One of our absolute favorite dishes is this easy stovetop homemade white cheddar macaroni and cheese recipe! You will love the addition of white cheddar cheese in this creamy mac and cheese recipe. One of the many benefits of homemade foods is they save you money on your food budget. Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese is always a frugal meal to serve that the whole family will love.
White Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
What’s not to love about this creamy white cheddar macaroni and cheese! We use whole milk instead of heavy cream so our cheddar macaroni isn’t a calorie bomb.
It only takes a few minutes to make the delicious white sauce with added cheddar and then cook the macaroni. This is a quick homemade side-dish for just about any dinner or a main feature for lunch.
Most homemade macaroni and cheese recipes starts with making a basic roux. What is a roux? A typical roux starts with melted butter, a little salt and pepper, then slowly stirring in flour. You can read more about making white sauce here –> White Sauce Recipe.
Once you learn how to make a quick white sauce, you will have access to so many awesome recipes. This yummy macaroni and cheese recipe is made quickly on your stovetop!
Ingredients Needed for White Mac and Cheese
Macaroni – we always use organic macaroni for this recipe
White Cheddar Cheese – use your favorite brand of white cheddar cheese
Flour
Butter – salted butter
Milk – use whole milk
Dijon Mustard
Soup Base – to give just a little bit of extra flavor
Your family will love this white cheddar macaroni and cheese for an easy dinner.
- 2 cups uncooked macaroni
- 1/2 teaspoon chicken soup base
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1-1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup reserved cooking water
- 1 1/2 cups grated white cheddar cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt & 1/4 teaspoon pepper
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Cook the 2 cups of macaroni according to package directions but add the soup base to the water along with a little salt. Reserve a 1/2 cup of the cooking water when draining.
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While the noodles are cooking, melt butter in a pan and when the butter starts to bubble a bit, whisk in the flour.
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Whisk constantly while slowly adding the milk and then the broth. Stir in mustard, salt and pepper.
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Remove from heat and whisk in the grated cheese. Put pasta back into the pan and stir through.
It’s cheaper and healthier to grate your own cheese instead of buying the prepackaged grated cheese. It doesn’t take much time and you will find the taste is so much better than packaged.
Does Macaroni and Cheese make Great Leftovers?
Always store your leftovers in an airtight container in your refrigerator. Add a little bit of milk to the macaroni before reheating and it will turn out just as creamy as it was originally.
We love low cost meals and when you buy cheese in bulk you will save a ton of money. Keep the ingredients on hand to make this recipe and you will always have something creamy and delicious for lunch or dinner.
How to Boil Elbow Macaroni?
Fill a medium pot half way with water (about 5 quarts of water or 20 cups) and add about 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a rolling boil and stir in pasta. Lower heat just a little so boiling water does not boil over the pot. Continue to stir pasta for about 1-2 minutes so it doesn’t stick together. Cook for about 7 minutes before checking for doneness.
How Much Macaroni to Cook Per Person
A good rule to follow is about 2 oz. of uncooked macaroni per person.
How Long Does Macaroni and Cheese Take to Cook?
You typical macaroni and cheese recipe will take about 20 minutes on average to cook depending on the cheese sauce you use. Elbow macaroni takes about 8-10 minutes depending on how soft you like your noodles. How to tell if your noodles are cooked properly? You be the judge! Start tasting a noodle after it’s been cooking for about 7-8 minutes. You should be able to tell with practice how much longer might be needed to cook the noodles to your preference.
What to Serve with This White Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese?
We like to make the whole meal frugal to save money on your grocery bill, so serve this macaroni with low cost:
You will also Love Some of Our Velveeta Cheese Recipes:
Velveeta Cheese Scalloped Potatoes
Velveeta Mac & Cheese
Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese
Broccoli Soup with Velveeta Cheese
