I used to turn up my nose at the very thought of mac and cheese. Growing up, we rarely ate the stuff. Occasionally we'd try a prepackaged variety. Horrid. Just horrid.
Fast forward to after Reuben and I were married. He told me about how much he liked mac and cheese. So I decided to try make some for him: from scratch. It was massively gross. I used whole wheat noodles which were bitter, and the sauce was tasteless. Needless to say I was very discouraged.
And so Reuben convinced me to (reluctantly) buy the prepackaged variety. To my surprise, I quite liked it.
But I didn't want to give up on mac and cheese from scratch.
I tried my fair share of macaroni and cheese recipes. They were all disappointing on some level. And then one day, being fed up with making cheese sauces and shoving mac and cheese into the oven, I decided to simplify things. I threw some good ingredients into a pot of noodles and gave it a stir. Bingo. Delicious.
This recipe is quite rich. If you aren't in love with all things cheesy and creamy, this may not be the recipe for you. But if you like things over-the-top, you should definitely give this a try.
NOTE: I like shredding the cheese myself rather than using the pre-shredded stuff you buy in a big bag - it's full of anti-caking agents.
Also, inspired by Tracy, I gave Sriracha on mac and cheese a try. It was quite good.
Easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese
recipe by Erica Lea of Buttered Side Up | serves 3-4 | Printable Page
Ingredients:
8 ounces of pasta (shells, bow ties, penne, whatever you please)
6-7 ounces of cheddar cheese, shredded
6 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of cream
salt to taste
Directions:
1) Bring a pot of water to a boil. GENEROUSLY salt the water. It's critical to salt the water enough, otherwise you pasta will be tasteless. Add the pasta and cook to your preferred doneness. Drain and return pasta to pan (I like to use a pot with a draining lid).
2) Add the butter to the still-hot pasta, cover and allow to melt a bit. Add the cheese and cream and give it a good stir. Put the lid back on and let it rest a bit. Give it another stir after a few minutes. Everything should come together into a smooth sauce. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Serve immediately.
3) Store any leftover in the refrigerator. Make sure to add a little cream to the pot when you reheat; otherwise the cheese will separate.
Yay! I'm glad to hear that homemade mac n cheese is now a part of your life! I make this stove-top version very often since it's delicious, makes for good leftovers, and is pretty quick. For the cream, I use a small can of evaporated milk. It's cheap and I can always have one on hand.
ReplyDeleteYum! I only ever make mac'n'cheese from scratch. I can't stand the boxed stuff, even though that's what I grew up eating. I like my cheese sauce thick, so I start the sauce with butter and flour and then add in milk (usually evaporated milk and 2%) and I use super, super sharp cheese. The sharper the better. I'm going to try it your way next! I have some cream in the fridge that I need to use up.
ReplyDeleteHomemade mac and cheese is the best! And this recipe looks lovely - I love the cream in it!
ReplyDeleteI will eat mac-n-cheese any way you serve it (boxed, from a powder/squeeze bag, homemade, whatever) but I have been pinning more varieties lately because I love trying different cheeses in them. Will be adding this to my list to try.
ReplyDeleteYou make mac and cheese look legendary! Gorgeous and it looks delish!
ReplyDeleteI hate boxed, but I love it made on the stove with some Velveeta (gasp!) melted in and lots of milk. I like it "runny". I'll have to try your recipe, perhaps with more cream!
ReplyDeleteThis looks great. The only change I'd make is octupling the cheese to suit my tastes.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like there are a lot of M&C recipes making the rounds lately. Makes me hungry!
Oh My! I love mac and cheese and you make this look so easy and way better than that Velveeta nonsense.
ReplyDeleteI adore pasta and cheese together in any form. Usually I make baked macs, then I found mac and cheese in the crockpot, and now our latest version is the one-pot thing like yours. My 8 year old is obsessed with making it right now. (here's my crockpot version, by the way: http://thriftathome.blogspot.com/2013/08/busy-day-macaroni-and-cheese.html)
ReplyDeleteMy Italian mother used to make the most delicious baked Mac and cheese, with a creamy cheese sauce made with lots of cheddar, Parmesan cheese and a beaten egg added to it, and then baked with extra Parmesan on top till crispy and golden! Yummy!
ReplyDeleteMac and cheese with bowtie pasta is the secret to life, the universe and everything.
ReplyDeleteMacaroni with cheese is seem to me a food from divine. I am very much fond of this recipe. A;so "Macaroni and Cheese" or in short "Mac and Cheese" is the most common recipe that we can find under "Kids Menu" in any restaurant. Chinese Takeaway Cumbernauld
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