High Five Recipe: Creamy Mac and Cheese
By
I’ve been searching my whole life (give or take) for a good homemade mac and cheese recipe. The recipes I’ve come up with in the past are decent….but not great.
A couple of months ago, a friend told me how she makes it. I adapted it a bit and now we can’t seem to get enough! It is THE creamiest mac and cheese ever.
Here’s the secret: Cook your pasta in MILK instead of water. The milk makes it super creamy. The starch from the pasta thickens the milk into a sauce. Add your cheese after the pasta is finished cooking.
Uh-huh…comfort food at it’s best.
Creamy Mac and Cheese
2 1/2 cups whole wheat pasta
3 cups whole milk
1/2 t. sea salt
1 cup shredded cheese (I use white cheddar)
Mix pasta, milk and salt in a large sauce pan. Cook over medium-high heat STIRRING ALMOST CONSTANTLY until the pasta is tender (10-15 minutes). Remove from heat. Add cheese and stir until melted. Serve immediately.
You can use any shape of pasta you want. I have found that elbow noodles cook quite a bit faster so I use those when I need a quick lunch.
Everytime I make this, we can not believe how creamy and delicious it is. My lifelong search for awesome homemade macaroni and cheese has come to an end. We should have some sort of mac and cheese ceremony.
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Which High Five Recipe would you like to see next?! Lime Avocado Dip…or Justus’ Shaved Ice?
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This is a great recipe, my picky mac and cheese eaters ate it without complaint! Love it!
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That really is brilliant. I must try this.
It’s hard to believe this hasn’t been thought up and widely publicized before now. :)
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I just made it. It tasted good but looked curdled instead of creamy. What did I do wrong?
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Laura Reply:
November 4th, 2010 at 12:58 pm
Hmm, maybe your heat was a little too high?
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Can I use skim milk instead of whole milk?
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Laura Reply:
November 4th, 2010 at 12:58 pm
I think it should work. It just might not be as creamy.
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Every time I have made this, I have used brown rice elbow noodles and they never cook all the way. I tried adding more milk and cooking longer, but that didn’t work either. Any suggections?
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Laura Reply:
November 24th, 2010 at 3:11 pm
I don’t have any experience with brown rice noodles, so I don’t know what to suggest???? Maybe someone else who has brown rice knowledge will happen upon this comment and shed some light on the situation. I’d LOVE for this recipe to work for you with those noodles!
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Lindsay Reply:
November 28th, 2010 at 9:39 pm
Brown rice noodles do not have the starchiness of whole wheat noodles; they also do not soften in the same way that wheat noodles do. Rice absorbs so much more water than wheat when it is cooking, so I think you would have to greatly increase the milk. Perhaps you will need to make more traditional mac and cheese with a roux and added milk and cheese (bechamel) and then add your cooked rice pasta. It won’t be a High 5 recipe then :)
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Finally the secret!!! I had mac n cheese like this once in my life and the person would not tell me the secret and I have been trying to figure it out!! Thank you so much!!!
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Just made this recipe,adjusted it for my own satisfaction, 2 1/2 cups of liquid….. used 2% milk and a tad of water, and just less than 2 cups of large elbow macaroni….then I used fine shredded sharp cheddar and a blend of monterrey jack, asadero and quesadilla queso cheeses… did not have a lot of liquid left once the pasta got cooked… but the result is yummy….next time I’ll use a bit more liquid… but I’m happy with the results…. gonna have a nice ham steak to go with….
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This was soooo good!!! My picky eater who will only eat mac and cheese from a box even liked it!! Thank you, thank you!!!
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We are having this for supper tonight- I added a little chopped up green onion, garlic powder, and paprika.
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Went looking for a creamy mac & cheese recipe & stumbled upon your High 5 site. Love the idea!!! Please sign me up & put me on your mailing list. Thank you so much!
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Laura Reply:
December 20th, 2010 at 9:43 pm
You can sign up for my email list here: http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=heavenlyhomemakers/PDxF&loc=en_US
Thanks, I’ll be glad for you to join our group!!
