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
- 2½ cups whole wheat pasta
- 3 cups whole milk
- ½ 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. (IMPORTANT!)
- Add cheese and stir until melted.
- Serve immediately.
Be very sure to remove this from the heat before you stir in the cheese. Otherwise you’ll have a gritty mess. :)
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.
Every time 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.
If you haven’t ever tried cooking your pasta in your milk, you must do this! You can enjoy it for an easy meal as is. Or you can use this base recipe to make:
- Easy Tuna Casserole
- Cheeseburger Macaroni
- Three Cheese Garlic Chicken Pasta
- Baked Three Cheese Chicken Pasta
Life as you know it just got better. Serve any of these with a salad and some steamed veggies. It’s amazing!
Like you, I’ve been searching for a healthy version for a VERY LONG time and although I make my own healthy versions I’m not totally happy with them so I’m incredibly excited to try this mostly because I totally trust you! =0) THANKS FOR SHARING!
Laura! You wicked woman! Here I am nearly 30 weeks pregnant. I’m trying to watch my (steadily climbing!) weight gain. It’s late at night. I’m hungry. And now THESE pictures.
I can never forgive you. ;)
Oh, for next week, how about Justus’ shaved ice? They both sound good, but it’s getting hot around here and shaved ice sounds just about right.
YUM!! I love Mac & Cheese so can’t wait to try out this recipe.
My vote for the next High 5 is Justus’ shaved ice. It would go well with the 80 plus degree weather we are having here.
Looks delicious! Thank you for sharing.
My vote for the next High 5 recipe is Justus’ shaved ice. It’s hot in GA and that sounds cool and delicious.
I always add milk to my homemade mac n cheese, but never thought to cook the pasta in milk! I’ll have to try this!
Oh my…. Oh my oh my oh my…. That looks incrediably yummy. I may just have to fix that for lunch.
Today.
Yum.
Melinda
you want to know what is weird? I am sitting down at my computer to take a quick break and eat a little something while the kids do a project. I pull up my fave blog and lo and behold-it is a post about mac and cheese. one of my fave foods. you wanna know what is in my bowl RIGHT NOW? Mac and cheese left over from supper last night. It is healthy and made with whole wheat. But, this looks great…I will have to try this! Thanks, Laura! And, avocado dip AND shaved ice sound like great summer recipes to me:) I hope we get to see both before it is said and done! Thanks!
MMM I’m going to have to try this. I was thinking a little garlic would be yummy too;)
HOW do you stay so thin?!?!?!?! I think we’re going to have to have this for lunch today!
Well, it’s still cold in Michigan, so I’m voting for Lime Avacado Dip, but I’m equally interested in Justus’ Shaved Ice, because I’m sure we’ll be making it throughout the summer when it finally does get hot here.
I’ll be giving this a try. My kids love Annies Arthur Mac and Cheese…and haven’t liked ANY of the many recipes I’ve tried. Maybe this one is it.
I vote for Lime Avocado Dip – already make shaved ices. LOL
Ok. I just had to try this and it is delicious!!! Thank you it’s definetly a keeper for us. It’s too bad my boys don’t like mac n’ cheese or is it? hee hee.
Thank you so much for this! I just made Mac N Cheese last night for dinner and while it was good, it wasn’t great. It had a lot more ingredients as well. I will definitely be trying this the next time I make it!
oooh, thank you, thank you – I too have been scouring the web for a good mac and cheese recipe and I think this one will be it! I will try it very soon.
I’ve been on that lifelong search too! lol A good mac and cheese recipe has eluded me for so long. I’ll have to check this out.
How did you know I was thinking about mac and cheese today?! :)
Yup, it’s on my menu for next week. :) Tasty tasty looking stuff!
And I’m all for the shaved ice! Yay for warmer weather! :)
That looks wonderful…and easy, too!
I vote for lime dip! I always make martha stewart mac n cheese – but this looks way easy fr quick lunches- no draining , minimum pots, too easy!
ok, I made this. Wow. So simple but SO good! I did have to add more milk while it was cooking because it seemed like it was cooking out too fast. But, It is some of the best Mac and Cheese I’ve ever had!
We have made this twice in the last week. Yummy! I love it when I have all the ingredients on hand. Please keep the High Five recipes coming!
Just made this but I did it with brown rice pasta which takes longer to cook so I had to use quite a bit more milk but it turned out wonderful!
Have I mentioned lately that I love you?! Thanks for another HEALTHY and awesome recipe!
