Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese Recipe (2024)

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By Rosie Published: August 30, 2015 Updated: July 11, 2023
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Easy Creamy Cheesy Mac and Cheese!

Hey friends! Remember about a year ago, when I said that I was done uploading macaroni and cheese recipes? Well- I LIED! I was looking over my recipes, and I couldn’t believe that I have yet to share my Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese recipe! Like seriously, how did I miss this one?! Anyways, if you are a macaroni and cheese lover, you are going to love this recipe. It’s super creamy, cheesy, and it takes very little time to make- which is PERFECT for those busy weeknights! Let me tell you how I make it!

This mac and cheese recipe is simple. You don’t have to worrying about using a ton of ingredients, being in the kitchen too long, are using a ton of pots & pans. Everything is kept to a minimum, and the finished result is nothing short of amazing! By the way- this recipe is freezable. So feel free to make some for now, and later!

Creamy Stovetop Macaroni & Cheese

Mac & cheese is the ultimate comfort food! This recipe is creamy, extra-cheesy, and super easy to make. This might be your new favorite mac & cheese recipe!

Watch Video Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword Macaroni & Cheese

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups large elbow macaroni pasta
2 cups half and half
2 cups water
2 tbsp salted butter
8 oz Velvetta Cheese cubed
1 1/2 cup Sharp cheddar cheese shredded
Salt & Pepper if needed

Instructions

Pour the cups of water and half & half into a large sauce pan, and bring it to a boil.
Add in the butterand pasta.
Reduce the heat to medium and cook until pasta starts to get tender.
Add in the Velveeta cheese and stir it in until all of the cheese melts.
Continue to cook until the cheese sauce thickens and the pasta is cooked.
Sprinkle in the cheddar cheese and fold it in.
Reduce the heat to low.
Taste, andadd salt & pepper if needed.
Serve, or freeze for a later date.

Video

Last Step! If you loved this recipe, leave me a review below. This helps futurerecipe makers and ensures continued high-quality recipes for years to come!

Recipe by: I Heart Recipes

MEET THE RECIPE AUTHOR

Rosie

I’m a Soul Food blogger living in the Pacific Northwest, bringing Southern cooking to gorgeous Seattle, Washington. I was born and raised in the PNW, but my family roots go all the way to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where my grandparents were born and raised. I live every day to bring the traditional values, recipes, and love of food to life for my family—whether they’re online or in real life. So, welcome to the party, family!

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Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese Recipe (10)

