One Pot Mac and Cheese Recipe! (2024)

Bless This Mess Recipes

By Melissa

4.96 from 23 votes

on Apr 29, 2022, Updated Apr 04, 2024

Jump to RecipeRate Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

This One Pot Macaroni and Cheese is so simple that you will wonder why you haven’t always made it this way. Ready in 15 minutes and only one pot to clean – I’m sold!

One Pot Mac and Cheese Recipe! (2)

I have all kinds of macaroni and cheese recipes on the blog, from a Crock-Pot version to green mac and cheese, and today I have a Creamy One Pot Macaroni and Cheese to add to the collection.

My other stove-top macaroni and cheese recipe is still a favorite, but I don’t always have canned milk. The difference is that this recipe makes a thick and sticky macaroni and cheese (it almost has the texture and taste of baked macaroni to me), while the other recipe has almost a runny sauce.

They are both excellent but different enough that I wanted to share both recipes.

Table of Contents

  • Why You’ll Love This Recipe
  • Recipe Ingredients
  • How to Make One Pot Mac and Cheese
  • Expert Tips
  • More Pasta Recipes to Consider
  • Creamy One Pot Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
One Pot Mac and Cheese Recipe! (3)

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Quick and simple 20-minute meal
  • Extra easy because you cook the macaroni right in the milk, which helps to make the sauce
  • Ultimate creamy comfort food
  • Perfect for lunches or suppers and sure to be a family favorite!

Recipe Ingredients

  • Milk – whole milk will be the creamiest
  • Butter
  • Elbow macaroni – or another similar pasta
  • Cheddar cheese – mild or sharp, your choice!
  • Salt and pepper

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

One Pot Mac and Cheese Recipe! (4)

How to Make One Pot Mac and Cheese

  1. Add milk, butter, and macaroni noodles to a large pot.
  2. Cook on medium, stirring often, until the noodles are cooked, about 15-18 minutes.
  3. Add the cheese and salt, stirring until melted.
  4. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more cheese if desired.

Recipe FAQs

What pasta is best for mac and cheese?

I prefer elbow macaroni, but bow tie, fusilli, and penne pasta also work well.

How do you fix runny mac and cheese?

If you end up having too much liquid in your macaroni and cheese, bring the contents back to a boil and cook until the desired consistency. Be sure to stir constantly to keep the milk and cheese from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning.

Does mac and cheese make good leftovers?

This stuff in the blue box is not ideal for leftovers. The sauce gets powdery and has a weird texture. But this one-pot mac and cheese tastes SO good reheated. You still have the creamy factor, and the flavors have a chance to deepen. I recommend eating the leftovers within 1-2 days and storing them properly in the refrigerator.

One Pot Mac and Cheese Recipe! (5)

Expert Tips

  • You don’t need to drain the pasta in this recipe. Cooking the pasta directly in the milk makes it extra creamy, and the sauce sticks to it much better.
  • To get the full creaminess factor, I recommend using whole milk or at least 2%.
  • Use mild or sharp cheddar, adding more cheese if needed to achieve the true cheesy taste you’re looking for.
One Pot Mac and Cheese Recipe! (6)

More Pasta Recipes to Consider

Pasta

Baked Spaghetti

One Pot Meals

Sopitas

Pasta

Chicken Spaghetti

Pasta

Baked Mac and Cheese

Did you try this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ rating below andshare it on Instagram,Facebook, and Pinterest!

One Pot Mac and Cheese Recipe! (11)

4.96 from 23 votes

Creamy One Pot Macaroni and Cheese

By: Melissa Griffiths

This One Pot Macaroni and Cheese is so easy! Cook the macaroni right in the milk that's used to make the sauce. Creamy, delicious & ready in 15 minutes!

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 10 minutes mins

Total: 15 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Save

Pin RecipeRate RecipePrint Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups whole or 2% milk
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cups dry elbow macaroni
  • 1 to 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • More salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • In a large pot add the milk, butter, and macaroni noodles. Turn the burner on medium and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring often.

  • Reduce the heat if the milk seems to stick to the bottom of the pan and stir often until the noodles are cooked through, about 15-18 minutes. Slow and low is your friend here. If you cook this too fast and hot, the milk will curdle.