OK, I must be a little dense, but I tried this and ended up with a huge mess of what looks like….blobs of yuckiness…and doesn’t taste any better. What did I do wrong? I tried it with parmesan, but when that didn’t work I tried cheddar and ended up with the same problem. Now I just have lots of ruined ingredients…and a scowl on my face….and no dinner :(
Awesome, Laura! I was a little bit skeptical, but I was craving mac and cheese after a stressful morning running about, and this recipe popped into my head. I did it using brown rice pasta, and I probably could have used another 1/2 cup of milk, as the noodles were just slightly underdone.
Nonetheless, it was wonderful and creamy, and oh-so-simple. Yay for that! :)
I’m making this right now. It should be done in 5 minutes…can’t wait!
I just discovered your blog, thanks to a friend, and I can’t get enough. Do you have your own cookbook out??
I’ve never thought about cooking the noodles in milk. I will definitely try that next time!
My not so secret ingredient for homemade mac and cheese is worcestershire sauce. So yummy!
I just have to say thank you for this. This is the first “new” thing (and admittedly not too different) that I have made for dinner in a while that I got all thumbs up for–even my hubby’s who is a crazy picky eater! Believe it or not there are some versions of mac n cheese that he won’t eat.
The only question I have for you is how you managed to not burn the milk on the bottom? I did stir a lot, but I had to switch pots half way through and I had to a lot more milk and cook it for about 30 minutes….weird eh?!
Thanks for this recipe though :) We loved it, you are right…so creamy and healthier than our usual mac n cheese recipe.
Otherwise, it was SO yummy!!!!
I like a tuna casserole I make but it uses a can of creamed soup which, I just realized, has MSG in it. What do you do to replace this can of soup which is found in casseroles?
I”m so excited to make this. I love mac and cheese and this is SO EASY!!
Thanks for the recipe! I just made it, using mozzarella cheese. It wasn’t bad, but I don’t think I would recomend the mozzarella (that just happened to be what I had on hand). As it cooled down while I was eating it, the cheese kind of clumped up together with almost a grainy texture. Still tasted good, but both the hubby and I think next time we will try a different kind of cheese. I just pulled up a stool and stirred away. I had to add extra milk, but that may have been because I didn’t measure the pasta very well. Overall, pretty easy and yummy! Thank you!
Thank you for this recipe. I have been looking for a quick and easy mac and cheese recipe. This seems to fit the bill. I just made some and am waiting for the DH’s opinion. I thought it tasted great. The kids are not mac and cheese eaters but maybe this will change their minds.
Yum – this is the best mac & cheese recipe ever! I made it with brown rice pasta, skim milk and cheddar and it was delicious! I may add a dash of garlic or onion salt next time to add a little more savory to the flavor. This recipe could not be easier! It definitely thickens up when it cools, so it should be eaten right away. Mmmm, my tummy is happy :)
I tried this the other day and it was AMAZING! Can’t believe how easy and delicious. Who needs Kraft when you’ve got this!! I’ve been telling my family and friends all about it. :)
Well, your friend is a genius! I just snarfed a pan of this mac-n-cheese, and I, too, couldn’t believe how creamy it was. Almost too thick, so I added a little more milk at the end. (I probably should have used less pasta…I made a third of a recipe and didn’t measure exactly. Next time I’d do 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup pasta, 1/3 cup cheese, & a pinch or two of salt.) I used half parmesan cheese, half white cheddar. OH YUM! Thanks for sharing this fantastic recipe!
I tried this recipe twice… The first time, I think I had a little too much pasta and it turned out a little dry. I made it for the second time last night and it did not turn out well. I think maybe because I had my burner too hot? I don’t know if the milk got scalded and that was the problem? I used cheddar and the sauce was grainy. Like the cheese didn’t melt well. But, I used that cheese again this morning and it melted fine. I think this is a great recipe when it works, but you really have to watch it.
And, what do I get for my supermom efforts? From DH: “Can’t we just have the boxed kind?” Blah.
I made it and burned the pot, but I think a lower heat and maybe using my cast iron will help next time (cast iron at least would clean out the burn part better)
Suggestion to all who had troubles, if you scald the milk it will not ‘incorporate’ the cheese as well. Also the quality of the cheese will make a huge difference. Though I am by no means an expert, just a suggestion.
To the Tuna casserole question, use the same recipe but add tuna and not cheese (or both), it worked great last night. (with peas)
I think next week I will try it with some onions cooked in the pot first (in olive oil will prep the pot for not burning, unless someone knows something about olive oil and milk?)
