There are two basic approaches to mac and cheese: baked or stovetop. My Mom’s baked mac and cheese was my all-time favorite dish from childhood, the first recipe I learned by heart, and still the very definition of comfort food for me. I need to get that recipe up on Saturdays with Frank sometime soon.
Today though, I’ve made the stovetop variety, which is also way up there in terms of warm, cheesy comfort in a bowl. It comes together in about ¼ the time of the baked variety – making it ideal for any time a mac and cheese craving attacks out of nowhere.
If you loved Kraft Macaroni and Cheese as a kid (or as recently as last week – I won’t tell), just wait until you taste the homemade version. Made with American and Cheddar cheeses (no grainy powder), it’s smoother and creamier than the stuff in the blue box, and super cheesy.
This mac and cheese can be a main dish, served with a salad or a simple veggie on the side such as steamed broccoli or green beans. It’s also a great side dish to go with roasted or fried chicken, baked ham, barbecued ribs, or meatloaf.
A few don’ts:
- Don’t substitute Velveeta for the American cheese, or you’ll risk ending up with grade-school-cafeteria-style mac and cheese, with a gloppy texture and a slightly off, chemical taste.
- Don’t be tempted by recipes that toss in 3, 4 or 5 different kinds of cheese, thinking that more must be better. All you need for the best flavor and texture are American (I use Kraft Deli Deluxe slices) and Cheddar (I use Cabot extra sharp).
- Don’t expect this mac and cheese to glow neon orange like the boxed mix, even if you use orange cheeses, as I did here. No matter what color cheese you use, the sauce will come out a creamy golden yellow. Some recipes for homemade stovetop mac and cheese will have you adding turmeric or other dark yellow spices or additives to achieve the classic color, but I find that unnecessary. In general, I believe homemade is better than anything you can get from a box or a package, and if I’m making a homemade version of something I don’t really aim to make an exact copy. I’m looking to take it up a notch, surpass the original with fresh ingredients, better flavors and textures.
Making this ahead and what to do with leftovers:
- If I’m making mac and cheese as a side dish and I need to focus on other dishes in the minutes before serving, I’ll make the mac and cheese first, then just push the pot to the back of the stove, cover it, and let it sit for up to an hour. A few minutes before serving, reheat it over medium low heat, and stir in a little more milk to loosen the sauce. Cook and stir until the macaroni is heated through.
- If you need to make it further ahead than an hour, or if you have leftovers, transfer the mac and cheese to an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave, stirring in a little milk to loosen, then heating gently and stirring often until the macaroni is heated through and the sauce is silky and smooth.
- Leftovers will keep 5 days.
To see this dish as part of a complete menu, including a game plan for timing and sequencing all the steps, check out my post for Saturday March 20, 2021.
Stovetop Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 12 ounces elbow pasta
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 ounces American cheese
- 3 ounces sharp Cheddar, shredded
- ½ cup whole milk, plus additional
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Step 1 Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add a small handful of salt and the elbows, and cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the shortest time in the range on the package. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta. Return the pot to the burner over medium-low heat.
- Step 2 Add the butter to the pot. When the butter is melted, add the cooked pasta, the American cheese (just lay the slices right in there on top of the pasta), and a generous splash of the reserved pasta cooking water. Heat the mixture, stirring constantly and adding more pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce, until the cheese is melted and the pasta is cooked just to al dente, about 2 minutes.
- Step 3 Stir in the Cheddar and the milk. Warm the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring to melt the Cheddar, but don’t let the sauce boil at this point or the cheese will separate. Stir and cook until all the cheese is melted and the sauce is creamy and smooth but still very loose. The sauce should look a little too runny, because it will thicken as it cools, so add a little more milk if needed.
- Step 4 Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove the pot from the heat and let the mac and cheese sit for 2 minutes before serving.
