Ahhh, mac and cheese. The ultimate comfort food and a staple at pot luck dinners everywhere! As a kid, it was always a treat to have Kraft mac & cheese with my Dad for a Friday evening dinner. In college, it was the ultimate easy dinner to make a box and add some tuna in there for a quick version of Tuna Helper. Now, I prefer to make my own from scratch and use real cheese instead of some kind of powdered processed sauce packet. And, with this stovetop recipe, it takes about the same time as making the box version, but this tastes sooo much better!
Here’s what you will need:
- 1/2 pound (8 ounces) elbow macaroni
- 4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) butter
- 12 ounces shredded cheese
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp dried mustard
- 1/2 tsp salt (season to taste)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper (season to taste)
- 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (season to taste)
I prefer the Barilla elbows for my pasta, but any elbow variety will work. You could also probably use shells, but I have never tried them with this recipe. You definitely want a pasta that is substantial enough to stand up to this sauce, which is rich and creamy. My family likes the taste of colby-jack cheese as opposed to a sharp cheddar taste, but I also like to buy my cheese in bulk and shred myself, so I definitely need to weigh out my cheese ahead of time, but this recipe works just fine with pre-shredded cheese from the store. Whatever works best for you and suits your tastebuds.
Grab a medium to medium-large saucepan and fill it about half full with water, enough to cover the macaroni. Place the pan on the stove and set the burner to high to bring the water to boil. You can salt the water if you like, but I never do.
While you are waiting for the water to boil, measure out your other ingredients.
Using a kitchen scale, weigh out the macaroni and set aside. Weigh out the cheese, if needed, in a separate bowl and set aside.
Pour 1 cup of evaporated milk into a glass measuring cup. You can freeze the rest of the can by using an ice cube tray and making evaporated milk ice cubes. Just make sure you know how many ounces your ice cubes are. Mine are 0.8 ounces, so I need 10 cubes to make another batch of mac and cheese.
Add the eggs, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and mustard. I like to use Coleman’s dried mustard, but regular powdered mustard works too. Be careful with the mustard – you can definitely tell if you get too much in there! Err on the side of caution with the spices until you know what you prefer. You can always add more in later, but you can’t take it out.
Use a whisk (or a fork if you don’t have a whisk) and mix up the milk, eggs and spices until they are thoroughly combined. It will look a little like egg nog when it’s all blended together.
Meanwhile, check on your water. It should be boiling by now. Add your pasta and stir. Let it boil until it the pasta is al dente or your desired texture, stirring occasionally. My family prefers it a bit softer than al dente, so I cook the pasta for about 10-12 minutes.
Once the pasta reaches your desired doneness, drain the water off using a colander or the lid of the pan. Return the pasta to the pot and add in the butter. Place the pot back on the burner and turn on to low heat, stirring constantly until the butter is melted and the pasta is well coated.
Give the egg and milk mixture another stir with the whisk or fork to make sure it is still well combined and then add to the pasta. Stir well and then add in the cheese.
Continue to cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the the cheese is completely melted and the sauce is smooth and creamy. Give it a taste and add more spices if you need to. Turn off the burner and remove from the heat. Let the mac and cheese sit for a little while, stirring occasionally.
You can serve immediately, or let it sit for longer allowing the sauce to set up even more. If you like the toasted breadcrumbs from an oven-baked mac and cheese, you can toast crumbs while you are cooking the pasta and add those to your bowl before serving. This recipe also freezes well, so if you need to save some for later, just pop it in the freezer then thaw it out when you are ready to enjoy.
Download the PDF of the recipe here. Dig in and Enjoy!
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