We had this tonight and my daughter liked it (she’s nixed all other attempts)! I’ve tried many recipes to replace the boxed versions and this recipe is finally one we can keep. I love that it uses ingredients I already have on hand, tastes great and is easy to make. My daughter loved helping make it from shredding the cheese to stirring the noodles. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
I am new to your blog but have tried this recipe twice now and have to say that it is amazing! So quick, easy, and delicious! It is a new favorite; thank you.
Just wandered over from moneysavingmom, and I am so glad I did!!! I have been hunting for an easy (fewer than 3 cheeses and no heavy cream) AND yummy M&C recipe for years. I am making room for this in my menu plan this week. Thank you!!
Hooray! You fixed the link(I’m visiting from money saving mom). Mac and cheese is sooooooo my go to comfort food during the winter. I can’t wait to give this a try.
Christine
I just discovered your site and I love it! I must say I have NEVER thought about cooking my noodles in milk before—I will have to try this next time. I have a delicious Mac and Cheese soup recipe—all six of us love it, for it to be healthy someone would have to tweek it though. When we lived up north and snow stayed on the ground, for MONTHS at a time, I would prepare this soup a lot. I consider it the ‘ultimate comfort food’! LOL! Here is the link to the mac and cheese soup recipe http://tinyurl.com/yjls8js
I just made this tonight and even though I followed the recipe exactly the sauce turned out kinda grainy… the flavor was awesome though so I think I might try it again and cook it on a lower temp for a little bit longer and hopefully that will help with the graininess!
Laura you’re a genius! I’ve made creamy mac and cheese before but it’s taken hours (i exaggerate, but you get the point) to get rid of the floury taste in the bechamel. Not to mention if i want M & C, i’m NOT in the mood for ‘cooking.’ You bypassed the flour thing by boiling the noodles directly in the water! Thinking outside the norm!! Chef Batali frequently puts a scoop of pasta water in his sauces to thicken it up – this is similar. TYVM for sharing and i’ll be checking this site again.
I am a new comer to your site, & loved it! You have some great recipes & tips. I tried the creamy mac & cheese. Noodles worked great in the milk. You do have to stir constantly to keep the milk from scorching. I also lowered heat some. I did have the grainy consistency that some mentioned. I am wondering if the cheese I used was the cause? Is the white better to use than tradition yellow which is what I had at the time. I will try again!
Thanks for a great site. I look forward to browsing through it a lot.
I think the grainy thing can be a result of the variety of pasta and yes, the variety of cheese. I’m not sure white is better for the recipe to succeed (just for health since white doesn’t have food coloring!). ALso, it’s super important to remove the pan from the heat before adding the cheeese, although you probably did that part! :
I am going to try this tonight…what a great idea! You can make yummy mac n cheese from leftover pasta too. Toss the cold pasta with some flour, add some milk and heat on medium. Stir frequently to prevent scorching and to know when/if more milk is necessary. Once heated through, add some grated Parmesan and sliced American cheese. Turn off heat and cover to let American melt. Stir before serving. My guys like to add some garlic or onion powder because they are weird, um, I mean creative. Of course the amount of flour and milk changes based on how much pasta you start with, so you just have to eyeball it.
It’s wonderful but what, NO BUTTER!? I made it & towards the end of the pasta being done, I added 3 T. of butter, yes! It was very yummy.
Thank You,
Debra
I just made this again (for like the 20th time) and I did an alfredo version that rocks! I crushed one clove of garlic and added it to the milk and noodles and instead of cheddar I used parmesan – OMG! It is SOOO good, topped it with some fresh basil and grilled chicken and it rivals any restaurant alfredo I’ve had! LOVE it, thanks again!
I just tried it and it was delicious and creamy, but then got a little grainy as it cooled. So, it sounds like everyone else’s, but I used skim milk.
I’ll be trying it again adding garlic–and I’ll be trying Sommer’s idea for an alfredo version as well. I will not be adding butter–it is not needed.
I made this the other day and I’m sorry to say I thought it was pretty awful. The milk seemed to separate when I cooked the noodles in it, and just a minute or two after mixing it up it was hardening into one big gluey glob. Disappointing.
Sorry to hear that this recipe didn’t work for you. :(
I just tried it, with my family giving thumbs up by all!!! They didn’t even notice it was whole wheat pasta they were eating(for the first time ever :) ) Thanks for the great recipe!! :)
This is a great recipe, my picky mac and cheese eaters ate it without complaint! Love it!
That really is brilliant. I must try this.
It’s hard to believe this hasn’t been thought up and widely publicized before now. :)
I just made it. It tasted good but looked curdled instead of creamy. What did I do wrong?
Hmm, maybe your heat was a little too high?
Can I use skim milk instead of whole milk?
