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Easy Mac and Cheese – Stovetop Recipe

Image: Macaroni & cheese in a pot being stirred with a spoon.
Image: Macaroni & cheese in a pot being stirred with a spoon.
Image: Macaroni & cheese in a pot being stirred with a spoon.

If you can boil pasta you can make this easy macaroni and cheese recipe. The recipe is simple and it comes together in the same amount of time it takes to make the one out of the box. Check out how easy it is to make in this recipe video.

Image: Macaroni & cheese in a pot being stirred with a spoon.

Ask a kid what one of their favorite food is, often the answer is: macaroni and cheese, of course!

While it’s always easy to pull out a box of the grocery store variety, and great to have it for emergencies where you’re out of milk or cheese, this recipe is worth making, on repeat. Once you’ve made this recipe using basic, real-food ingredients, your family will never want to go back to boxed macaroni.

If you’re trying to make more recipes at home using what you already have on hand, check out the Pantry Staples Meal Plan.

Inside the meal plan, you’ll find 2 weeks of delicious family meals made with simple, easy to find ingredients. This means you can go to the store a lot less, save money and still eat the food your family loves. More info here!

image: four photos in a collage showing clean meal ideas, text reads "healthy meal plan with pantry staples - cook with what you have!"

Back to this quick and easy macaroni and cheese recipe. This is what you need to know to make it.

Ingredients

With just six easy ingredients, this mac and cheese recipe is easy to whip up. You’ll need:

  • Pasta
  • Milk
  • Shredded Cheese
  • Flour
  • Salt
  • Dijon Mustard

Mac and Cheese Add-Ins

My kids would eat mac every day if I let them, and sometimes, it’s easier to just go for it. If you’re making this recipe often, you can mix it up by adding in some extras. Here are some of our family favorites:

  • Bacon Bits – store-bought or homemade
  • Grated Parmesan or Romano
  • Ground beef, cooked
  • Cubed ham
  • Leftover chicken
  • Tuna fish
  • Chopped veggies: peas, carrots, broccoli, peppers

Really, the sky is the limit when it comes to mix-ins because everything is better with cheese sauce!

Image: Mac & Cheese in a thermos container

How to Make Stovetop Mac & Cheese

This recipe is SO EASY, just five steps, and one of those is putting it on the table!

https://youtu.be/CtWo3IiTdA4

1. Cook the Pasta – Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain & set to the side.

2. Start the Simple Sauce – Warm 1 cup of milk in a saucepan over medium heat. In a small bowl whisk ½ cup of milk and 2 tablespoons of flour until there are no lumps. When steam begins rising from the warm milk, whisk in the extra milk & flour mixture. Continue whisking until the milk thickens to the consistency of heavy cream. This should take 3-4 minutes.

3. Add the Cheese – Turn the heat to low and add shredded cheese to the milk. Stir in the salt and mustard. Adjust the seasoning as desired. Remove from Heat.

4. Mix it All Together – Combine the pasta and half of the cheese sauce. Stir until the cheese coats the pasta evenly and then add the rest of the cheese sauce and any desired mix-ins.

5. Serve! – Dish it up into bowls and serve this warm, creamy mac & cheese right away. YUM!

How Long Does Mac & Cheese Last?

Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week, but this recipe is always such a hit, it’s hard to find them in the fridge that long unless you double the recipe.

You can also freeze macaroni and cheese if you’re planning on saving it for a later day. When reheating, you can add a splash of milk to make it just as creamy as the first day.

Related: How to Freeze Mac & Cheese

Not only does this mac and cheese make a great lunch at home, but your kids will be the envy of their classmates when they pull it out of their lunch box at school.

Print Recipe| Pin Recipe

Easy Creamy Mac & Cheese Recipe

★★★★★

4.8 from 4 reviews

This easy, no-roux mac and cheese recipe is the ultimate comfort food, with fresh, real ingredients!

  • Author: MOMables
  • Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minute
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
  • Cuisine: Lunch

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound pasta, any shape
  • 1 ½ cups milk
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons dijon mustard

Instructions

  1. In a large pot, over medium-high heat, bring water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and set aside.
  2. Once the pasta is cooked, start on the cheese sauce.
  3. Warm 1 cup of the milk in a saucepan over medium heat.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining ½ cup of milk and the 2 tablespoons of flour until there are no lumps and set aside.
  5. When the milk in the pot is warm and you begin to see steam rising from the milk, whisk in the milk-and-flour mixture. Continue whisking until the milk thickens slightly to the consistency of heavy cream, for about 2 to 3 minutes.
  6. Turn the heat down to low and add the shredded cheese into the milk. With the whisk, stir to combine. Add in the salt and dijon mustard. Continue to stir until all the cheese has melted and the sauce is creamy. Turn off heat.
  7. Add the pasta to the pot and with a large spoon, combine the sauce with the pasta until it’s evenly coated.
  8. Serve the mac and cheese immediately while still warm. Leftovers will keep for up to a week and can be reheated. If the sauce is a little dry after re-heating, mix in a splash of milk to make it creamy again!

