Best Stovetop Mac And Cheese Recipes

THE BEST STOVETOP MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain.
• Melt the butter in the same pot over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, mustard powder and paprika; cook, whisking constantly, until smooth and slightly darker, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and continue to cook, whisking occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly and comes to a simmer, 7 to 8 minutes. Whisk in the cheddar, American cheese and cream cheese until melted and remove from heat.
• Add the pasta to the sauce; toss, adding some reserved cooking water as needed to loosen. Season with salt.

CREAMY STOVETOP MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. When it begins to foam, sprinkle in the flour and stir until it becomes pasty, about 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and half-and-half and bring to a low simmer. Cook, stirring, until the mixture looks thick, about 5 minutes.
• Add the cheddar and Colby Jack cheeses by the handful to the milk mixture, stirring well after each addition until melted. Mix in the mustard, paprika and hot sauce. Fold in the cream cheese and stir well until melted; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the cooked pasta. Serve the mac and cheese immediately while still warm and at its creamiest!

CREAMY STOVETOP BACON MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente; drain.
• Set an extra-large skillet, or a large heavy saucepan, over medium-low heat and cook the bacon until crispy and the fat renders out, 10 to 12 minutes. Set the bacon aside, reserving the fat to build your sauce. At this point you should have about 1/4 cup of reserved fat. If needed, add some olive oil or butter to make sure you have a 1/4 cup of fat in the pan.
• Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the paste bubbles a bit, about 2 minutes (make sure it doesn't brown). Continuing to whisk, add 3 cups of the hot milk and cook until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes. Stir in the dry mustard, and then gradually add the Cheddar and Muenster cheeses, stirring constantly until all of the cheese has melted into the sauce. Stir in the hot sauce and the remaining 1 cup milk. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir to coat. Stir in the crispy bacon and season with salt and pepper.

STOVETOP MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium; add onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is pale golden, has a slightly nutty aroma, and is the texture of cooked oatmeal, about 5 minutes.
• Whisking constantly, pour in 2 cups milk; add 2 more cups milk and cayenne and whisk until smooth. Cook mixture, stirring constantly along bottom of pan, until boiling, 6 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens and does not feel grainy when a small amount is rubbed between two fingers, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente; drain thoroughly and return to pot. Remove sauce from heat and let cool 10 minutes. Quickly whisk in cheese, mustard, and Worcestershire. Pour cheese sauce over pasta and stir to coat.

BAKED TOMATOES STUFFED WITH CREAMY STOVETOP BACON MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• For the mac and cheese: In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente; drain.
• Set an extra-large skillet, or a large heavy saucepan, over medium-low heat and cook the bacon until crispy and the fat renders out, 10 to 12 minutes. Set the bacon aside, reserving the fat to build your sauce. At this point you should have about 1/4 cup of reserved fat. If needed, add some olive oil or butter to make sure you have a 1/4 cup of fat in the pan.
• Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the paste bubbles a bit, about 2 minutes (make sure it doesn't brown). Continuing to whisk, add 3 cups of the hot milk and cook until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes. Stir in the dry mustard, and then gradually add the Cheddar and Muenster cheeses, stirring constantly until all of the cheese has melted into the sauce. Stir in the hot sauce and the remaining 1 cup milk. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir to coat. Stir in the crispy bacon and season with salt and pepper. You'll need 1 to 2 cups of mac and cheese for the tomatoes.
• For the baked tomatoes: Set your oven rack to the middle position and preheat your oven to broil.
• Using a paring knife, remove the tops of your tomatoes (the stem end), and then carefully hollow each one out with a spoon. You want to create a bowl, while removing all the seeds and some of the flesh, leaving about 1/2-inch of flesh in each tomato.
• Season the inside of the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Then stuff each one with as much mac and cheese as you can, 1/4 to 1/2 cup.
• Mix the panko, Parmesan and parsley together, and season with salt and pepper. Pile some of the breadcrumb topping onto each tomato. Each one will accommodate about 2 tablespoons of the topping. Now, drizzle the breadcrumbs with olive oil, so the panko browns up nicely.
• Broil the tomatoes until the breadcrumb topping is golden brown and crispy, 2 to 3 minutes.