I think it should work. It just might not be as creamy.
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?
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!
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 :)
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!!!
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….
This was soooo good!!! My picky eater who will only eat mac and cheese from a box even liked it!! Thank you, thank you!!!
We are having this for supper tonight- I added a little chopped up green onion, garlic powder, and paprika.
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!
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!!
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!!
What a GREAT idea Kellie!! :-)
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!
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?
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!
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.
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!!!
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)
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.
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.
I made this today for lunch and it worked out perfectly! We looved it. Thank you for the wonderful recipe.
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!
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.
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
I LOVE Mac and cheese. I was skeptical of your recipe but tried it anyways. Wow! I am so impressed!
Also..I used the Ronzoni quick cook noodles…done in 3 minutes!
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!
MMMM, cheeseburger macaroni from this recipe was easy and delicious….it’s keeper recipe in our house :)
amazing! a hit with everyone. your recipes have been such a blessing to my family.
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!
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!!
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!
Delicious! I have made it two times with two different noodle types and both times turned out great! Very creamy!
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!
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!
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.
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!
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!
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.
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!
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!!
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!
I cook the Creamy Mac & Cheese, We love it. Thanks for sharing.
Tried this tonight and my boys exclaimed “this is AMAZING!!!” Thanks for all your hard work
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!
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!!
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:)
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!
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!! :)
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! :)
Hmm, I’m not sure. (How’s that for helpful?) :) I’m glad it at least tasted good!
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.
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.
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!
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!!!!!
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 :/
I am using Pasteurized Whole UnHomogonized milk….our Raw milk is $7.50 a half gallon :/
And it doesn’t seem to get weird till I add the cheese (off the heat)
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?
I just borrowed this idea to make homemade tuna helper — success! Delicious. :)
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!
Has anyone tried this with rice pasta? DO you get the same results?
Thanks so much!
~cynthia
I have actually tried this with Tinkyada Rice Pasta when we were doing a gluten free experiment and it worked great!!!
I did too. I only buy Tinkyada. It is the best!!! :) …good luck, it is delicious.
Personally, I love Ancient Harvest Quinoa Pasta! Texture and taste resemble Wheat pasta imo.
I just made a HUGE pot of this for my hard working very hungry brood today to eat after splitting
wood for the winter. It is FANTASTIC!! I used rice pasta and I added 1/4 cup butter for lots
of added fat! YUM
Oh I am soooo excited! I have been looking for a GF mac and cheese recipe that didn’t ask for a bunch of processed cheese. I’ll be trying this one this weekend!
What an awesome recipe! I cannot wait to give this a try! I have tried so hard to make a whole wheat pasta macaroni without success. This is sure to be a hit!
mmmmmmm I just made this with salsa and olives. yum. I was wondering if your recipes freezes well.
Unfortunately, it does not. :(
Following directions is important. I had to make this twice because the first time I added the cheese while the milk was boiling and I added mozzerella cheese, as well as cheddar. Whether it was the Moz. or the fact that I didn’t remove the pot from the heat, everything clumped up nasty. I threw that out and tried again, adding the cheese after the pasta was done, and just added cheddar and it turned out great!!!
Yummm this is great!!
Can I sub 2% milk instead of whole?
I think it should work fine, but I’ve never tried it myself to know for sure.
This is my first recipe of Laura’s to try. I made it with 2% and it worked great. I am so thankful for this recipe. I had almost written mac n cheese off!
How does this do as leftover is it still as creamy? I’m trying this recipe tonite
I find that it works best to reheat if I add a little milk to it on the stove and heat it up that way. Then it stays creamy, or rather, becomes creamy again. :)
Wow, that’s a lot of milk all at once for my family of 7. We’re cheap with milk since the good stuff is so expensive. What do you think of half milk half water? I think this looks like a great special treat – we haven’t had mac n cheese in a long time.
I’ve never tried it that way but I think it might work!
I water mine down all the time and it works just fine.
Any idea if almond milk would work?
I can’t say for sure since I’ve never tried it, but I think it would probably work if you’ve had success subbing almond milk in other recipes.
Julia,
I just wondered if you attempted with almond milk and how the results were.
Almond milk should work, hypothetically, because the principle behind the thickening is the starch that’s in the pasta being released into the liquid rather than the liquid performing some function
I think, for those wondering about lower fat recipes, that if you add some butter or margarine it should make the sauce just as great. I do this when I make recipes with milk that need to be rich and creamy, like alfredo or scalloped potatoes, because its cheaper than buying whole milk, which we never drink.
