The BEST Stove Top Mac and Cheese Recipe

I love Mac and Cheese, but I was having a hard time coming across a stovetop mac and cheese recipe that I truly looked forward to making. Which meant I had to create one.

Mac and cheese is my biggest weakness! (Okay, really it’s any carb covered in cheese, but mac and cheese is at the top of the list!) I’ve played around with this recipe a lot and it’s pretty much perfection!

The nutmeg adds some wonderful flavor and cayenne pepper, in small doses, adds more flavor than heat.

A few notes:

• You can use any milk you prefer with this recipe (personally use Cashew Milk). If you find the sauce doesn’t thicken properly because your milk is thinner, I find adding more cheese fixes this problem. You could also add a little more flour.
• The recipe is also great if you mix cheeses! Cheddar and Parmesan are always a good match!
• You can also make this with different types of pasta! I often use chickpea pasta, and it’s delicious with this recipe!
• If you want to make this completely gluten-free, swap out the flour for cornstarch.
• The spice amounts are a guide. You should totally add more or less to taste

The BEST Mac and Cheese Recipe

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 30 mins

Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

• 8 oz macaroni
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 cups cheese and add more as needed if sauce needs to be thicker
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• cayenne pepper sprinkled to taste
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. Once pasta is added to water and cooking, move to the sauce
3. In a sauce pan, add butter and melt it. Once melted, add flour to make a roux. It should take about 1-2 minutes.
4. Add a 1/4 of the milk. Stir until smooth.
5. Add the remaining milk over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
6. When boiling, reduce heat and simmer for about 2 minutes, stirring until sauce thickens. 
7. Remove from heat and add cheese. Stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Add more cheese if sauce is thinner than desired.
8. Add the mustard, paprika, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir until combined.
9. Sprinkle cayenne pepper to taste. In small doses, cayenne is more flavorful than spicy, but it’s a fine line. Sprinkle some on top, mix, and taste. Add more if desired.
10. Combine with drained pasta and serve immediately!

If you give this a shot, be sure to leave a comment and tell us how it went! If you modified the recipe, tell us what you did and what you’d repeat or do differently next time! (I’m always here for an improved mac and cheese recipe!)