Homemade Mac and Cheese

This homemade mac and cheese is ultra-creamy, super cheesy, and made on the stovetop in two simple steps, taking less than 15 minutes to make. It’s a classic your whole family will love.

No matter how old you are, you’re never too old for mac and cheese. It’s the ultimate comfort food. Like every kid, it was a favorite lunch and dinner growing up, especially if it had sliced hot dogs in it. Now as an adult, it’s one of the most nostalgic dishes, right up there with my Mom’s spaghetti, sloppy Joes, and tuna noodle casserole, conjuring happy memories from my childhood. And while I love making a batch of my BEST baked homemade mac and cheese for special occasions when feeding a crowd (like Thanksgiving or Christmas), this homemade mac and cheese recipe is made super easy on the stovetop and is my go-to for a quick dinner.

Why You’ll Love It

• This easy homemade mac and cheese is made with all real cheese, for the easiest, creamiest, cheesiest mac and cheese you’ll ever make
• There’s no need to make a roux
• Heck, we even skip draining the noodles!

What’s in This Easy Homemade Mac and Cheese

The list of ingredients in this mac and cheese is basic, but there are two ingredients that really lend the most to its creamy success: Evaporated milk and American cheese. Yep, adding those two processed but real foods makes this meal the cheesiest, and creamy even as it cools to room temperature.

• Small macaroni noodles—such as elbows, spirals, rotini, or shells
• Butter—for flavor and richness
• Evaporated milk—for creaminess that helps blend better with the cheese than regular milk
• Water—for cooking the noodles
• Kosher salt—always, for flavor (feel free to add pepper as well, if you like)
• Ground mustard/mustard powder—for a little tang and pep
• Garlic powder—for savory oomph (optional)
• American cheese—has such a great meltability factor!
• Mild cheddar cheese—(you could use sharp cheddar if you wanted)

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

Why Use Evaporated Milk in Mac and Cheese

Most macaroni and cheese recipes are typically made with fresh milk, but I actually prefer using evaporated milk. Evaporated milk is real cow’s milk that’s been cooked down so some of the water content evaporates, creating a shelf-stable, always-at-the-ready ingredient. I always have a stash on hand in my pantry, for mac and cheese, and those times I run out of milk for my coffee. It’s a good sub. It’s concentrated and has a slightly heavier taste than fresh milk.

In macaroni and cheese, evaporated milk keeps the cheese from breaking and becoming either chalky or greasy because there’s less moisture to contend with.

What to use instead of evaporated milk. To make your own evaporated milk, simmer 2 ¼ cups of regular milk down to 1 cup. Or replace it with ¾ cup whole milk and ¼ cup half-and-half or cream.

What are the Best Cheeses to Use for Homemade Mac and Cheese?

In this recipe, we’re cooking from scratch to match the flavor and taste of the boxed version of macaroni and cheese so choosing milder cheeses works best (just don’t use mozzarella, as it doesn’t lend enough flavor).

I use two kinds of cheese for this homemade mac and cheese recipe, with each contributing its own merits to make mac and cheese that is smooth and lush but not overly cloying.

• Cheddar cheese. Choose a block of mild or medium cheddar cheese for flavor and be sure to shred it yourself (it will melt much better than pre-shredded cheese)
• American cheese. American cheese is what gives this mac and cheese the extra creamy factor. I get it from the Smith’s Grocery deli counter where six slices work just right.

But is American cheese even real?

American cheese is a 100-year-old way of cheesemaking that preserves the protein of milk longer than in traditional cheeses. It’s made from milk, rennet, and salt, just like every other cheese, and shouldn’t be confused with the single slices of processed cheese sold in packages.

How to Make Homemade Mac and Cheese 

In this recipe, we cook the noodles with water and evaporated milk together from the start so there’s no draining of the noodles needed.

