Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese
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The 30 days of macaroni and cheese are back! Every January for the last few years I have teamed up with the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board to share a new macaroni and cheese recipe with you in conjunction with their blog, 30 Days, 30 Ways with Macaroni and Cheese. No one needs to twist my arm to try new macaroni and cheese recipes and this year was no exception. I am typically a big fan of baked macaroni and cheese – the combination of ooey gooey mac and cheese and the crusty pieces on top and around the edges really is phenomenal. That being said, I realized recently that I was still lacking a recipe for a quick stove-top version. Up until this recipe, if I was craving mac & cheese and wasn’t up to putting together a whole baked recipe, I would run to the store for a box of the blue stuff to get my fix (hanging my foodie head in shame). No more!
Much like any other macaroni and cheese recipe, you can customize these cheeses to suit your tastes, but I really like the combination of mild cheeses here. I’ve played around with other cheese varieties in dishes such as Grown Up Mac and Cheese and Mushroom-Herb Macaroni and Cheese, but for this quick stove-top version I stuck with a mix of mild cheeses that created a familiar taste and texture to what most of us grew up eating as kids. When it comes to comfort food, simple is most often best :) You could always use all of one cheese if you’d like, or adjust the ratios. Enjoy and be creative!
What’s your favorite macaroni and cheese recipe?
Head over to the Macaroni and Cheese Blog and spend an entire month drooling over macaroni and cheese recipes. That’s my plan!
One year ago: Caramelized Onion, Mushroom & Gruyere Tartlets
Two years ago: English Muffins
Three years ago: Classic Vanilla Ice Cream[/donotprint]
Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 12 ounces (340.2 ml) evaporated milk, divided
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon water
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt, plus additional 1½ teaspoons for pasta water
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) ground black pepper
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) elbow macaroni, (2 cups )
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) mild Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) American cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
Instructions
- In a small cup, dissolve the dry mustard in the water; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, 1 cup of the evaporated milk, dry mustard mixture, salt, and pepper; set aside.
- Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large Dutch oven. Add the pasta and 1½ teaspoons salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Drain the pasta and return to the pot over low heat. Add the butter and stir until completely melted.
- Add the egg mixture and three-quarters of the cheese mixture to the pasta and toss until thoroughly combined and the cheese starts to melt. Gradually add the remaining evaporated milk and remaining cheese mixture, stirring constantly, until the mixture is hot and creamy, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
I needed a side for chicken tonight and I didn’t feel like doing potatoes. This was really good and very easy. I used sharp cheddar because I had a big piece leftover from something I made last week and I had Colby Jack cheese on hand so I used that and I still thought it taste really good. Thanks for the recipe.
I love mac and cheese but am very picky about it, i don’t tend to like the baked version, because most of the time i find it dry, and i’m not a fan of roux based mac and cheese for re-heating purposes, so when i saw this, it was perfect! i did find it quite liquidy, but it thickened over time and the sauce was delicious! i used a mix of mild cheddar, sharp cheddar and havarti and for me this provided the perfect flavour. i also added a few dashes of hot sauce, i like my mac and cheese with a bit of punch. It was a hit with me and my husband, thanks for such an easy and adaptable recipe!
Hi there! I had your mac & cheese at a Thanksgiving a couple years ago and it blew me away!!! I wanted to make it this year for my 10 guests (!!) coming, but wanted to know if you’d recommend just doubling or trippling all your ingredients… or how you’d change it? Also, do you think it’d be okay prepared ahead, or would you make day of?
Hi Katie, Yes, you could double or triple for whatever quantity you need. I would not recommend preparing ahead though, it’s definitely best fresh!
I just discovered your blog and am eager to try several of your recipes. This Mac n cheese one sounds delish. I am an expat living in England. I can get a processed cheese that comes wrapped in single slices but we don’t have “American” cheese or Velveeta here. Would you suggest the sliced cheese or something else?
Hi Susan, I would use the single slices – that would probably be closest.
Thank you Michelle. I’ll give it a try :)
The start of the fall semester is just upon me, and I often feel a craving for mac ‘n cheese studying late at night. At times I won’t have the time even to whip up a box of mac ‘n cheese (school + work + novel), and Mom won’t make it all the time!
