Stovetop Creamy Mac and Cheese
This Stovetop Creamy Mac and Cheese is just that…creamy and oh-so-delicious. It is also a one-pot meal, making it an easy dinner dish!
This recipe was born from the need to prepare Mac and Cheese quickly and put it on the lunch table for hungry little boys. I have yet to decide if it is a good or bad thing, but my boys don’t love boxed mac and cheese, but they do love homemade!
House Divided on Baked Mac and Cheese or Stovetop Creamy Mac and Cheese
I have been making homemade mac and cheese since I was a newlywed. There is a funny story behind that, but we will save that for another day. I created my Small Batch of Mac and Cheese when we were a family of three because it was the perfect amount for dinner and a little left over for lunch. However, when Ross was a toddler, he decided he didn’t like it baked or boxed. He wanted my homemade stuff, but it was done on the stovetop. This led me to develop this recipe, and it was a lunchtime staple for a long time. Leo still prefers the baked version, so today, I will make the stove top for Ross, pull a little in a cast iron skillet, and bake it off for Leo.
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Gluten-Free Mac and Cheese vs. Non-Gluten-Free Mac and Cheese
This Stovetop Creamy Mac and Cheese recipe uses gluten-free pasta and flour; however, those two items can be substituted for regular gluten-free pasta and flour. The pasta and the flour are the only two things that make it gluten-free.
Gluten-Free Favorites
I have been avoiding gluten for a little over a year now. I am not allergic, but I am sensitive. Over the past year, I have experimented with gluten-free products and recipes. I have found I prefer brown rice pasta over other types. I especially like the Jovieal brand, mainly because I can see it easily in my local grocery store, which has all kinds of noodle shapes.
I have also found that cooking with King Aruther’s 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour is a good substitute for regular flour.
Here are some of my favorite Gluten-Free Products.
Make this a Small Batch
This recipe could be cut in half. However, serving my boys with a little left over for the next day makes enough.
Stovetop Creamy Mac and Cheese
- Pasta: I used gluten-free Pene pasta but made it with shells or bowtie, whatever I had on hand.
- Butter, unsalted
- Flour. Again, I used gluten-free flour, but I have made it with regular flour.
- Milk
- Water
- Salt and Pepper
- Vermont cheddar cheese. Again, you can use whatever cheddar you have, but we prefer a sharp one.
Instructions
Melt the butter and add the flour to begin the base of your roux. Whisk in the 2 cups of water and the 2 cups of flour.
Bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add your pasta and stir consistently to prevent it from sticking to the bottom.
Allow the pasta to cook and the roux to thicken for 10-12 min—salt and pepper to taste.
Remove from heat and fold in the cheese.
Enjoy!
Stovetop Creamy Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 6 oz pasta I used gluten-free Pene pasta but made it with shells or bowtie. Whatever I have on hand.
- 3 tbsp butter unsalted
- 3 tbsp flour I used gluten-free flour, but I have made it with regular flour.
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups water
- salt and peper to taste
- 1 – 1 1/2 cups Vermont Cheddar Cheese You can use whatever cheddar you have, but we prefer a sharp one.
Instructions
- Melt the butter and add the flour to begin the base of your roux. Whisk in the 2 cups of water and the 2 cups of milk.
- Bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add your pasta and stir consistently to prevent it from sticking to the bottom. Allow the pasta to cook and the roux to thicken for 10-12 min—salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove from heat and fold in the cheese.