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I am eating the leftovers right now! I just add a little more milk and heat it again. I actually mixed some pureed sweet potatoes ( or you could use butternut squash) in with the cheese when I originally made it to sneak some more nutrients into the recipe. It’s really the only way I can get veggies in my 2 year old. He had no clue!!
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Denise Reply:
January 27th, 2011 at 12:21 am
What a GREAT idea Kellie!! :-)
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I just tried homemade mac-n-cheese for the first time tonight. Unfortunately, this recipe was not the one I used! What we had was good, but a LONG time was spent stirring butter, flour, milk, then cheese. This seems brilliant – even though it’s pretty constant stirring, at least it is all one pan and it’s all done at the same time! Can’t wait to try this one next!
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Mine got gummy… and my noodles didn’t cook so i had to keep adding more milk— what did i do wrong? should i par-boil; the noodles in water first?
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StephDMonsi Reply:
January 27th, 2011 at 2:52 pm
You may not have had the heat high enough. I know I am always nervous about scorching the milk but try turning the heat up just a bit and use a spatula to constantly stir the noodles. Start timing the noodles once the mixture returns to a boil. Different time for different noodles. (And if you have an electric stove, try a double boiler.) Best of luck!
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Laura Reply:
January 27th, 2011 at 8:41 pm
Yes, I was going to suggest turning the heat down while cooking this so that the milk doesn’t evaporate before the noodles are cooked all the way.
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just made this and it is delightful! This is our cure to boxed mac and cheese!!! I used medium shells and added about a tsp of prepared mustard (because that’s what my grandma always did!) YUMMY!!!
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Thank-you, Laura! ;o)
I was sitting here thinking: “What am I going to make for dinner?” & now I’m gonna try out
this recipe~~~~~~fast, easy, & yummy!! It
doesn’t get better than that!!
I’ve downloaded your menu planners (thanks!),
just haven’t gotten around to actually using
them yet (one of my new goals for this year!!)
BTW, I grew up on Hamburger Helper, but
like you, am now trying to make things
healthier for my fam, so THANK-YOU for your
wonderful blog~~~~~~~~I’m really thrilled to
have found it & appreciate you & your willingness
to answer the various questions I post. Thanks
again for being a blessing!!! ;o)
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I was so excited to try this, but it never thickened up and just tasted like warm milk and noodles. I’m not sure what happened, but was dissapointed because that was a lot of milk to just waste. My wonderful family ate it, but now I’m afraid to try it again.
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Laura Reply:
February 10th, 2011 at 5:29 pm
Glad your family ate it…not sure what to tell you about what went wrong. You may have needed to cook it just a bit longer. Or, you could add a little bit less milk than the recipe calls for. Every once in a while I try a noodle variety that doesn’t absorb the milk as well. If you add less milk, and find that it isn’t going to be enough, just add a little bit more gradually until the noodles are cooked thoroughly and the sauce has thickened.
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I made this today for lunch and it worked out perfectly! We looved it. Thank you for the wonderful recipe.
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I made this today with a few adjustments due to what we had on hand and it turned out grainy! I used 1 % milk, whole wheat pasta and pre-shredded cheese with a little regular cheddar. I don’t know if it was the pasta (Barilla) or the pre-shredded cheese, but I’ve never had a problem with either in other recipes. I usually make a white sauce for my mac n cheese and add the pre-shredded cheese and it turns out fine, but I wanted something with less steps. Oh well, I put parmesan on it and my kids ate it!
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Laura Reply:
February 10th, 2011 at 5:30 pm
Glad your family still ate it! Did you remove it from the heat before adding cheese? Otherwise, I can’t figure out why it would be grainy. :( Bummer.
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I live alone and keep a busy schedule, so cooking (much as I LOVE it) sometimes doesn’t get the lovin’ it deserves. However, this recipe was SO quick and SO easy, yet SO tasty! I used whole wheat penne. I don’t like whole milk, but I used 2 cups of fat-free half and half and a cup of skim milk, and got a VERY creamy sauce. Since I cut the fat in the sauce, I didn’t skimp on the cheese, and the results were amazing. I will definitely be making this again–in the near future. Thanks! :D
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I LOVE Mac and cheese. I was skeptical of your recipe but tried it anyways. Wow! I am so impressed!
