Description
Quick and easy, creamy stovetop mac and cheese with white cheddar is a delicious and comforting one pot 20-minute meal packed with three types of cheese.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups water
- 4 cups milk
- 1 lb. uncooked elbow pasta
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 cups sharp white cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
Panko Topping (optional):
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Pour in water, and whisk until smooth. Pour in milk and whisk to combine.
- Add uncooked pasta, garlic powder, ground mustard, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium low heat. Cook for 9-10 minutes until al dente, stirring occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Remove from heat and stir in the cheddar, Parmesan and mozzarella.
- Make the panko topping (optional): In small bowl, mix together the panko breadcrumbs, garlic powder, and paprika. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and add panko mixture. Toast the breadcrumbs until light brown, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Serve mac and cheese warm, with a sprinkle of toasted panko on top.
Notes
Equipment used: one large cooking pot (I used my 4 qt. Dutch oven).
The cheese. Just under 5 cups of cheese might seem a lot, but this big pot makes about 6-8 servings and skimping on the cheese won't give you a mac and cheese that is creamy and decadent. You can however switch up the kind of cheese and play around with different flavours.
The panko topping. The panko topping is completely optional but recommenced. It adds a really nice crunch to every bite of that creamy mac and cheese. You can use regular breadcrumbs if you don't have panko.
How to store. Store mac and cheese in the pot with the lid on or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, simply heat in the microwave or in a skillet. You may need to add a little water to thin out the sauce a bit.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American