Easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese
If you ask me, there's no other food in the world that screams comfort food quite like mac and cheese. And I'm a firm believer that all mac and cheese varieties are good; there is no judgment when it comes to cheesy noods! Be it the classic, guilty pleasure Kraft variety, Annie's white cheddar shells (a fav) or even the super guilty pleasure Velveeta shells, I'm always in for cheesy, ooey, gooey goodness. But what hits the spot even more than any boxed variety is making your own from scratch.
Just hearing the words "from scratch" might make this sound rather daunting, I know. But I'm here to assure you that there is probably no easier task than making an impressive homemade mac and cheese. If you can boil water and add milk, butter and contents of a sauce packet to some noodles, then you're pretty much capable of making heavenly, scratch-made mac and cheese. You’ve got this!
If you've been following my blog, you know that there are only a handful of trusty experts out there I turn to for recipe inspiration. So when my last mac and cheese craving hit, I turned to one of the greats who most always has the best of the best method for making anything your heart desires is Kenzi Lopez-Alt, author of one of my favorite cookbooks, The Food Lab.
While I usually tend to make a butter and flour based cheese sauce, Kenji suggests replicating the boxed mac and cheese approach by adding grated cheese tossed with corn starch for adding to the noods in addition to an egg and milk mixture. It's so surprisingly straightforward, I can't believe I hadn't thought of trying out this method before!
So taking Kenji's lead, I tried this approach and wowza did I hit the mac and cheese jackpot. I not only achieved the creamiest, cheesiest, most decadent mac and cheese I had been fantasizing about, but I managed to whip it together in record time with the most foolproof method. What was even more surprising was that despite how much cheese and butter were in it because, spoiler alert, this is in no way, shape or form "health food", the sauce was actually light and airy as can be.
I highly recommend serving this perfect mac and cheese with my blasted broccoli on top. Because broccoli + mac and cheese > mac and cheese without broccoli. True story. If you're having an intense mac and cheese craving, you just have to try out this method for the easiest, creamiest, cheesiest mac and cheese you ever did taste.
Easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese
Adapted from J. Kenzi Lopez-Alt's Ultra-Gooey Stovetop Mac and Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
1 pound elbow macaroni
16 oz sharp cheddar, grated
8 oz melty cheese, grated - like jack, American or mozzarella
1 tablespoon cornstarch
12 oz can evaporated milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 stick butter
Directions
Boil a large pot of boiling water. Before adding pasta, salt the water generously, about a small handful of salt. Add pasta to water and cook for 8 minutes, until al dente.
Meanwhile, whisk evaporated milk, eggs, mustard and hot sauce together in a medium bowl until homogenous. In a separate bowl, combine cornstarch with grated cheeses gently with fingers. Set aside.
Drain pasta and return to pot. Turn heat on low and add butter to pasta, stirring until melted and well combined. Slowly add cheese and milk mixtures and stir until well combined and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to your desire. Serve immediately with roasted broccoli on the side - do it!
