Easy Homemade One Pot Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

You can have mac and cheese on the table made from scratch in less than 30 minutes with one pot macaroni and cheese. It’s as quick as a box, but much better for you!

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Over the years, I’ve made a variety of mac and cheese recipes. We’ve done both a macaroni casserole and slow cooker mac and cheese. Both of those take time, though, and I wanted something quick. My boys are some of the only few kids I know who don’t like mac and cheese, but my nephews love it.

Making homemade mac and cheese doesn’t take much longer than making it from a box with this recipe. And, as is always the benefit of cooking from scratch, you have control over what goes into it. I said my nephews love mac and cheese, but one of them has a lot of allergies and intolerances. Making this from home allows us to make sure it’s cooked only with things he can eat.

Serving Suggestions & Tips

• For extra flavor, mix in some dry mustard, onion powder, cayenne pepper, or garlic powder. 
• You can use any type of milk for the creamy sauce. I often use almond milk since that’s what we keep on hand. But whole milk or another non-dairy milk will work as well. 
• Make this a gluten-free recipe by purchasing gluten-free elbow macaroni noodles. 
• Opt for a block of cheese and shred it yourself when possible. Pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking agents which will change the consistency of your one pot mac and cheese. 
• Substitute or add any of your favorite cheeses such as Monterey Jack, Parmesan cheese, mild cheddar cheese, American cheese, Gruyere, fontina, or gouda cheese. 
• Garnish the mac and cheese with hot sauce, red pepper flakes, bacon bits, black pepper, sliced green onions, bread crumbs, crushed Ritz crackers, or a little Parmesan cheese. 

One Pot Macaroni and Cheese Step by Step

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 lb macaroni pasta
• 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
• 1 oz cream cheese
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Preparation

In a large stockpot, stir the milk, water, and salt together and bring to a boil.

Stir in the pasta and reduce the heat to medium.

Simmer while stirring occasionally, about 10-12 minutes, until pasta is al dente and most of the liquid has evaporated.

Remove the stockpot from the heat and stir in the cheese and pepper, until just melted, about 1-2 minutes.

Serve immediately with extra pepper if desired.

Easy One Pot Macaroni and Cheese Leftovers

Storage: Leftover mac and cheese can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. 

Reheating: The best way to reheat the leftovers is in a saucepan over medium heat. Add a splash of milk to help thin out the cheesy sauce while it warms up.

Recipe

One-Pot Mac and Cheese

You can have mac and cheese on the table made from scratch in less than 30 minutes. It's as quick as a box, but much better for you!

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Course:

Main Dish

Cuisine:

American

Diet

Vegetarian

Keyword:

cheddar cheese

|

cheese

|

cream cheese

|

mac and cheese

|

macaroni

|

one pan

|

pasta

Dietary Needs:

Egg-Free

|

Nut-Free

Cooking Method:

One-Pan Meals

Servings: 4

5 from 3 votes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 lb macaroni pasta
• 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese (grated (about 1 cup))
• 1 oz cream cheese
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Recommended Equipment

• Stockpot
• Box Grater

Instructions

• In a large stockpot, stir the milk, water, and salt together and bring to a boil
• Stir in the pasta and reduce the heat to medium
• Simmer while stirring occasionally, about 10-12 minutes, until pasta is al-dente and most of the liquid has evaporated
• Remove the stockpot from the heat and stir in the cheeses and pepper, stirring until just melted
• Serve immediately with extra pepper if desired

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Nutrition Facts

One-Pot Mac and Cheese

Amount Per Serving (1 cup)

Calories 362 Calories from Fat 126

% Daily Value*

Fat 14g22%

Saturated Fat 8g40%

Cholesterol 38mg13%

Sodium 618mg26%

Potassium 166mg5%

Carbohydrates 43g14%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 15g30%

Vitamin A 380IU8%

Calcium 338mg34%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

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• Easy One-Pot Mac and Cheese
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