5 Simple Homemade Stovetop Mac and Cheese Recipes
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Make stovetop mac and cheese for a quick and easy dinner, kid-friendly treat, or festive holiday side. This collection of simple, no-fail recipes will inspire you to create a classic mac and cheese dish at home any time you want.
Homemade Mac and Cheese on the Stove
There are a few different ways of preparing homemade mac and cheese. Today we’re focusing on simple stovetop versions that combine cooked noodles and a creamy cheese sauce.
Some recipes follow a one pot method that cooks the pasta and cheese sauce all in one single pot. Others separate them and cook each separately. However you choose, the end result is sure to be delicious!
For a complete dinner menu, pair your mac and cheese of choice with our Copycat Ruth Chris Stuffed Chicken. It’s perfect for any night of the week!
Save these recipes and add them to your meal plan app today.
How Do You Make Mac and Cheese From-Scratch?
Making macaroni and cheese from scratch in the stove is really, really easy! A traditional approach will have you cook the pasta and then pour over a cheese sauce.
- Cook noodles in a pot of boiling salted water.
- Make a roux sauce (flour and fat) with butter and flour. Thin it out with milk, remove from heat and stir in the cheese until melted. Keep stirring until smooth.
- Combine the cooked noodles with cheese sauce. Toss until the pasta is thoroughly coated.
The one pot mac and cheese version is just as it sounds. All the ingredients are cooked together in one pot. Clean up is quick!
- Melt butter in a pot and mixing a few ingredients to make a saucy liquid
- Cook the pasta with salt and flavorful spices like garlic and mustard powder
- Remove from heat and stir in the cheese(s) until melted.
How Long Does Macaroni Take to Cook?
Typical macaroni pasta cooking time is between 9 and 12 minutes.
Depending on your recipe, the cheese sauce is cooking along with the pasta in a second pot or mixed in after the pasta is done. Either way, it’s concise and doesn’t add much extra time.
Factor in 5 or so minutes spent prepping the recipe. Plus, 1 or 2 minutes to serve and set the table. A homemade from-scratch mac and cheese meal dish will be ready in about 20 minutes!
Serve with a piece of homemade crusty no-knead bread and enjoy.
5 Simple Homemade Stovetop Mac and Cheese Recipes
Swap the boxed mac and cheese and start making it yourself! You’ll save money and enjoy the from-scratch flavors so much more. I’m sure you’ll never look back once you try these recipes!
More Easy Homemade Mac and Cheese Recipes
- 8 No-Boil Mac and Cheese Recipes (Slow Cooker, Instant Pot, & Crock-Pot Options)
- 5 Creamy Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipes to Enjoy All year Long
- 10 Creative Takes On Mac And Cheese (Easy Homemade Variations!)
Love homemade pasta dinners? Try 12 Quick and Easy Pasta Recipes with Few Ingredients!
All of these sound and look amazing! I’m definitely trying the panko mac and cheese!
The panko seems to be in the lead as a fave!
Great recipe ideas! They all look delicious, cannot wait to make it 😉
Love these ideas for fast and easy mac and cheese. I want to try the one with white cheddar first!
Hope you like the white cheddar – remember to save the page for access to all the versions!
This is my go to comfort food! I’m loving all the options here! The hardest part is deciding which to make first.
Mac and cheese is my weakness! I don’t even know which one to choose because they all look fantastic! I guess I’ll just have to make them all!
It’s my weakness too! Nothing beats a good homemade version 🙂
So many great stovetop mac and cheese options on this list. I love making it during the week to pair with dinner so I will definitely be giving a few a try.
Weeknight options for sure! Bookmark the page so you can keep the recipes at your fingertips 😉
I’m obsessed with Mac and Cheese recipes! The panko recipe was my favorite, perfect amount of crunch!
Ok so I’m the crazy person who made all 5 recipes! SO good! My favorite is the one on the panko breadcrumbs! They were all so great and easy to make!
Thanks Amanda! Glad to hear you enjoyed all 5!!
I just love a good stove-top mac and cheese! They’re so wonderfully creamy. The white cheddar was especially good, so I’ll have to make my way through the whole list.