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4.66 from 35 votes

Creamy One Pot Macaroni and Cheese

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 Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 4
Author: Melissa Griffiths

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups whole or 2% milk
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cups dry elbow macaroni
  • 1 to 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • ½ 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.
    2 ½ cups whole or 2% milk, 3 tablespoons butter, 2 cups dry elbow macaroni
  • 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.
    1 to 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, ½ teaspoon salt
  • 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.
    More salt and pepper to taste
  • 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: 542kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 605mg | Potassium: 409mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 793IU | Calcium: 405mg | Iron: 1mg

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