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Also..I used the Ronzoni quick cook noodles…done in 3 minutes!
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I tried the mac and cheese and it was delicious. I was out of hamburger so I added a can of drained tuna and a can of drained peas. Very yummy!
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MMMM, cheeseburger macaroni from this recipe was easy and delicious….it’s keeper recipe in our house :)
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amazing! a hit with everyone. your recipes have been such a blessing to my family.
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This rocks! I forgot to add water the first time, so it was super creamy. This time I did about half and half and it’s great. The first time I baked it (I will tonight, too, if I remember in time) but I also added about a tablespoon of tomato bullion this time and used 1/2 cheddar and 1/2 monterey jack. It’s got a wee bit of tang to it from the tomato.
Off to put tonight’s into a pan for baking!!! Love them crispy edges!
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I made this tonight, but used raw cream instead of milk. I had some raw cream that was 3 weeks old (and too sour for our tastes otherwise). It turned out so creamy and delicious. In fact, I did not even need to add any cheese. Thanks for the recipe!!
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This is sooooo good! My kids don’t like the baked mac and cheese that I make but love it when their aunt makes them the boxed kind (nasty!) This has the creaminess of the boxed but is good for them too. Yay!
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Delicious! I have made it two times with two different noodle types and both times turned out great! Very creamy!
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I just made this for the first time, and I used regular elbow noodles. The milk was completely absorbed way before the noodles were all the way cooked. I added milk a few times, and the noodles ended up being closed enough to cooked, but the end result was very dry (not creamy like my daughters were hoping based on the picture:)). Any suggestions so that this doesn’t happen next time? Still tasted good–just want it to be creamy!
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Laura Reply:
April 5th, 2011 at 2:34 pm
Aw, bummer. I think next time, start out with more milk, and maybe turn the heat down a little more while it cooks to see if that helps?? Hope it works better next time!
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C Dazey Reply:
October 7th, 2011 at 9:17 pm
I have made this several times now, and I find that I have to add quite a bit of extra milk to get the creamy texture and tenderness in the noodle. Other than that, we really love this recipe and make it about once a week. I have also found that the type of noodle (shape) seems to make a difference as well.
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It’s Friday night, it’s storming outside (tornado and flood warnings) and my husband is at work— needless to say I needed some comfort food for dinner tonight! I halved this and it was perfect (maybe a bit much, actually!) for just me as my main course dinner. It was great! Still doesn’t quite measure up to the boxed mixes- I grew up eating kraft at least once a week- but I definitely liked it! Thanks!
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I just made this and LOVED it!! My kids on the other hand hated it! :( The deciding factor is my husband. If he likes it, it will stay on the menu. He’s very picky about mac and cheese so he has the final say. Thanks for another great recipe!
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Great idea and we all loved it, thank you! Can’t wait to make it again and mix in some chicken and broccoli or ground beef and mushrooms.
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Laura, I love how you commented on needing to have a ceremony at the end of your post. I felt the same way when I finally found a whole wheat bread recipe that reached my goal of perfection! Here’s to us. Opah!
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I’m in the process of making this right now! I love white cheddar, but all I have on hand is yellow. I’ll take it. I’ve always wanted a simpler way to make mac n cheese and this is it. Before, I’d just add flour to the milk to thicken it and then add the cheese to make the sauce, which took out a step of making a roux, but this goes beyond that! YAY!!
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Thank you so very much for posting this! I am newly married and I cook for myself, my husband, and his mother. I am just learning how to cook and this past week everything I made turned out only ok. BUT I made this tonight and my mother in law kept saying how wonderful it was! Now I have my confidence back! Thank you again. OH,and in case this helps anyone. I made a seperate batch for me gluten free with corn flour noodles and it came out just fine!! It has been hard trying to convert recipes to gluten free and I cherish the few recipes I have!
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I cook the Creamy Mac & Cheese, We love it. Thanks for sharing.
