This Mac and Cheese is smooth, creamy, cheesy and delicious. Better still, it’s all made in one pot!
If you’ve never made one pot mac and cheese your life is about to change for the better. And possibly your waistline. But it’s oh so worth it. Follow me…
Creamy Mac and Cheese
We’ll get into the ‘one pot’ aspect in just a sec, but first things first, let’s talk about the creaminess.
What makes this Mac and Cheese so creamy?
- One Pot – The starch from the pasta helps the sauce go nice and glossy/creamy because it’s all cooked in one pot!
- Milk/Cream – The pasta is cooked in milk and heavy cream, which alongside the starch, helps form an ultra creamy base for the sauce.
- Cream Cheese – One of the cheeses used in this recipe is cream cheese, which adds to the creaminess of the sauce.
Look I’m always down for a baked mac and cheese with a crispy crust, but sometimes you just can’t beat a velvety stove stop mac and cheese. Just look at that gooey goodness 😍
One Pot Mac and Cheese
Why make Mac and Cheese in one pot?
- No need to make a roux to thicken the sauce, the starch will do it for you.
- The excess starch helps create a glossy/velvety sauce which coats the pasta much better.
- Less washing up!
What cheese to use in stovetop Mac and Cheese?
- Cheddar – I actually prefer a medium to mature cheddar with this recipe. Usually I like the strongest cheddar going, but here I find it distracting. I slightly milder cheddar has create a creamier flavour.
- Gruyere – This adds a gorgeous nutty flavour.
- Mozzarella – Offers a slight cheese pull and adds creaminess.
- Cream Cheese – Adds creaminess.
When it comes to making the mac and cheese, depending on how thick your macaroni is and when you take the pot off the heat, you may find the sauce is either slightly too thin or thick. This is very easy to adjust. Just add milk a splash at a time to thin out, or just simmer for an extra min to reduce the sauce.
Process shots: add dry macaroni, milk, cream, chicken stock and seasoning to pot (photo 1), simmer and stir until the pasta is al dente (photo 2), add cream cheese (photo 3), stir to combine (photo 4), add cheese (photo 5), stir to combine (photo 6).
Serving Mac and Cheese
I tend to serve this as a main, but you can serve it as a side too. Goes great with Fried Chicken or Chicken Tenders (Spicy or Baked!). I also most recently served this with Pulled Pork which was incredible!
For more similar recipes check out these beauties:
Deliciously Fun Mac and Cheese Recipes
- Smoky Chipotle Mac and Cheese
- Spicy Jalapeno Mac and Cheese
- Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
- Roasted Garlic Mac and Cheese
- Brie Mac and Cheese
Alrighty, let’s tuck into this creamy one pot mac and cheese shall we?!
How to One Pot Mac and Cheese (Full Recipe & Video)
Ultra Creamy One Pot Mac and Cheese
Equipment
- Large Pot & Wooden Spoon
- Jug (for stock)
- Cheese Grater
Ingredients
- 1lb / 500g Dried Macaroni
- 2 1/2 - 3 cups / 600 - 720ml Milk, at room temp, or as needed (I use semi-skimmed)
- 2 cups / 480ml Chicken Stock (not piping hot)
- 1 cup / 240ml Heavy/Double Cream, at room temp
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Mustard Powder
- 1/4 tsp EACH: Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, White Pepper
- 4oz / 125g Cream Cheese, leave at room temp
- 2 1/2 cups / 250g Medium Cheddar (see notes)
- 1 cup / 100g Gruyere, grated
- 1/2 cup / 50g Mozzarella, shredded
Instructions
- Add the macaroni to a large deep pot then pour in 2 1/2 cups / 600ml milk and all of the stock and cream. Stir in the mustard powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and white pepper.
- Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook until the macaroni is al dente, stirring somewhat frequently. If the liquid dries out before the pasta cooks just add in a splash more milk to help it cook to al dente.
- Turn the heat to low then stir in cream cheese until it melts. Str in the cheddar and gruyere then stir in the mozzarella. If the cheese is struggling to melt or the sauce is too thick, just thin it out with milk a splash at a time.
- Check for seasoning and adjust if needed then serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Room temp - if the milk and cream are fridge cold, sometimes they can hurdle if they hit hot stock. Keeping them at room temp will help prevent this. You could also gently warm them in the microwave to bring them to room temp.
- Heat - don't boil the pasta aggressively over high heat otherwise the milk and split. Also, once you stir in the cheese make sure the heat is on low or completely off.
- Cheese - grate your own cheese. the pre-shredded packet stuff can sometimes turn the sauce grainy.
Your Private Notes:
Nutrition
Looking for more?
You’ll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook ‘Comfy’
Hey there, just made this for the first time and it is probably the best mac n cheese I’ve had. Added some veges to make it an easy complete meal and will defo be a repeat in our house. Will be sure to look through more of your recipes to see what other wee gems there are.
You have a new fan in New Zealand!
So great to hear this went down well, Amy! Hope you get to enjoy some more recipes 🙂 C.
Turned out great but my sauce was grainy, like the milk curderled while simmering…any ideas why?
Hi Kevin, sometimes this can happen if the stock is boiling hot and the milk is fridge cold, or if you’re simmering very aggressively. Using whole milk can help prevent it from curdling too. Also, the graininess could be the cheese. I recommend using Medium strength cheddar. Sometimes ultra sharp/mature cheddar can turn the sauce grainy. One final thing is I recommend freshly grating your own if you can. Hope this helps! C.
I first made this for a family dinner about a year ago and now its requested at every meal I make! So easy, so creamy, so yummy!
Hi Sue! This is so lovely to hear. Thanks so much for popping back for a review 🙂 C.
Yet again a simple recipe but great results. Never thought of cooking macaroni cheese like this but there were clear plates all around the dinner table! Thanks yet again Chris
Thanks so much for the review, Nick! Glad to hear mac n cheese went down well 🙂 C.
Doubled this for Easter as a side dish. Ended up the main dish for most of the kids. Huge hit! I told everyone it had no calories. thanks for another great recipe!
So great to hear, Barbara! Thanks so much for the review! C.
DELICIOUS RECIPE!! Thanks much for sharing!
Thanks David! 🙂
So easy and a hit every time I make it! Use a spiral macoroni, A+ for sure!
Great to hear! 🙂
Super easy and quick. And so creamy. The better half said it’s his new fav way of doing Mac n cheese. I think it’s faster than the box stuff
So great to hear it went down well, Amber! Thanks for the review 🙂
How well does this do if it’s cooked the night before and warmed in the oven the next day?
I’d definitely make this one fresh if you can, Doug!
It was De. Licious. What a huge difference it makes using this cheese combo. This is a great meal. Feeds 5-6 for about $26. And that’s splurging a little bit more.
Great to hear, Will! Thanks for popping back for a review 🙂