Equipment

The Best Homemade Kids’ Lunches on the Planet

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two non stick pans

Non-Stick Pan

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Notes

  • For a gluten free version, use gluten free pasta and an all purpose gluten free baking flour.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 bowl
  • Calories: 319
  • Sugar: 4.1g
  • Sodium: 507.3mg
  • Fat: 6.6g
  • Saturated Fat: 3.7g
  • Carbohydrates: 46.9g
  • Fiber: 1.9g
  • Protein: 16.8g
  • Cholesterol: 15.3mg

Did you make this recipe?

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Karishma

    February 28, 2017 at 5:45 pm

    My kids are allergic to milk and milk products so I was wondering if I can use soy or almond milk and dairy free cheese instead of regular milk and cheese in this recipe?

    Thanks,
    Karishma.

    Reply
    • MOMables

      February 28, 2017 at 10:17 pm

      If you can’t use dairy or cheese, try this recipe http://www.laurafuentes.com/better-than-boxed-homemade-mac-cheese-dairy-free-vegan/ Enjoy!

      Reply
  2. Serena

    February 01, 2017 at 7:26 pm

    Delicious. Next time I think I will add just a little more dijon mustard and a sharp cheddar…. I used mild for the first time. Though a colby jack would be good too. :)

    ★★★★

    Reply
  3. Marianne

    March 30, 2016 at 4:28 pm

    I just made this and it’s delicious! And my kids liked it! Thank you!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • MOMables

      March 31, 2016 at 11:24 am

      Those are the best recipes! Awesome, Marianne!

      Reply
  4. Sabrina

    March 29, 2016 at 4:09 pm

    Can this be frozen? For how long?
    Thanks! :)

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • MOMables

      March 31, 2016 at 11:29 am

      Yes you can freeze this! I’d defrost and then reheat on the stove. Probably up to a month or so!

      Reply
  5. Margaret Anne @ Natural Chow

    May 05, 2014 at 9:57 am

    This recipe looks so simple and delicious. I think I’m going to try it with whole wheat pasta though. What a great recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • MOMables

      May 07, 2014 at 5:41 pm

      thanks Margaret!

      Reply
  6. Liz

    February 27, 2014 at 10:49 am

    You mentioned three possible cheeses. What cheese did you use or did you do a mixture of all three? I’m thinking of doing white cheddar. Do you think that would work well? Should I lean toward sharp or mild?

    Reply
    • MOMables

      February 28, 2014 at 4:05 pm

      Liz, the beauty of macaroni and cheese is that nearly any cheese works! I like white sharp cheddar as one of them.. others use gouda… what you use is up to you. it is, after all… one of those “for the love of cheese!” recipes :)

      Reply
    • Liz

      March 04, 2014 at 12:07 pm

      Thank you. I will try the white sharp cheddar.

      I’m not a fan of dijon mustard. Can that be left out? Could I just put some pepper in its place?

      Reply
      • Liz

        March 09, 2014 at 10:35 am

        I do have yellow mustard that I could use if you have to use mustard. Can you substitute yellow for dijon?

        Reply
        • MOMables

          March 09, 2014 at 5:03 pm

          You sure can Liz. Enjoy!

          Reply
          • Liz

            March 10, 2014 at 7:34 am

            I can skip the mustard and use pepper? or I can use yellow mustard instead of dijon? or both?

            Thanks!

  7. vinu

    September 12, 2013 at 11:26 am

    my only question my kids find it a bit lumply or should i stay stuck together when they open their lunch ,even thermos !1 can you help

    Reply
    • MOMables

      September 12, 2013 at 3:34 pm

      Add liquid when you reheat it will gain back the creamy texture.

      Reply
  8. Rachael

    May 19, 2013 at 10:45 pm

    Made this for the family the other day and it was a hit! Sent the leftovers in my daughter’s thermos the next day for lunch. That is, once I stopped my husband from helping himself to them!

    Reply
    • MOMables

      May 19, 2013 at 10:49 pm

      Thank you Rachel for letting me know your family enjoyed it! It’s hard for me to keep everyone from eating it all too!

      Reply
  9. Laura

    January 03, 2013 at 7:34 pm

    Made this gluten free by using brown rice pasta and using corn starch in place of the flour. It was really easy and came out super creamy. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Laura

      January 03, 2013 at 9:47 pm

      thank you Laura! glad you were able to adjust and your family enjoyed the meal!

      Reply
  10. Katie

    November 28, 2012 at 1:46 pm

    Can you use RF milk and cheese?

    Reply
  11. Katie

    November 03, 2012 at 6:12 pm

    So if you use it for school lunches, eat kids eat it cold?

    Reply
    • AlisonBickel

      November 03, 2012 at 6:20 pm

      Katie, When I send it in my kids lunch I put it in a thermos to keep warm.

      Reply
  12. Michele

    October 25, 2012 at 4:02 pm

    Is there a sub for dijon mustard? I don’t have any in the pantry. Thanks!

    Reply
    • alison

      October 25, 2012 at 5:39 pm

      Michele, you could also use a teaspoon of dry mustard. If you don’t have that it’s okay to leave it out altogether, it just adds a bit of tanginess and flavor to the mac ‘n cheese.

      Reply

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