Do you use raw milk and cheese from raw milk when you make a recipe like this or just organic milk? What would you recommend for someone who doesn’t have access to (that much) affordable raw milk? Thanks in advance for your response. I am new to healthy eating, trying to make a change or two a month. I am guess that just switching from a processed, box mac & cheese to making this with organic products would be a start!
I do use raw, organic milk in this recipe, but if that isn’t available to you, I would use store bought organic milk instead. :)
I’ve made this with regular milk and cheese when I wasn’t able to get raw milk and raw cheese. It worked out just fime.
Made this tonight. LOOOOOVED it! Thanks so much!
~bree~
Have you ever tried this with a Quinoa Pasta? I use the Quinoa pastas with most every other pasta recipe I make and would love to use it for Mac N Cheese. My kids love Mac N Cheese and I would love for this to be our go to alternative to even the organic whole wheat boxed stuff!
No, I haven’t. But I have used rice pasta and it worked great!
I just made it with the quinoa pasta and it was SSOOOOO good!!! I used more cheese than called for in the original recipe, and I think it needed more salt that I put in.
I didn’t use whole wheat pasta because I think the store-bought kind just tastes like cardboard. Maybe I’m doing something wrong, but the quinoa pasta was truly awesome. It’s my first time making it at all, and it was so similar in taste and texture to regular semolina pasta, that I was thoroughly impressed.
Very tasty.
Do you heat the milk first, like you would with water, or start it all cold from the start?
Nope, just start it all cold and let it heat/cook together!
This is just like those store-bought hamburger helper/rice-a-roni things, but much better. They always have you add milk and water. I had to keep adding more and more water, because for some reason with the milk it took the pasta twice as long to cook and it got way too thick. I think next time I’ll do 1/4 milk and 3/4 water and see how that goes. Even after adding all that water, as soon as it cooled down just a little, the sauce was thick and sticky, not creamy and smooth at all. Second time’s the charm, I hope!
I just made this tonight and my boys loved it. The cheese didn’t get grainy like other recipes I’ve tried.
Made this tonight and added seasoned ground beef to make your Hamburger Helper. Turned out perfect!
Made this last night, it was good, but the milk got super thick. Should I add more milk or maybe just some water in addition to the milk?
adding more milk should do the trick!
I’m not sure what I did wrong, but mine didn’t turn out creamy at all. I think next time I’ll go back to making a roux.
Hi,
I was just wandering, is it possible to put pasta ( not cooked) with milk and cheese in the oven and that way avoid stirring on the stove?
Thanks!
Yes, I’ve done it this way before, but have a hard time not curdling my milk this way.
We made this tonight and enjoyed the flavor.
just curious: Does whole wheat pasta cook faster than regular. I was using up some white penne that we had in the cupboard and it took over 20 minutes for the pasta to cook. It was still firmer than we normally would have made it, but we were tired of stirring and it was thickened.
Typically, whole wheat takes longer than white pasta, actually. But penne in any form takes a notoriously long time to cook. I think Laura mentioned in the recipe that elbow macaroni cooks up quickly, and that’s been my experience, too– maybe try that next time. (Whole Foods has a store-brand whole wheat macaroni I love!)
Since pasta is different sizes and shape, how exactly do you determine 2 1/2 cups? Is that a whole box? 1/2 a box?
Well….I never really measure ingredients exactly – I’m a “dump it in” kind of cook. The 2 1/2 cups of pasta called for in this recipe is rough. I’d measure it in a measuring cup, but not worry too much if it’s a little under or a little over the needed amount.
I’m reading all these wonderful replies. Just wondering what cheeses are used for anyone’s mac & cheese. I like ot use kraft barrel x-sharp and sharp chesses. I also use the Tinkyada Rice Pasta. But will also try the Ancient Harvest Quinoa Pasta.
Will like to see your type of cheeses used.
I use Landmark Raw White Cheddar, which is a mild cheddar.
Gouda and gruyere are two of my favorites for macaroni & cheese, but I’ll usually balance with some cheddar. A little parmesan is nice, too.
Oops. At high altitude things work a wee bit differently. Needed twice the liquid and the noodles still weren’t done. Will try again though with more/thinner liquid and 3/4 or half the elbows, because rice noodles are hard to cook completely at altitude without cooking them much longer anyhow.
This is really good!!!
Making this right now for the day care kids! Hope it is a hit!!
Verdict is in…….they LooooooooVE IT!!! And I love your web site! So many wonderful recipes!! Thanks a bunch!!
Tasted pasta after cooking with milk and it really is different! I could eat a whole bowl without adding anything else.
