Stovetop Mac and Cheese
A simple and delicious recipe for our creamy Stovetop Mac and Cheese! There's no roux needed in our recipe, which produces a silky smooth cheese sauce!
Servings: 4
Calories: 940kcal
Ingredients
- 12 ounces pipe rigate
silky cheese sauce
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 10 ounces evaporated milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 12 ounces shredded white cheddar cheese
- 4 ounces shredded Oaxaca cheese
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add a small handful of salt and stir in the pasta. Boil, stirring occasionally, until pasta is fully cooked, 7 to 8 minutes.. Drain pasta, reserving 2 tablespoons pasta water. Set aside.
- Combine evaporated milk, pasta water, egg, dry mustard, salt, and pepper and whisk together.
- Place a large saucepan over low heat and melt butter.
- Stir in milk mixture and bring to a gently simmer. Whisk together for about 2 minutes.
- Whisk in small handfuls of the cheese mixture at a time, making sure not to add more cheese until the previous addition had been fully incorporated to the sauce.
- Continue to whisk and add cheese over low heat until all the cheese has been added and a creamy and smooth sauce forms (make sure not to rush this process or your cheese sauce will be gritty).
- Once the sauce has been made, stir in cooked pasta. Add more salt and pepper as needed and serve.
Notes
Tips and Tricks for Success
- Low heat is key for making the cheese sauce. The egg in this recipe really helps to thicken the sauce, so you want to make sure not to scramble it to too high heat.
- Use evaporated milk! Evaporated milk contains protein micelles, which help to keep the cheese sauce silky smooth and creamy!
- Only stir small amounts of shredded cheese to the sauce at a time - and make sure the added cheese is fully melted and incorporated before stirring more cheese into the sauce. This will help prevent the sauce from becoming gritty.
- Shred your own cheese! Although this adds an extra step, it's totally worth it! Pre-shredded cheese packs have anti-caking agents in them (like potato starch), which aren't great for creating a smooth sauce. It really does make a world of difference in the quality of this stovetop mac and cheese, we promise!
Nutrition
Calories: 940kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 51g | Saturated Fat: 32g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 217mg | Sodium: 1475mg | Potassium: 527mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1323IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 848mg | Iron: 2mg