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Tried this tonight and my boys exclaimed “this is AMAZING!!!” Thanks for all your hard work
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Made this for lunch today after church. My family loved it and will be making mac n cheese this way from here on out! The possibilities are endless!
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For years I have been trying to recreate the Stouffer’s mac-n-cheese flavor/creaminess. I’ve always fallen short. Until now!! I followed your directions, adding in some ground garlic and onion, and at the end threw in about 8 drops of hot sauce. I used extra sharp yellow cheddar as I’d have to break the bank to get white cheddar around here! The noodles weren’t quite “done” enough for my liking by the time the milk was boiled down, so I went ahead and added the cheese, about another 1/2 cup of milk, stirred, covered and let it rest off the heat. Perfection! Ultra creamy, just the right tang, and perfect cheddar flavor! It’s just crazy… who would’ve thunk to boil noodles in milk?? Thanks for the amazing recipe!!
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Wow! Here I thought there were only two choices: box, or baked for an hour and we still don’t love it after all that! THANK YOU for giving me a quick and healthy alternative to all those other recipes. Can’t wait to try it:)
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I made this tonight for the first time. We have just started our journey to healthier eating, so I have been looking for a recipe that would replace the boxed mac and cheese. The last I tried was too stringy, before that too dry, and before that too cheesy (really?!?). They ate the whole pan of this one! Thank you again for another great recipe!
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Just made this for our (early) dinner tonight. Yum!! I have also enjoyed makingyour chicken stir fry, pop tarts and am going to make some corn dog muffins this week. Hopefully will have some for lunch, and some to freeze for school lunches too. Thank you!! :)
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I am slightly confused…mine turned out great, aside from the fact that it tasted starchy. Any ideas why?
Thanks for being such an encouragement! :)
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Laura Reply:
September 2nd, 2011 at 8:55 pm
Hmm, I’m not sure. (How’s that for helpful?) :) I’m glad it at least tasted good!
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Angie Reply:
October 3rd, 2011 at 12:11 am
Maybe cooked the pasta for too long? My MIL will do that on purpose with spagetti. That is the only thing that I can think of.
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Fianlly made it, and exact replica of my baked mac & cheese. But 10X easier, 10X quicker, and 10X healthier. I did add a bit of nutmeg and some pepper with the cheese. Nutmeg will give it that hmmm thing that will just taste great.
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Thanks for the recipe. My family gobbled it up even though I thought I should have used sharp white cheddar. It was sweet and creamy! I just cooked up some chopped pastured beef hot dogs in some coconut oil and dinner was on!
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I found this on another website and had it tonite for dinner. My 1 1/2 year old ate his whole serving (he normally doesnt eat) Easy to make and easy to follow. I added some mustard powder, garlic powder and onion powder to it to spice it up a bit. YUMMY!!!!!
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I have made this 3 times now trying to perfect it and I can’t get the sauce creamy :( I am not sure if it is curdled or what, but it has tiny white lumps all through it. I tried to only simmer it this time to help it not curdle, but it still turned out this way :/
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Brady Reply:
October 12th, 2011 at 5:16 pm
I am using Pasteurized Whole UnHomogonized milk….our Raw milk is $7.50 a half gallon :/
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Brady Reply:
October 12th, 2011 at 5:17 pm
And it doesn’t seem to get weird till I add the cheese (off the heat)
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LindseyforLaura@HHM Reply:
October 18th, 2011 at 11:24 am
Hmmm…I am wondering if has something to do with the kind of cheese
you are using if it is fine until you are adding the cheese.
Does it seem like the cheese is melting all the way? I might try a
different cheese.
Do you bring the milk to a simmer or boil before adding the pasta, as you do with water, or are you supposed to start the 10-15 minutes after the milk-and-pasta come to a simmer, or what?
I did 15 minutes from the time they were both put in the pot, like the recipe seems to suggest, but it was reeeeally al dente and liquidy. Perhaps one of the above adjustments should have been made?
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I just borrowed this idea to make homemade tuna helper — success! Delicious. :)
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Just made 1/3 batch to check out how it will turn out — it’s very good, super creamy, and I love that my kids will be getting a little extra calcium!
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