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!
Jump to RecipeOver 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 your own mac and cheese doesn’t take much longer than making it from a box with this recipe. And, as is always the benefit to 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.
I made this with almond milk since that’s what we usually have on hand. But you can make it with any type of milk that you prefer. It just may change the consistency a bit.
Easy One-Pot Mac and Cheese Step by Step
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups almond 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 cheeses and pepper, stirring until just melted.
Serve immediately with extra pepper if desired. You could also add some red pepper flakes if you want a bit of a kick to the mac and cheese.
Easy One-Pot Mac and Cheese Leftovers
Leftover mac and cheese can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat it in a saucepan and add a splash of milk to help thin out the cheese while it warms up.
Recipe
Originally Published On: June 14, 2021
Updated On: April 29, 2021
One-Pot Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups almond 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
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
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.
One-Pot Mac and Cheese FAQs
No, you can use any milk that you prefer. The cheese sauce may have a slightly different consistency based on the type of milk used.
Unfortunately, it is not because of the noodles. If you purchase gluten-free macaroni noodles, though, then it would be gluten-free.
My kids refuse to eat mac and cheese- little weirdos. But I would make this for myself!
My boys don’t eat it either! I don’t know what we did wrong. I lived on mac and cheese as a kid. It’s more for my husband and me when we make it.
I’ve never tried mac and cheese, this looks really delicious!
I grew up on mac and cheese! You should give it a try!
Ooo mac and cheese yes please. sometimes simple home cooked foodie recipes can be the best and most comforting too x
Yes! I ate so much mac and cheese as a kid and still enjoy it as an adult 🙂
Thank you so much from the bottom of my foodie heart. I miss eating Mac and Cheese and the box meals have disappeared in Japan. Now I got a recipe to try and it is better!
I wouldn’t have thought about that! I’m sure it’s hard to find those comfort foods from home sometimes. Hopefully you can find the ingredients for this and enjoy it again 🙂
Kiddos LOVE mac & cheese. I also really enjoyed it till I went low carb. But once in a while i sneak something in.
Strangely, my kids don’t like it. But I loved it as a kid and enjoy a healthier version made myself now as an adult now and then.
Oh gosh, I love Mac and cheese. It really does make me feel comforted. Bookmarking this!
Mac and cheese is such a comforting dish, we often have it and have started having some braised beef with it. Delicious!
What perfect timing!!! I’ve been wanting to have mac and cheese for a while but didn’t have a recipe. This is a great comfort food.
This is delicious, i mean DELICIOUS!!! Your recipes are always so good!!! Thank you so much…
A perfect and easy weeknight meal for the family. Everyone loves mac n cheese and homemade is the very best!
It looks creamy and delicious! My daughter loves mac and cheese, I will have to try this out instead of getting the boxed stuff.
This looks so creamy! I just have to try it.
Mac and Cheese is a favorite dish in our family but our recipe takes hours to prepare, which is fine.