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Creamy Macaroni and Cheese FINAL Recipe!
My family's favorite version of creamy stovetop mac & cheese
Ingredients
- 16 oz large elbow macaroni dry
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 2 cups pasta water reserve after cooking pasta for cheese sauce
Cheese Sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tsp sodium citrate
- 8 oz half and half
- 2 cups pasta water
- 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp tumeric
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 3/4 tsp white pepper (do not substitute black pepper)
- 1/2 tsp paprika (not smoked or hot paprika)
- 1 Tbsp mustard (prepared mustard, not mustard powder)
- 1 tsp salt (add more to taste after adding cheese)
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 7 oz American cheese (deli American, not Kraft singles or similar)
- 16 oz Extra sharp cheddar (Tillamook is the best)
Instructions
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Boil pasta to al dente; drain; stir in 1 Tbsp butter. Do not rinse.
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Dissolve sodium citrate in 1/4 cup hot water. Add to large pot.
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Add to pot: half and half, pasta water, cornstarch, spices, mustard, and butter.
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Whisk ingredients and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
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Turn off burner. Add American cheese slices while whisking, until incorporated into sauce.
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Whisk in shredded extra sharp cheddar by handfuls, until incorporated. Turn heat to low if needed until sauce is smooth.
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If making ahead, keep sauce and pasta separate. If serving immediately, stir in pasta and heat over low heat until hot.
Recipe Notes
For make ahead recipe (up to 3 days ahead): Keep pasta and sauce separate and keep refrigerated.
To serve: first heat sauce, whisking mixture as needed until hot, then stir in pasta.
Serve immediately, or for a party to hold warm: transfer to a crockpot on "warm" or Instantpot on "warm" setting. Do not try to hold warm on stove; cheese will burn to the bottom of the pot.
Single batch recipe makes 12, one cup servings.
For a party: single batch recipe makes 24, half cup servings.
This is the best creamy, stovetop mac and cheese recipe. I’ve played with the recipe for years, and the recipe as written is perfect. If you change up the amounts or types of cheese, or omit or add ingredients, do not fault this recipe! Of course your taste and your family’s preferences are most important, but this is not a recipe to be toyed with.
Tillamook extra sharp cheddar cheese, and deli yellow American cheese (the type you buy by the pound) make this perfect. If you use another brand of cheddar, or cheap American cheese, you might be disappointed in this recipe.
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Sodium citrate is the ingredient that makes a super smooth cheese sauce without flour/roux and your mac and cheese will never seize up or be grainy! I prefer Judy’s Sodium Citrate but I’m currently using It’s Just Sodium Citrate because I cheaped out when I went on Amazon to rebuy Judy’s. Judy’s is better, but “It’s Just” works as well.