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Reader Interactions

Comments

LaTavia says
September 1, 2015 at 11:45 am
Looks yummy and soooo creamy 😛 cant wait to try this…. my family loves mac and cheese any style. Thanks Rosie xoxoxo
Reply
- Rosie says
  September 1, 2015 at 4:56 pm
  Thanks for stopping by!
  Reply
  - Roxy says
    December 6, 2016 at 6:35 pm
    How many serving is this recipe for? Sorry for my bad English
    Reply
    - Rosie says
      December 6, 2016 at 8:36 pm
      Hi Roxy, at least 6.
      Reply
Natalie Kenny says
September 2, 2015 at 4:56 pm
Thank you so much for this simple recipe. My children loved it!
Reply
- Rosie says
  September 2, 2015 at 10:44 pm
  Awesome! I’m glad that you all liked the recipe. My son LOVES it too! XOXO
  Reply
Alex says
September 6, 2015 at 4:28 pm
Just made it, it’s so good. I added onions and onion powder to mine , it’s so cheesy and good. Thanks for sharing !
Reply
- Rosie says
  September 6, 2015 at 4:29 pm
  Thanks for giving my recipe a try Alex!
  Reply
Jennifer says
September 10, 2015 at 6:11 am
i have made these mac and cheese four time since you’ve postedd it. im a new cook with a family of four and my family loves it!! thanks
Reply
- Rosie says
  September 10, 2015 at 4:27 pm
  I’m so glad that you all like my recipe!! Thanks for giving it a try Jennifer!
  Reply
Sonya says
October 8, 2015 at 12:12 pm
Thanks for sharing……making this recipe again tonight. My grandkids loves it…fast, easy & delicious!!
Reply
- Jessica says
  December 1, 2019 at 9:29 pm
  Ohhhh my, that mac-n-cheese was AMAZING. My family loved it, thanks for sharing!
  Reply
Lynn says
November 18, 2015 at 1:03 pm
Hi, just happened onto your blog filled with great recipes! Love this easy Mac & cheese, but was wondering about reheating after freezing. What do you suggest for best results?
Thanks in advance.
Reply
- Rosie says
  November 23, 2015 at 5:51 pm
  See Also
  Fennel Pork Meatball Recipe · i am a food blog
  Hi Lynn. The heating and etc is written above 😀
  Reply
Ginny says
December 2, 2015 at 8:55 am
Thanks so much for this recipe. I love that’s there’s no bechamel sauce to fuss with and that means no extra carb. Most of all, its not only stove top Mac and cheese, it’s a one pot recipe!
Reply
- Rosie says
  December 3, 2015 at 11:44 am
  Yes, and it’s very easy to whip up!
  Reply
Alviseya says
January 2, 2016 at 9:44 am
This looks so good. I am trying this recipe today!!
Reply
Emma says
January 2, 2016 at 5:03 pm
This is the best Mac and cheese recipe ever. Thank you so much!
Reply
Jen says
February 14, 2016 at 7:08 pm
I have made this recipe 3 times now and am currently making it. It is so easy and my two year old loves it! Thank you, I will be keeping this forever! ((:
Reply
- Rosie says
  February 14, 2016 at 10:50 pm
  I’m glad that you and the baby like the recipe! XOXO
  Reply
Tee says
February 15, 2016 at 2:55 pm
I made it once and haven’t stopped since I absolutely love it this way thanks for sharing!
Reply
- Rosie says
  February 15, 2016 at 5:19 pm
  Thanks for giving it a try! XOXO
  Reply
Keyona says
April 23, 2016 at 8:13 am
Hey rosie oh my gosh , I can’t wait to make this . But what if I want to serve more people , would i just double everything ??? .
Reply
- Rosie says
  April 23, 2016 at 9:52 am
  Hi Keyona! Yes, just double it.
  Reply
Mimi dewi says
April 28, 2016 at 6:45 am
Hai rosie..I couldn’t find velvetta cheese here, is there any other options?
Reply
- Rosie says
  April 29, 2016 at 7:02 pm
  Velvetta is best for this recipe, but I have other macaroni and cheese recipes that you can try 🙂
  Reply
April says
May 16, 2016 at 8:15 am
Made this yesterday my boyfriend & I LOVED it!!! It was SOOOOOO creamy…..
Reply
- Rosie says
  May 16, 2016 at 11:07 am
  Glad that you liked it!
  Reply
Crissy Brown says
September 20, 2016 at 7:43 am
So today I woke up craving Mac and cheese. Girl!!!! You provided me the BEST recipe for stovetop Mac and cheese. Thank you! I will be making it again!
Reply
- Rosie says
  September 20, 2016 at 3:56 pm
  So glad that you liked it! XOXO
  Reply
Stephanie says
October 24, 2016 at 9:17 am
I’ve made countless Mac and cheese recipes for my daughter who is a very picky eater. This is a wonderful and easy recipe that everyone loves. Thank you for posting and saving me so much time!
Reply
- Rosie says
  October 24, 2016 at 12:55 pm
  Hi Stephanie! Thank YOU for trying my recipe!
  Reply
Roxy says
December 6, 2016 at 6:34 pm
How many serving is this recipe for? Sorry for my bad English
Reply
Young says
July 9, 2017 at 7:19 pm
Great recipe! Simple, easy, and delicious! My teenage sons asked me for “dad’s mac and cheese” tonight. I didn’t like the stovetop mac and cheese recipe I tried the last time and so searched for a new one and quickly found this one. Looking forward to trying other recipes.
Reply
- Rosie says
  July 9, 2017 at 7:26 pm
  Glad that you found my recipe!
  Reply
Jacquie says
November 22, 2017 at 8:41 am
This recipe is amazing! Saving it for the archives! Can’t wait for everyone else to taste it for Thanksgiving tomorrow!
Reply
- Rosie says
  November 22, 2017 at 12:18 pm
  Thanks for coming by!
  Reply
Kay Pee says
December 11, 2017 at 1:20 pm
Can I use evaporated milk or regular milk instead of half & half? I don’t have any on hand
Reply
- Rosie says
  December 11, 2017 at 5:54 pm
  Sure 🙂
  Reply
Perla says
January 21, 2018 at 7:15 pm
pretty sure my fiancé loves me even more after making this lol. it’s so delicious! exactly what I’ve been looking for! this is now my go to mac and cheese!
Reply
- Rosie says
  January 21, 2018 at 8:12 pm
  LOL! Thanks for trying my recipe!
  Reply
Alexis Jean Baptiste says
April 5, 2019 at 2:40 pm

