The Easiest Mac and Cheese (Minimal Ingredients)
Nothing beats a comforting bowl of mac and cheese. Skip the processed stuff at the store and make your own version at home. This recipe uses minimal ingredients so you can satisfy those cravings in no time. It's great on its own or as a side dish.
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry macaroni (Any pasta shape works, but macaroni is a classic)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1-2 cups milk (Use 1 cup if you prefer a thicker sauce and closer to 2 cups if you want a thinner sauce)
- 2 cups shredded cheese (Cheddar or marble works best, but you can experiment with different cheeses)
- Any spices you wish to add (to taste) (I always use a bit of black pepper, but you can throw in some salt, garlic powder, etc.)
Instructions
- Cook pasta as per directions on the bag/box.
- While the pasta is cooking, grab a separate medium saucepan. Whisk together the flour and butter on medium heat until mixed and the butter has melted. If the mixture is getting too difficult to whisk, you can add a bit of the milk to make your life easier.
- Once the butter is melted and everything is mixed together, add in all of the milk to the saucepan. Keep whisking until the milk mixture starts to steam a bit or bubble. You don't want to stop whisking or else the milk will curdle.
- Add shredded cheese to the milk mixture. Whisk away, soldier. Whisk until the cheese has melted. If you need to crank up the heat a bit, you can do so. Just keep an eye on it. (If the pasta still needs time to cook, you can turn down the cheese sauce to low heat. Whisk it occasionally and keep an eye on it.)
- Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add the cheese sauce and stir it all together until it's mixed nicely. Serve it up with a smile.
Notes
Cooking times and calories are approximate.
This is a really basic recipe for macaroni and cheese. You can jazz it up to your heart's content with any other ingredients.
Any pasta shape works well. I've used everything from long to short, but the shorter varieties, such as penne and macaroni, work the best. Sometimes, I'll use this with linguine just so I can say I made a "cheesy linguine" because it sounds cool.