I did forget to take it off the heat when I added the cheese so it separated and got ruined. :( I’ll have to try again the right way!
So glad to see this. What an easy recipe! Fortunately, I have a Jersey cow and this will be a great way to use up her excess milk.
So do you use a whole box of pasta? and when using penne should it typically take about 20 minutes?
I use 2 1/2 cups of pasta. Sometimes when using penne pasta it may take a little longer. Every type of pasta is a little bit different, which means you may need to adjust cooking times and milk amounts.
Hi Laura, Do you think this could be made in a crock pot? Or could it be made ahead in the same way as your three cheese pasta?
Thanks!
I’m not sure if it can be done in a crock pot, but I think I’d like to try it sometime. It would work to make it ahead, but it may not be quite as creamy as when done right before serving.
I was amazed at how thick and creamy the milk got as it cooked…but once I took it off the stove and added the cheese, the creaminess was gone and it wasn’t so much a cheese sauce as it was just cheese-flavored pasta. I used the exact amount of ingredients as in the recipe (but subbed in elbow mac for the whole wheat pasta) and cooked it for about 12 minutes, so I don’t know where I went wrong. I guess next time I’ll add more milk.
Should I do this at the beginning so it doesn’t get too thick when the pasta’s finished cooking or at the end to thin out the sauce when the cheese is added?
Yes, start with a little more milk next time, or add more as needed while cooking.
I just made this again, but with gluten free pasta elbows. Worked wonderfully. Serving with roasted zucchini and homemade breaded chicken strips baked in the oven with homemade BBQ sauce for dipping. Can’t wait for dinner!
I’m gonna try this for the first time, well, really the Cheeseburger Macaroni
But I’m using straight from the cow milk, and unpasteurized processed Cheddar and I’ll add a little Mozzarella at the end on top… I can’t wait… Oh, and I’m just using regular pasta, ran out of whole wheat.
how much cooked pasta does this yield? would one recipe of it feed me, my hubby, my 7 year old, 4 year old and 2 year old? Would I have leftovers, should I double the recipe?
I just made this & added 5 hotdogs (gasp! – sorry Laura!) and it was about 4 adult servings.
This should work to feed your whole family. :)
?
Love the simplicity of this! At first when I was reading this I thought “yeah but how does it taste?” because every single homemade recipe I’ve done, while I HAVE enjoyed, had a floury flavor that my kids picked up on immediately and refused to eat.
I think I will have to try this out IMMEDIATELY!
Someone had asked if this could be made in a crockpot….I was on Paula Deen’s website looking for a mac n cheese recipe and yes she has one made in a crock pot….takes 3 hrs. to cook tho…….I can not imagine cooking noodles that long…….
FINALLY got around to making this and I am SO HAPPY! I used skim milk with no problem. I also added a 1/2 tsp of dry mustard powder and 1/8 tsp of black pepper. The consistency was a little grainy, but it smoothed out a bit by the time we had seconds. YUM! For those asking about how much pasta – it was half a box for me. I used Whole Wheat Barilla medium shells.
I was really excited to try this, but it was a mixed result. I think it has potential, but my daughter just scraped hers back into the serving bowl. I used elbow macaroni and cooked it for a good 20 mins, but it never really got soft. I added more milk a couple of times. Unfortunately, we’re trying to get out the door to soccer practice so I had to take it off the stove instead of continuing to cook it. I’ll try one more time since everyone else has had good results.
Bummer that it didn’t work. It could have been the type of whole wheat noodle you tried. I use Bionaturae brand and that works well for me.
I just made this and the sauce turned out grainy. It was still pretty good, but I’d love to correct that. I used regular twirl pasta, 1% milk and monterey jack with some cheddar. The pasta was pretty soft and it only took 8 min. to cook!
Any idea why it was grainy?
The only time mine turns out grainy like that is if I don’t move the pot of cooked noodles off the stove before adding the cheese. Not sure if this is what happened with yours or not, but that step is pretty important.
Can I tell you this recipe has changed my life? Well maybe I’m going overboard there but seriously. I have a gluten free child and a dairy free child (cow’s milk protein allergic to be specific) I have taken this recipe and tailored it to their needs. I do everything the same quantity wise, but I use goat milk (its acceptable to my 6 year old’s tummy) and pecorino romano cheese (its the grated cheese that most everyone uses on their pasta but its sheep’s milk cheese) and I use gluten free pasta. Its a bit of an “expensive” dish but I try to get what I can on sale and when I do it’s such a great treat for them. I’m making it tonight as a matter of fact and we’re all so looking forward to it. I had to look back here to find the right proportions and decided to share in case anyone was gluten and dairy free like us. thanks for such a great recipe!!!