Clearly I needed to make a huge batch, vacuum package it up in portions, and hoard my bundles of golden treasure in the freezer for when I need them.
Looked all around the vast interweb for a recipe; so many were too variant on the classic, or too fancy, or would use all the pots in my kitchen, or were white sauce only. I’ve been frequenting your blog for a while, so I was pleased to see that this particular recipe of yours was just right.
I made this last night for my family and they loved it!
I used sharp cheddar instead of mild, Kolby instead of American, then tossed in some aged cheddar at the end for some kick. I only had half the ground dry mustard, so I dumped in a blurt of Dijon mustard, split the pepper half-black half-white, and a pinch of paprika and cayenne pepper.
For the pasta I ended up using 14 oz of wholegrain penne.
Served this up with grilled Hebrew National beef franks cut up and arranged on top, and steamed green beans on the side.
I know this post is 2 years old… but I have been searching for the perfect mac and cheese for a couple years. THIS IS IT!! I omitted the mustard because I’ve never liked the taste of mustard in other recipes. Added a sprinkle of cayenne at the end. Absolutely delicious!
Just made it! Best Mac and cheese ever!
Hi Michelle~
Such a tough Pens loss we had against Boston :( But, here’s my question on this recipe: what is the purpose of the eggs? Do they make it creamier? Just wondering because I’ve never seen eggs in a Mac & Cheese recipe. This looks delicious & I plan on trying it just as you have it, eggs included – I’ll broaden my food horizon:)
I know, it was heartbreaking! Eggs are called for in a lot of stovetop mac and cheese recipes for creaminess. I think you could omit them if you like, but try it with first and see what you think!
I have been looking for a homemade mac n cheese recipe for a while. My husband and I are trying to get away from box mixes and processed junk like Velveeta. I was also drawn to this recipe because it doesn’t call for flour. In other recipes I have found that flour makes for bland, gritty mac n cheese. I made this last night and it was perfect! Very creamy and tasty. This one is definitely going in my recipe box!
Just made it and it was absolutely delish with stewed tomatoes on top!!! Yum will definately be making this kind from now on. Thank you for the recipe :)
Hi Michelle!
I know that in response to another comment you said you use Land O Lakes American cheese from the deli, but in Canada you can’t get anything like that! So would you recommend Velveeta? I don’t even think I KNOW what American cheese is!
Thank you!
Hi Heather, Kraft is also a very popular brand of American cheese, they sell slices in the dairy aisle (see here: http://www.kraftrecipes.com/kraftcheese/singles.aspx). If you can’t find American cheese, yes you could substitute Velveeta. Enjoy!
Thanks Michelle! I made this for supper tonight and it was really, REALLY, good!!!
I don’t eat eggs, what do I substitute them with and what quantity?
it looks really delicious!
Hi Samantha, I am honestly not sure about an appropriate substitute here. You could try eliminating the eggs and evaporated milk and make a basic white sauce with butter, flour and milk instead.
Thank you so much Michelle!
Can i use regular mustard or does it have to be dry mustard? Thanks!
Hi Melissa, Dry mustard is a spice, so substituting regular mustard wouldn’t work here, but if you don’t care for it or don’t have any handy, you can just omit it.
Made this last night. So yummy! Who knew you could make macaroni casserole without the casserole? I didn’t have macaroni noodles so I used some organic whole wheat spiral pasta I had and substituted the evap milk with heavy whipping cream. Came out delish! A hit with the family.
we made myron mixon’s spare ribs, Paula Deens Collard greens and this mac and cheese for dinner tonight. It is on the stove now and is lookin’ good!! Only thing i did was added some freshly grated onion – yum.. Husband and kids took a taste and love it. I tried it, it is very rich and creamy, will probably make again…Thanks!! My guess is that this will freeze well?!?
I make this for my college roommates and they are in loveeee thanks for making me feel domestic at even 22!
Oops that should say carrots and yams* above.
Made this tonight, it was great! I didn’t quite need all the evap milk.
For all you moms out there who try and get their kids to eat more veggies, I always add steamed and puréed carrots and tan to my sons mac n cheese. It does not affect the taste an actually will help make the Mac n cheese a nice richer color. I learned this from The Sneaky Chef cookbook. I freeze the purée in ice cube trays and then just defrost for 30 seconds and add to the Mac n cheese.