Here are instructions for how to make it:

• Add the water, evaporated milk, butter, and elbow macaroni to a large pot and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Boiling these ingredients all at once adds starch from the noodles to the sauce, thickening as it cooks. Plus, it makes things easier with no need to drain, and your pasta will still be al dente.

*NOTE* Keep a keen eye on the pot as it comes to a boil so it doesn’t boil over. Adding the evaporated milk to the water and noodles raises the internal heat and adds more bubbles so the mixture will overflow in an instant if you turn away for too long.

Add a Hint of Flavor

• Add ground mustard and kosher salt to the noodles while cooking. Ground mustard is a natural enhancer to a melty cheese sauce where it lingers in the background just barely being noticed and kosher salt flavors the noodles as they cook. Avoid using prepared mustard as it imparts a vinegar bite.
• To help the dried mustard mix cohesively and without lumps, whisk the ground mustard into 1 tablespoon of water until smooth, then stir into the sauce and noodles while cooking.
• If you want, just a pinch of garlic will do. If you like, add ⅛ teaspoon of garlic powder at this time too.

Reduce the Sauce in the Noodles

• Cook the noodles until al denté with about ⅓ cup of creamy sauce left in the bottom of the pan. Cooking the noodles directly in the water and evaporated milk creates a lightly thickened sauce thanks to the gluten and starch of the noodles.
• Avoid cooking the noodles and sauce dry! The style of noodles will depend on the cooking time. Sturdier, high-quality Italian noodles will take longer to cook where American macaroni takes less.

Tip: If the sauce runs dry, add more water and evaporated milk to the pan until the noodles are cooked.

What is the Trick to Keeping Mac and Cheese Creamy?

Adding two kinds of cheeses, and adding them in batches! When adding the cheese to your cooked pasta, use a heavy wooden spoon to really get in there and stir things up, and add the cheese in batches. Gently fold so the noodles don’t break apart.

The result is a homemade mac and cheese that’s silky-smooth, rich, and creamy.

How to Fancy Up Mac and Cheese 

There’s not much you can do to make mac and cheese better than this, unless you add a few simple ingredients to make a meal, like:

• Veggies like spinach, peas, corn, sun-dried tomatoes, cooked broccoli, or roasted cauliflower
• Meats like chopped bacon, ham, or sliced hot dogs
• Caramelized onions or snipped chives
• A drizzle of pesto
• A garlicky toasted breadcrumb or Panko topping
• Cayenne pepper or hot sauce if you want some heat

How to Reheat Mac and Cheese

To reheat mac and cheese, microwave for 45 seconds on high power or 1 minute on medium power. To reheat on the stovetop, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk to the pan with the mac and cheese on medium heat.

How to Freeze Mac and Cheese

I don’t recommend freezing this mac and cheese, as it just doesn’t hold up as well after it’s been in the freezer. If you’re looking for a good mac and cheese to freeze and bake, use this recipe instead.

What to Serve with Mac and Cheese

• The Best BBQ Chicken
• How to Make the Best Grilled Salmon
• The Best Greek Chicken Marinade
• Bratwurst In Beer With Onions
• Oven Roasted Chicken with Lemon Rosemary Garlic Butter
• Daddy’s Baked Hamburgers

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.

More Mac and Cheese Recipe Ideas

• The Best Homemade Mac And Cheese
• Mini Meatball Mac and Cheese
• Mac and Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli
• Skillet Cauliflower Mac And Cheese
• Instant Pot Creamy Mac And Cheese Five Ways
• Lobster Mac And Cheese
• Fried Mac And Cheese Balls Recipe
• Stovetop Pesto Macaroni And Cheese With Corn And Sun-Dried Tomatoes

We send good emails. Subscribe to FoodieCrush and have each post plus exclusive content only for our subscribers delivered straight to your e-mail box.

Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest for more FoodieCrush inspiration.

As always, thank you for reading and supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. There may be affiliate links in this post of which I receive a small commission. All opinions are always my own.