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easy mac & cheese: stovetop Comfort with No Flour Needed

easy mac & cheese: stovetop Comfort with No Flour Needed

My easy macaroni and cheese recipe is so creamy and is made without flour or a roux! You can make it in just 15 minutes on the stove with a few easy steps.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 491

Ingredients
  

Ingredients
  • ▢ 8 oz (227 g) dried macaroni, about 2 cups
  • ▢ 1 cup (235 ml) whole milk
  • ▢ 2 Tablespoons (30 g) salted or unsalted butter
  • ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
  • ▢ ¼ – ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ▢ ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, (optional)
  • ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground mustard, (optional)
  • ▢ 1 cup (113 g) freshly shredded mild or medium cheddar cheese or Colby jack cheese, see note
  • ▢ 4 slices (113 g) American Cheese, see note

Method
 

  1. Bring 3 cups of well-salted water to a boil in a medium-saucepan over high heat.
  2. Once water comes to boil, add pasta, return to a boil, and cook 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Strain pasta, discarding the water. Leave the pasta in the strainer and return the saucepan to your burner.
  4. Combine milk, butter, salt, pepper and paprika and mustard in the saucepan over medium-low heat and stir frequently over low heat until butter is melted.
  5. Return pasta to saucepan and stir well.
  6. Add cheeses, allow to sit about 30 seconds until slightly melty and then stir until all noodles are coated. Don't turn up the heat or the cheese will not melt properly.
  7. Mixture will seem soupy/thin at first, but turn off the heat and allow it to sit for 5 minutes (stir occasionally) and it will thicken and cling to the noodles.
  8. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 491kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 20gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 15gSodium: 897mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5g

Notes

Using freshly shredded cheese rather than pre-packaged cheese blends ensures a smoother melt and richer flavor. The emulsifiers in processed cheeses can sometimes toughen up when heated, while freshly shredded cheese melts beautifully and clings to the pasta, creating that perfect creamy texture we all crave.

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