One Pot Mac and Cheese
Macaroni and cheese is an American favorite, there’s something about bits of pasta suspended in a creamy cheese sauce that makes anyone’s mouth water…although most kids are used to the kind from a box.
When most people think about making mac and cheese at home, they likely think of having two different pots out, one for boiling the pasta and one for making the cheese sauce plus having to mess with flour when making a roux, but I am here to show you an easy mac and cheese recipe that only requires one pot.
The method involves cooking the pasta in a relatively small amount of water, almost like the way you cook rice, and as the pasta cooks it releases starch into the liquid it’s in which will help the cheese melt into a nice, smooth sauce. I love this method because it’s incredibly easy to do and requires less dishes than if you made regular mac and cheese, and I always look for ways to produce fewer dishes to wash when I cook.
Creamy One Pot Mac and Cheese
Serves 4
Time: 20 minutes
2 cups of elbow macaroni pasta
2 1/4 cups of whole milk
2 1/4 cups of water
Salt
1/4 cup of heavy cream (for a lighter version, use canned evaporated milk)
2 teaspoons of spicy brown mustard
8 ounces of grated cheese. (cheddar, gruyere, havarti, Swiss, any kind of meltable cheese will work for this…as long as you grate it yourself.)
In a medium saucepan, dump in the macaroni, milk, and water, then bring that to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, add a large pinch of salt then cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8-10 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and the liquid has slightly thickened.
Add the heavy cream (or evaporated milk, if using) and mustard, then add the cheese about an ounce or two at a time, stirring well until the cheese has melted after each addition. Season with salt to taste, then serve.
This stovetop, one-pot mac and cheese might get you to forget about the boxed stuff entirely. It still has a very creamy consistency, is full of cheese flavor backed up with that hint of spice from the mustard, and it is delicious in every way.
