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My mother had a ruling on macaroni and cheese, and nobody in our house ever argued with it: baked macaroni was for Sunday, and the creamy pot on the stove was for a Tuesday. My father wanted it baked every night of the week, and he lost that one too. This is the Tuesday pot, the one my brothers ate standing at the stove with a spoon before it ever reached the table.
She made the cheese sauce in the same pot the macaroni came out of, and her whole secret was the heat. The pot comes off the burner before the cheese goes in, a handful at a time, so it melts slowly into silk instead of separating into grains and oil. The other thing she did, and the question people ask most, is how much evaporated milk to add. The answer is one 12 ounce can for a full pound of macaroni, poured in right along with the cheese. Evaporated milk carries proteins that hold the fat and the cheese together, so the sauce stays smooth and glossy, even the next day when you warm it up. Less than half a can and you lose the effect; more than a can and the sauce tastes sweet.
Why this stovetop macaroni and cheese works
- Cheese off the heat. Cheese melted over high heat tightens and lets go of its fat. Off the heat it melts gently into a smooth sauce.
- A full can of evaporated milk. It keeps the sauce emulsified, creamy and glossy, and it stops it breaking when reheated.
- Block cheddar grated at home. Pre-shredded cheese is coated to stop clumping, and that coating turns a sauce grainy.
- Macaroni cooked a little short. It finishes softening in the sauce and soaks up flavor instead of turning mushy.
Ingredients
Serves 6 as a main dish or 8 as a side. The measurements are in US cups with grams in brackets.
- 1 pound elbow macaroni (450g)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (57g)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (32g)
- 2 cups whole milk (480ml)
- 1 can (12 ounces, 354ml) evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon fine salt, plus more for the pasta water
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated from a block (16 ounces, 450g)
- 1 cup mild cheddar or Monterey Jack, grated (4 ounces, 115g)
Use a sharp cheddar for flavor and a milder melting cheese for stretch. Grate both from blocks. Let the grated cheese sit out while the pasta cooks so it is not fridge-cold when it goes into the sauce.
How to make stovetop macaroni and cheese
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the macaroni 2 minutes less than the package says, so it is still firm in the middle. Drain, saving 1 cup of the cooking water.
- Return the empty pot to medium heat and melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking, for 1 minute, until it smells like toast but does not brown.
- Slowly whisk in the whole milk. Keep whisking until the sauce comes to a gentle simmer and thickens enough to coat a spoon, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Whisk in the dry mustard, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Take the pot completely off the heat. Pour in the evaporated milk, then add the cheese a handful at a time, stirring until each handful melts before adding the next.
- Fold the drained macaroni into the sauce. If it looks too thick, loosen it with a splash of the saved pasta water.
- Set the pot back over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, just until everything is hot and glossy. Taste for salt and serve right away.
Tips that make the difference
- Never let the sauce boil after the cheese goes in. Low heat only, and only to warm it through.
- If the sauce does turn grainy, take it off the heat and stir in a splash more evaporated milk; it often pulls it back together.
- Do not rinse the macaroni. The starch on the noodles helps the sauce cling.
- The sauce thickens as it stands, so serve it slightly looser than you want it on the plate.
Variations
- Baked the next day. Spread leftovers in a buttered dish, top with buttered breadcrumbs and more cheddar, and bake at 375 degrees until bubbling.
- Ground beef. Stir in 1 pound (450g) browned ground beef with onion for a one-pot supper.
- Smoked paprika. A pinch of smoked paprika with the mustard gives a deeper flavor.
- Vegetables. Fold in steamed broccoli florets or peas at the end.
Storage and make-ahead
Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat on the stove over low heat with a splash of milk, stirring until creamy again. Thanks to the evaporated milk, it will not break.
Macaroni and cheese can be frozen in portions for up to 2 months; thaw in the refrigerator and reheat gently with milk.
Frequently asked questions
How much evaporated milk do I need?
One 12 ounce can for one pound of macaroni. It goes in off the heat, together with the cheese, and keeps the sauce from breaking.
Why did my cheese sauce turn grainy?
The cheese went in over too much heat, or it was pre-shredded. Take the pot off the burner before adding cheese and grate it yourself from a block.
Can I make it without evaporated milk?
Yes, use more whole milk, but the sauce will be less stable and will tighten when reheated.
Which macaroni works best?
Classic elbows hold the sauce inside and out. Small shells and cavatappi work well too.
Baked on Sunday, stovetop on a Tuesday. Keep the cheese off the heat and the can of evaporated milk on the counter, and the pot will be scraped clean before you sit down.
Creamy Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese (The Sauce That Never Breaks)
Old-fashioned creamy stovetop macaroni and cheese made in one pot: a butter and milk sauce, sharp cheddar stirred in off the heat, and a splash of evaporated milk that keeps it smooth. US cups with grams.
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 can (12 ounces, 354ml) evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon fine salt, plus more for the pasta water
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated from a block
- 1 cup mild cheddar or Monterey Jack, grated
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the macaroni 2 minutes less than the package says, so it is still firm in the middle. Drain, saving 1 cup of the cooking water.
- Return the empty pot to medium heat and melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking, for 1 minute, until it smells like toast but does not brown.
- Slowly whisk in the whole milk. Keep whisking until the sauce comes to a gentle simmer and thickens enough to coat a spoon, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Whisk in the dry mustard, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Take the pot completely off the heat. Pour in the evaporated milk, then add the cheese a handful at a time, stirring until each handful melts before adding the next.
- Fold the drained macaroni into the sauce. If it looks too thick, loosen it with a splash of the saved pasta water.
- Set the pot back over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, just until everything is hot and glossy. Taste for salt and serve right away.
