It’s a MIRACLE. Macaroni and cheese that’s smooth, creamy, and gooey, is made in one pot, with only a few ingredients, and is every bit as easy as the blue box. I’m serious. I’m seriously serious about this Miracle Mac and Cheese.
I’ve seen versions of this recipe around the internet for a while and I really don’t know what took me so long to try it out, but thank god I finally did. This is going to be a new staple in my house and if you’re a fan of mac n’ cheese then you MUST try this today.
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Why this works:
If you try to melt cheese into milk, you won’t get very far. The water in the milk repels the fat in the cheese, and everything will just clump up instead of creating a creamy sauce. To get a creamy sauce you need an emulsifying agent. By simmering the pasta in milk for this recipe, you create a starchy milk slurry that helps emulsify the cheese into a smooth, creamy sauce.
Why I love Miracle Mac and Cheese
- It’s SUPER fast. Just as fast as the blue box, in fact.
- No unusual ingredients are needed (just milk, macaroni, cheese, and whatever you want to season it with)
- No flour-based béchamel sauce needed
- Easy to memorize
- Great for last-minute meals, uses only pantry staples
- The sauce is rich and creamy with less cheese than other mac and cheese recipes
Why I don’t love Miracle Mac and Cheese
- You really need to eat this one fresh because it doesn’t stay creamy when reheated
Since first discovering this Miracle Mac and Cheese method, I’ve found a new easy mac and cheese method that I like even better. The new method uses evaporated milk to emulsify the cheese, and the creamy texture holds up much better. To check out the newer version, see the Will it Skillet Mac and Cheese recipe.
If you’re looking for a traditional mac and cheese recipe that uses a roux-based cheese sauce, be sure to check out my Homemade Mac and Cheese recipe.
Miracle Mac and Cheese
Servings 4Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups milk, divided ($0.70)
- 2 cups dry macaroni (about 1/2 lb.) ( $0.65)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese ($1.25)
- 3/4 tsp salt ($0.04)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard, optional ($0.04)
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika, optional ($0.02)
- 10-15 cranks fresh cracked pepper, optional ($0.02)
Instructions
- Combine the dry macaroni and 2 cups of milk in a medium pot. Place a lid on top and bring it up to a boil over medium/high heat while occasionally stirring.
- As soon as it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low and let simmer, stirring often, until the pasta is tender (about 10 minutes). Make sure to stir often during this process to keep the pasta from clumping or sticking to the bottom of the pot. Promptly replace the lid each time you finish stirring to help hold in the steam.
- Once the pasta is soft and has absorbed most of the milk, season with salt, pepper, paprika, and dijon, or the spices of your choice. If the mixture begins to look dry, add the remaining 1/4 cup of milk.
- Turn the heat off and stir in the shredded cheese until melted and creamy. Serve immediately.
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Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!More Mac and Cheese Recipes:
- Oven-Baked Mac and Cheese
- Creamy Pesto Mac with Spinach
- One Pot Bacon Broccoli Mac and Cheese
- Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese
- White Cheddar Mac and Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli
How to Make Miracle Mac and Cheese – Step By Step Photos
First, combine the dry macaroni noodles and 2 cups of milk in a medium pot. I prefer whole milk, but 2% also works.
Place a lid on the pot and bring it up to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. As soon as it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer until the noodles are soft and have absorbed most of the milk (about 10 minutes), then turn the heat off. It is VERY important to stir often during this process and replace the lid as soon as possible after doing so. Once the pasta is tender, there should be a bit of starchy, milky sauce in the bottom of the pot.
I like to season the mixture before adding the cheese because I feel like it dissolves in easier. Season with whatever you like. A little bit of salt (.5 to 1 tsp) is pretty necessary, but after that just go with it. Even just a touch of onion powder would be great. The type of cheese you’re using will also dictate what seasonings to use. If the mixture begins to look dry here, add a splash more milk.
Add the shredded cheese and stir until it has melted in and created a smooth sauce. The residual heat should be enough to melt it into the seasoned milk mixture. I love that this recipe only needs 1 cup of cheese… most macaroni recipes require 2 cups, plus a béchamel sauce made with butter.
And then, like magic, you have a smooth, creamy, super cheesy macaroni and cheese! In less than 30 minutes! And no more steps are required than with a box mix… it’s a miracle.
Really easy miracle mac and cheese, made with just a few ingredients.
This is my 2nd recipe from the site. The cheese “sauce” was perfect! Creamy and smooth even with pre-shredded cheese (maybe it was the extra fine that helped) but I think I did something wrong with the milk because it came out tasting foamy…weird. Everything else was great super smooth and creamy. I’m going to try cooking it on a lower heat or try the high altitude steps someone else recommended. Fab idea to keep it quick and cheap, my other version can cost up to $10 easy.