I made this tonight with rice drink and cheddar cheese and it was SUPER easy! I added taco meat after and it was awesome! I can’t believe how easy and yummy this was. I didn’t know how rice drink would work, but it thickened up just like the recipe says. I used tiny pasta and so it didn’t take too long either.
I’m just loving all your recipes. Thank you so much for sharing them with us!
Used this idea tonight but cheated a bit. When I added the cheese( I used sharp cheddar and a Mexican cheese blend) I also added in a packet of powdered cheese from Annie’s white cheddar mac. It was amazing! I’ll never cook Mac and cheese in water again!
Oh…I also added black pepper, a pinch of garlic powder, and used skim milk. I plan to make this for my 4th of July party this year and maybe doing a breadcrumb crust. Thanks!
Love it! Love it!!! Will never make box kind ever again!! I used evaporated milk and it turned out great!
Now how bout a yummy creamy coleslaw?
Thank you for sharing! Mine was very good. I added frozen chopped spinach about halfway or the last third of the way through cooking the pasta, before the cheese. It was great. Thanks again!
I just read in the Food Network Magazine that Thomas Jefferson wrote about his time in France and included some recipes in a book. He mentioned boiling noodles in milk (and water) when making mac and cheese. I thought it was a great idea! I just looked it up, the name of the book is “Thomas Jefferson’s Creme Brulee”
I made this for the first time ever, also using 1% milk, but I turned the heat off and removed the pan from the heat and it was grainy as well.
Perhaps it was the 1% milk? It still tasted better than the baked version I made two weeks ago.
I made this virtually fat free. Delicious! The only fat comes from the whole wheat pasta. I used 2 cups fat free evaporated milk, 1 cup of water, three cups of whole wheat fusilli pasta and added a sprinkle of ground mustard while it was cooking. I cooked it from cold for 20 minutes. Then after I took it off the heat I added 3 slices of Borden sharp fat free singles. Note: use less salt in the milk/ water mixture because the cheese is really salty. I would probably add 1/4 cup more water or milk next time and cook for 2 minutes longer to make the pasta a little softer and thin the sauce a bit because the pasta really absorbs the liquid after you take it off the heat. I ate the whole thing in one sitting!
You are my hero! I ran out of milk and was still able to make this from your instructions.
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Looks good! Can’t wait to try it. Do you know if it will hold up well in crockpot after cooking on stove? That is always my problem with homemaded mac-n-cheese. It separates in the crockpot!
Hmm, I haven’t tried it before. I feel like this dish is served best fresh and straight off the stove!
Laura,
Your pictures brought back memories – I used to make this dish for my son when he was growing up. Yours looks so inviting, I am going to make it tonight. If you want to make even healthier, use whole grass-fed milk and grass-fed cheddar. And you’re right, this dish is best served right away – if you can get everyone to stop eating it right from the pot….
Now just some crab meat and bake! Creamy Mac and Cheese with crab! Yummmmmm”O”
Can it be baked in the oven after cooking on the stove?
Yes. I find that it gets a little dry that way, but it does work decently.
will it get dry if i just wanted to add cheese on top so it could have
that crisp to it in the oven
I will be making this for Thanksgiving. I have two picky eaters who DO NOT like anything but turkey for thanksgiving dinner. I thought this would be perfect for them. Thank you Laura!!
Okay, I myself have searched LONG and hard for a good creamy mac n’ cheese, and when I read that you cooked it in the milk, my response to myself was “DUH! cuz that makes sense!” so thank you, I have now ended my search as well=)
What about cooking it in a double boiler?
Sure, that would work!
I just found another use for whey. I used it for part of the milk in this recipe.
Wouldn’t the heat from the stove top take away the “good” stuff from the whey? Or does it work like that?
It is not a cultured whey, I am not using it for those benefits. I have health conditions that are aggravated by aged cheese and cultured products. I recently learned how to make farmers cheese. I am so excited to have a cheese I can eat all I want of, but it leaves me with a lot of left over whey. I am learning it can be substituted for the milk or water in a lot of recipes and some of them come out better.
I love this recipe as I use the basic idea with variations. I put some water instead of some of the milk as my girls think the all milk version is too creamy. I find it cooks easier this way. I also have substituted whey. I did do all whey one time, but that came out overly sweet. Just part is better. I also keep Simply Organic Ceaser Dressing mix in my cupboard to replace some or all of the cheese. I use a tablespoon or two. This reminds me of the ease of boxed mac and cheese. I don’t always have cheese but I usually have dressing mix, milk, and pasta. It is very good with the dressing mix and some of the shredded cheese.
