Stovetop Mac and Cheese

Name: Stovetop Mac and Cheese
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Salt for pasta water plus ¼ teaspoon, divided; 13 to 14 ounces dry pasta, such as fusilli, rotini or macaroni, whole-wheat if desired; 2 tablespoons Cabot Unsalted Butter; 1 shallot, minced; 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon King Arthur All-Purpose Flour; 1½ cups fat-free milk; 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; ½ teaspoon garlic powder; ¼ teaspoon pepper, white if desired; 6 ounces Cabot Extra Sharp Cheddar, shredded (about 1 ½ cups)

Servings

4 servings, about 2 cups eac

Want a stovetop macaroni and cheese recipe that has a creamy sauce, chewy pasta, and plenty of yummy cheese? Give this classic mac and cheese recipe a try – it’s loved by adults and kids alike. It’s easy to put together, even after a long day. Make this dish whenever you crave a perfectly delicious bowl of comfort food and share it with friends and family via Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.

When making creamy, cheesy macaroni and cheese, skipping the oven can save time – which is exactly what you want on busy weeknights. Here we use a simple technique that’s all done on the stovetop. Simply thicken milk with roux (a mixture of melted butter and flour), and then stir in Cabot Extra Sharp Cheddar and cooked pasta (you can use rotini, macaroni, fusilli, and even whole-wheat, if desired). Once this is done, you’ll whisk in Dijon mustard, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, increase heat to medium-high, and bring to a simmer, cooking until the sauce is thickened. Remove sauce from heat, stir in cheddar until completely melted into the sauce, and combine with the cooked pasta.

Want a lighter macaroni and cheese version? Try our Healthier Mac & Cheese recipe. Using Cabot Lite50 Sharp Cheddar and reduced fat (2%) milk, this mac and cheese has fewer calories, but still delivers an exceptionally tasty and satisfying meal. Cabot farmers’ commitment to quality is what makes our products stand out from the rest – and why our recipes won’t let you down! We’d love for you to rate and review our stovetop macaroni and cheese recipe once you’ve tried it.

Ingredients

Salt for pasta water plus ¼ teaspoon, divided
13 to 14 ounces dry pasta, such as fusilli, rotini or macaroni, whole-wheat if desired
2 tablespoons Cabot Unsalted Butter
1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon King Arthur All-Purpose Flour
1½ cups fat-free milk
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon pepper, white if desired
6 ounces Cabot Extra Sharp Cheddar, shredded (about 1 ½ cups)

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Directions

BRING a large pot of salted water to a boil.
PREPARE pasta according to package when water boils. Drain well.
MELT butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat while pasta cooks. Add shallot and cook, stirring until the shallot is slightly softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Make roux by sprinkling flour over the shallot and stir to dissolve flour into the butter. Whisk in milk and continue whisking until all of the flour is incorporated into the milk. Scrape along edges of the saucepan with a heat-proof spatula make sure no roux remains in the corners.
WHISK in Dijon, garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper. Whisking constantly, increase heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
REMOVE the sauce from the heat. Stir in cheddar and whisk until completely melted into the sauce.
STIR the hot cooked pasta and sauce in the pasta pot. Serve hot.