I have been following your blog for the longest time now! My first review! I’ve made so much from your blog! This recipe is so good that I couldn’t stop myself from eating the gooey macaroni off the spoon! Soo good!! :))
This came out great! I used a too small pot and ended up with a boil over mess, so next time I’ll use a much bigger one, but otherwise this just really rocked. I skipped the paprika, used just .5t salt, subbed a bit of dry mustard for dijon, and used 2 slices American cheese with the rest shredded jack. Not a bit grainy. Creamy and so cheesey tasting. It got thick as it cooled but with a little more milk stirred in was creamy again. 4 year old loved it and I wanted to lick the pot. And it was so quick and easy. Thank you Beth!
Whoops, silly me, I messed up on the comment above mentioning that the finished product while darned tasty was also grainy as it cooled. That didn’t fly with the kiddos. I love this recipe though, and wonder Miss Beth if you think using cooked pasta would eliminate that weird consistency – and if measurements of liquid would need to be changed as a result…? Way yummier than nasty old box stuff, but I just need to get a smoother consistency for a big win.
I think that graininess is just because it’s not a proper cheese sauce. The starch from the pasta helps make it smooth a little, but not as much as a real butter and flour roux does in a traditional mac and cheese recipe. So, I don’t think there’s a way around that part (the price you pay for it being so quick :( ). If you use cooked pasta, you’d definitely want less milk because none of that will be absorbed by the pasta. That being said, I’m not sure if the cheese will melt into the milk correctly (it may just clump together in a glob) without having some of that starch that dissolves off the pasta into the milk as it cooks. So, I’m not sure it would work. :/
Not a flaw with the recipe by any means but fyi to others, it doesn’t work at altitude. I live at over 5000 ft above sea level and the pasta always comes out crunchy With this recipe. Too bad, otherwise it’s perfect! Just be warned if you’re at high elevation like me.
I modified this recipe after reading these comments, since I am at a high altitude. As a result, it came out creamy with no grit! I cooked the pasta 3/4 way with water. Dumped all the water minus 1/4 or 1/2 cup for the starch and used a cup of milk or a little more to finish off the cooking (eyeballed it). When the noodles were done I poured most of the milk (left some to mix) to a reusable container, added 2 tbs of butter with mustard and spices. When I added the cheese and stirred, I re added some milk, I was able to mix that rue consistency without the grit! It took a few extra steps but worked great!
So. Good. It’s great with sharp cheddar or a mix of cheddar and monteray jack!
First time I’ve ever made a recipe from this website!! I added waaaay too much cheese but it was still delicious. I also used shells instead of the traditional macaroni noodles. Came out looking and tasting like my grandma’s. I’m so glad I’m learning how to cook. This was a great beginner’s recipe.
I absolutely loved, loved your recipes. I hate, hate prepackaged food so, this recipe was just for me. I made it for my toddler and I added some vegetables to it. He ate the whole thing. Thank you so much for a fabulous recipe.
I used extra-sharp cheddar and it was still kind of blande for my taste. I think I will use more cheese next time. And my pot still dried up a little even with all the milk, so less pasta. Maybe my pot let’s off more steam than yours :)
Instead of smoked paprika and dijon, I used regular paprika and spicy mustard. I used Mexican blend shredded cheese for the cheese. Threw in a whole cup of milk at the end and some flour to thicken it up, and a little butter for flavor (so bad, but so good). Followed the directions otherwise. It came out super tasty. The cheese melted just fine, so I’m not sure what other commenters meant about shredded cheese not working. Maybe it depends on brand?
First time I made it, was a bit grainy as it cooled. Fixed that, this time, by adding MORE MILK (like 1/2 cup) at the end so that the noodles can absorb it and it doesn’t dry out.
Also, this time, stirred in 1 cup of thawed peas (for color) at the end. It’s January in the Midwest and we’re longing for color.
Another hit out of the ballpark. THANK YOU!
This recipe is great! But I do have a suggestion, add different cheeses to the recipe to make the cheese sauce thicker.
You’re seriously missing out if you omit the Dijon and smoked paprika. Very easy if you’re vigilant about not letting it boil over.
This was so good and so easy it borders on ridiculous! My store was out of elbows (what the what?) so I used Rotini. I don’t think it matters, as long as it has good surface and nooks and crannies for the cheese sauce. Shells would probably be great, too.
If you are getting a grainy texture, please make sure you’re not using pre-shredded. They have something added to keep the shreds from sticking together in the bag (something akin to sawdust) and it affects both melting and texture. I used extra sharp cheddar and grated it on my box grater on the side with the teeny holes. It’s super fine, almost like hair, and it melts almost instantly. Ooey Gooey!
Also, you have to watch it like a hawk!! I have a bit of a mess on my stove because it boiled over. Oops!
Hands down, one of the best recipes I’ve ever gotten from the Internet – comfort food that’s easier than the fancy schmancy stuff but just as easy (if not easier) and healthier than that crap in the blue box!!! Wahoo!!
This was really good and cheap to make. I googled “cheap mac n cheese” and this came up. So many of the mac n cheese recipes are expensive to make. Thank you!