  • Stir in the cheese and salt until everything is melted.

  • Depending on the type and sharpness of cheese you may want to add up to another cup of cheese. Taste it and see. I used a moderately sharp cheddar and liked it at about 1 and 1/4 cups of cheese. If I had used something milder I think I would have used more.

  • Serve right away.

Video

Notes

  • Don’t boil the noodles; just simmer them gently, or the milk will curdle, and your mac and cheese will have a gross texture.
  • Whole milk is the best choice for creaminess, but 2% will also work.
  • I’ve made this a handful of times and each time I used a different amount of cheese, depending on my mood and how much cheese I have in the fridge. The milder the cheese, the more I think it needs to get a good cheese flavor.
  • If it has too much liquid, bring the contents back to a low boil and cook until the desired consistency, stirring constantly.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 of 4 servings, Calories: 397kcal, Carbohydrates: 39.9g, Protein: 17.2g, Fat: 18.6g, Cholesterol: 53.9mg, Sodium: 268mg, Sugar: 7.9g

Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

About Melissa

Read More About Me

You May Also Like:

Recipes

Celery Juice

Condiments, Marinades, & Spreads

Chipotle Sauce

Slow Cooker & Crock Pot

Mississippi Pot Roast

Desserts

Mug Cake

One Pot Mac and Cheese Recipe! (2024)
Top Articles
Alabama Track & Field and Cross Country Running News | Top Stories, Headlines, Articles
These Eight Alabama Athletes Dominated At State
Jody Plauche Wiki
Best Pre Med Schools U.s. News
Booked On The Bayou Houma 2023
Minus8 Patreon
Msc Open House Fall 2023
Davaba19
Espn Transfer Portal Basketball
Dragon's Dogma Duskmoon Tower
Www.citizen-Times.com Obituaries
Tweaker Configuration
16Th Or 16Nd
Dusk Hypixel Skyblock
1v1 lol unblocked Game- Play Unblocked Game Online for Free!
Ticket To Paradise Showtimes Near Cmx Daytona 12
Walmart Tires Hours
Ttw Cut Content
Green Light Auto Sales Dallas Photos
Does Publix Pharmacy Accept Sunshine Health
Sunday Td Bank
Nascar Espn Schedule
Four-Legged Friday: Meet Tuscaloosa's Adoptable All-Stars Cub & Pickle
Bank Of America.aomc
Fd Photo Studio New York
Walmart Com Careers Jobs
Carle Mycarle
M Life Insider
Dishonored Subreddit
Espn College Basketball Scores
Fortnite Fap Hero
Noel Berry's Biography: Age, Height, Boyfriend, Family, Net Worth
Green Warriors of Norway: “Salvage the 67 tonnes mercury bomb now” | Norges Miljøvernforbund
South Louisiana Community College Bookstore
Shaleback Hollow Location
Adams County 911 Live Incident
Fototour verlassener Fliegerhorst Schönwald [Lost Place Brandenburg]
Help with Finding Parts for Your Vehicle
Walb Game Forecast
Credit Bureau Contact Information
Mayank Gupta: Latest news and mentions
Apex Item Store.com
Boostmaster Lin Yupoo
Solar Smash Unblocked Wtf
Linden Creek Golden Retrievers
Johnnie Robinson Auto Sales
American Idol Winners Wiki
Gizmo Ripple Tank Answer Key
8 Internet Celebrities who fell prey to Leaked Video Scandals
What Time Does The Chase Bank Close On Saturday
Where To Find Mega Ring In Pokemon Radical Red
Evil Dead Rise Showtimes Near Regal Destiny Usa
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Francesca Jacobs Ret

Last Updated:

Views: 6412

Rating: 4.8 / 5 (48 voted)

Reviews: 87% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Francesca Jacobs Ret

Birthday: 1996-12-09

Address: Apt. 141 1406 Mitch Summit, New Teganshire, UT 82655-0699

Phone: +2296092334654

Job: Technology Architect

Hobby: Snowboarding, Scouting, Foreign language learning, Dowsing, Baton twirling, Sculpting, Cabaret

Introduction: My name is Francesca Jacobs Ret, I am a innocent, super, beautiful, charming, lucky, gentle, clever person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.