I have tried this 2 times now. My cheese gets a very grainey texture to it. It is not very appetizing. What am I doing wrong?
@Jennifer — you’re cooking your cheese too fast/hot or, you have shredded cheese with a “non clumping” additive in it.
Make sure you are removing it from the heat before adding the cheese in. I hope that helps!
This is soooo good! Just made it for a meatless meal on Friday. Seriously, it’s a winner, thank you for posting! I didn’t have whole milk on hand, so I threw in a little butter and it worked like a charm! I think we just permanently moved from boxed mac to homemade.
Great recipe!!! I tried mine using coconut milk and it turned out great!
Just now tried this. Problem I ran into (unfortunately while kids are waiting for lunch as we speak) is that the milk boiled away/thickened up before the noodles got cooked all the way through. How can I fix this? Tried adding a little more milk, but no luck.
I would start with more milk at the beginning and see if that helps.
I love this recipe! I made this yesterday and added about 1 c. steamed caulifower. The cauliflower was steamed until really soft. It was left over from something else – and boy was it a great addition! I was interrupted and came back to a cold plate and reheated it and it stated great still. I think the cauliflower held up the sauce better for a reheat. I think this might be a way for those who want to bake it to retain some moisture. I am trying it that way later. Thanks!
Help!!!!! What am I doing wrong, every time I cook pasta dish in milk it tastes flourie. Am I not cooking the pasta fast or hot enough. My pasta is never done enough and I always have to add more milk. It still has to much bit to it. Love the mac and cheese recipe but I can never seem to get it right!!!!!!
Start by adding more milk at the beginning and see if that helps.
We were just looking for a homemade mac n cheese recipe! This looks great- how many servings does it make?
3-4 Servings.
Who would have thunk it! Lol! Great idea and I’m gonna add some polish sausage for a casserole. Thanks bunches.
Mmm, this has become our favourite (although it’s a bit weird with homemade whole wheat pasta, it’s fine with everything else I’ve tried). Easy, quick and the kids love it!
Today we took this up a notch by sauteing some garlic in butter first, then cooking as normal. Afterwards we added some smoked sausage, some extra cheese, topped it with bread crumbs, a bit of parsley, and some melted butter and broiled it for a few minutes. It was so classy! :)
Hi, I am making a Mac and Cheese for 30 people I don’t know how much noodles and milk I will need, please help. Thank you
This recipe makes enough for about 5 people. So this recipe multiplied by six. Wow, that’s a lot of mac and cheese!
Thank you, yes that is a lot of mac and cheese, do you estimate that as 2 boxes you think?
Yes!
Does anyone know if this will work with almond milk instead? I’m afraid it will change the taste too much.
I have the same question – Almond milk and goat cheese???
This is absolutely fabulous. I make it with skim milk and it is still very yummy!
Oh my goodness! I made mine with parmesan cheese and whole wheat rotini pasta, added a knob of butter and a grating of nutmeg, salt and fresh ground pepper. I stirred in some leftover roast chicken, cut up. Viola! Chicken Alfredo extraordinaire!!! Thanks for the basic recipe. Its a keeper!
Hi Laura,
I’m wondering if you know if this would work with GF noodles, such as corn or brown rice noodles?
Thanks! :)
Yes, it should work fine. Laura has used Tinkyada brand.
I made this today and I am in love with it! My daughter (age 4 and pretty picky eater) said, “This is the best mac n cheese you have ever made, Mom! Can you make it again?” The milk got pretty thick early on, so I just kept adding more milk. Definitely making again. Thank you for a great recipe!
This was so good and so easy!!! I’ve added it to my Favorites file. I didn’t even mind that I had to scrub the pan from scorched milk because I had to run out and shoo my kids away from the chicken poop pile. Ha!
We did not care for the texture of the noodles at all cooked this way they were soft but not bouncy like pasta should be the sauce was great but the family won’t eat it because of the texture of the noodles
I’m going to make this for Easter dinner, sounds great! Disappointed though that the recipe won’t Pin. A box comes up saying nothing was found on the page that was pinnable.
:( since I pin most recipes now that I like.
Very strange that it didn’t allow for pinning. I just tested and it worked for me. I will work on that page and add a better, more pinnable picture!
I just made this creamy Mac and cheese…. It is soooo creamy that it’s actually sickening. I really really tried to like it, but I couldn’t make myself eat more than a few spoonfuls. *sigh* Into the garbage it goes… :(
Is it bad that I added bacon to this? It’s so good!!
Such an awesome idea!