily.
The salt, pepper, paprika, and ground mustard add a mild, savory flavor to this recipe. I highly recommend adding a dash of hot sauce for even more savory flavor. Just a dash isn't enough to make your mac and cheese "spicy".
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Stovetop Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 ounces macaroni, uncooked
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 16 ounces whole milk
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground mustard
- 6 ounces gruyere cheese, freshly shredded
- 6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded
Instructions
- In a pot of salted, boiling water, cook macaroni according to package directions for al dente pasta. Drain and set aside.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour and stir to combine, creating a paste. Cook for 1 minute. Add milk, paprika, salt, pepper, and ground mustard, and whisk constantly to incorporate. Cook until sauce thickens to your liking. This usually takes about 1 to 2 minutes, but can take longer. If sauce looks thin, continue cooking until it thickens.
- Remove your pot from the heat. Add shredded cheeses and stir until cheese is melted and fully incorporated.
- Add drained macaroni and stir to combine. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Recipe can be made with all shredded cheddar or all gruyere cheese if preferred.
- Cheese sauce too thick? Add a splash of milk.
- Recipe can be made with macaroni, shells, or your favorite medium sized pasta.
- To prevent a grainy sauce, use freshly shredded cheese from a block and whole milk, and remove your pot from the heat before adding cheeses.
- Add a dash of hot sauce for even more flavor!
I read comments about the sauce being too much and too runny, and the comments that it was all perfectly balanced. I should have listened to the former. Next time, I'll use only one cup of milk and see how that goes.
I've made this four times now and followed the recipe to the letter. The flavor is amazing but the sauce is always grainy. Suggestions?
Hi Don, the sauce can get grainy for a few reasons. If you're using pre-shredded cheese it can add a grainy texture due to the powders added to prevent clumping. If the cheese gets too hot while/after melting into the sauce, it can cause the fats to separate and add a grainy texture. I'd suggest stirring over low heat until the cheese has just melted, then remove from heat before adding your macaroni.
Excellent recipe. We enjoyed the flavor and creaminess. Thank you for sharing!
Yummy! Really easy to follow instructions, super simple and so fast to put together. I’ve made stovetop macaroni that had too much flour (or was it too little butter?), but this was pretty nice. Easy enough to adjust cheese and use less and add broccoli and rotisserie chicken for a complete meal. Thanks for such a great, usable recipe!