Okay Rosie, I gotta day: this MAC AND CHEESE IS AMAZING ❤️ Whenever I try other recipes, my Mac and cheese would come out grainy and pasty. Yours is the only stovetop mac and cheese I’ll make from now on!
Reply
Michelle says
September 27, 2020 at 6:07 pm

Dear Rosie,
Your recipe is a game changer. We are so excited we found your site! My daughters (5, 3) and husband (49) are over the top with your stovetop mac n cheese. I usually boil and drain the macaroni, then start a roux, but clearly there’s a better way. Amazing recipe, so creamy, and lots of options.
We will be trying your French toast and caramel cake recipes as well (and I’m sure others!). Thanks so much, Rosie.
Michelle
Reply

Trackbacks

[…] I wanted some homestyle mac & cheese, so I made some homestyle mac & cheese. I used the Stove Top Macaroni & Cheese recipe for the mac & cheese itself from I Heart Recipes that I’ve used before and loved. […]
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Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you thicken stovetop mac and cheese? ›

4 Methods for Thickening Mac and Cheese

Reduce the liquid. Simmer the cheese sauce on the stovetop on low heat. ...
Add more cheese. You can thicken mac and cheese by simply adding more grated cheese to the cheese sauce. ...
Use cornstarch or all-purpose flour. ...
Mix in an egg yolk.

Jan 24, 2022

Can you put too much cheese in mac and cheese? ›

Use the right kind of cheese

Try not to use too much of the grated hard cheeses like pecorino Romano or Parmesan. A little of either is great for flavor, but too much and the sauce can become grainy and dry.

Discover More ›

How do you keep mac and cheese from getting mushy? ›

For baked mac and cheese, I'll generally cook the pasta for about five minutes in boiling, salted water, before I mix in the cheese sauce and bake. It will absorb all that creamy goodness and fully cook in the oven. It will never be al dente, but it definitely should not be mushy, either.

Get More Info Here ›

How do you thicken watery macaroni? ›

Cornstarch: Make a slurry of half water, half cornstarch and whisk until smooth. Cornstarch is a powerful thickener, so start by whisking in no more than 1 tablespoon of the mixture per 2 cups of simmering sauce; stir and simmer for 2 minutes, check the thickness, and repeat with more slurry as needed.

Why is my mac and cheese too watery? ›

My macaroni and cheese came out watery, what went wrong? You added too much milk probably. You may have overcooked the pasta or not drained it thoroughly. Macaroni and cheese requires 3 ingredients and boiling water.

View Details ›

What is the best way to thicken cheese sauce? ›

Use Flour and Water

Combine 2 tablespoons flour with every 1/4 cup cold water and whisk until smooth. Add the mixture to your sauce over medium heat, and continue to stir and cook until you've reached your desired consistency. Test with a spoon.

Know More ›