STOVETOP TURKEY CHILI MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente. Using a heatproof measuring cup, scoop out 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta in a colander. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pasta and toss to coat.
• Wipe out the pot and heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in it. Add the poblanos, onion, and a generous pinch of salt. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the ground turkey and cook, stirring, until the meat is just cooked through and any liquid has evaporated, about 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the panko and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest and parsley. Season the breadcrumbs with salt and pepper.
• Add the flour to the pot and cook, stirring, until the turkey mixture is well coated, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, chipotles, and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. Simmer until the mixture is thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the pasta, cheese, and cream, if using; add more pasta water if needed. Fold in the arugula until just wilted; season the chili mac with salt and pepper. Serve the chili mac in bowls, topped with shredded cheddar cheese and the breadcrumbs.

CREAMY STOVETOP MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook macaroni as directed on package; drain well. Return to pan.
• Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Cook on low heat until Velveeta is melted, stirring frequently.
• Serve topped with grated Parmesan cheese, at the table.
• Makes 4 servings, 1 cup each.
• Some good add-ins are: frozen veggies (Fordhook limas or mixed veggies--add frozen veggies to the boiling water and cook them before adding the macaroni), leftover cubed ham, sliced hotdogs, canned tuna, or boneless/skinless canned salmon for a quick and easy one-pot comfort meal.

ALTON BROWN'S STOVETOP MAC AND CHEESE RECIPE - (4.3/5)

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add a sprinkling of salt, then boil your noodles according to package directions. Once al dente, drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add the butter and stir until butter has melted. Meanwhile, in a separate small bowl, whisk together the eggs, evaporated milk, cayenne, 1 tsp. salt, pepper and mustard. Once the noodles are cooked, drained and the butter has melted, stir the milk mixture into the noodles until incorporated. Add in the cheese and stir over low heat until cheese has melted, approximately 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

STOVETOP MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat a small skillet over medium heat; add the bacon and cook, stirring, until lightly crisp, 7 to 8 minutes. Drain and set aside; reserve the bacon fat for another use.
• Bring a 2-quart pot of water to a boil. Salt the water generously; it should taste like light seawater. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender to the bite, or al dente. Before draining, use a heavy liquid measuring cup to pull out 3/4 cup of the pasta water; set aside. Drain the pasta and return the pot to the heat.
• Heat the butter in the pasta pot, then add the cooked pasta. Stir in 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. Add the American cheese and stir until smooth. Add the cheddar, milk, pepper and the cooked bacon and mix well. Dribble in extra pasta water as needed to make a soft, creamy sauce. Garnish with parsley if using. Serve immediately.

STOVETOP MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions. Drain.
• In a large skillet, heat the butter, thyme and garlic over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until they release their water and begin to brown, about 7 minutes. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the flour and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk, cream and mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a low simmer. Continue whisking until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the fontina and Parmesan until melted. Add the pasta and toss to coat.
• Serve in individual bowls with a slice of Taleggio on top.

STOVETOP MAC AND CHEESE WITH FIVE STIR-IN IDEAS

Steps:

• For the mac and cheese: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the macaroni until al dente (the lower range of the cooking time on the box). Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water before draining, then return the macaroni to the pot. Add the butter and stir until melted.
• Whisk together the cornstarch, Dijon, hot sauce and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl, then gradually whisk in the evaporated milk. Add to the pot with the macaroni, along with the pasta cooking water, and cook over medium-high heat until bubbling. Take off the heat and add the cheese, stirring until melted.
• Serve immediately either plain or with your desired stir-ins.

STOVETOP SAUSAGE MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sausage; saute 4 minutes or until browned.
• Combine milk and flour in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add milk mixture to pan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
• Reduce heat to medium. Stir in cheeses, onion powder, and garlic salt; cook 3 minutes or until cheeses melt, stirring constantly.
• Stir in pasta. Garnish with parsley, if desired. Serve immediately.