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:
- 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 great! My picky 4 year old doesn’t like boxed Mac n cheese but he likes this!
This is one of our all-time favorite recipes – we make it frequently. The only changes I made are adding a little extra cheddar and a spoonful of Cheese Whiz (instead of adding salt). My husband now cooks this instead of buying Kraft Dinner.
I was so excited to make Mac n cheese for the kiddos when I found your recipe! It sounded good and I already had everything. BUT there are a few flaws. Who boils milk. I have never heard that before in my long long life. Also, putting pancake mix in Mac n cheese made it awful. I would never reccomend it, that was like mashed potatoes. So thanks a lot.
I’m not sure why you put pancake mix in this recipe, it’s not in the ingredient list or the instructions.
Finally a homemade mac n cheese that my kids and I loved. So fast and easy…. which is a must with 2 littles. Thank you for sharing!!
Made this for dinner tonight. I did need to add more milk because it cooked out pretty long before the pasta was cooked. It wasn’t bad, but also not something to rave about. I would make it again in a pinch but prefer a bechamel.
Just made this for lunch. My kids and I
love it. My son said he’s going to make it next time. Definitely a keeper in this house! Added a little more paprika and cayenne for some heat👍
Really bad. I had to throw it out. The cheese was all clumpy and it had no taste.
My result was tasty but the sauce was a bit grainy… any tips on how to fix that?
This one can get grainy as it cools. Since posting this recipe, I’ve discovered a version that I like even better. It uses evaporated milk, which helps emulsify the cheese better and prevent that graininess. Check it out (it can be made in a pot instead of a skillet).
This is definitely an easy way to make Mac and cheese, but whole family hates the paprika and it was too rich and we couldn’t eat it.
I didn’t have cheddar but still wanted the rich cheesy taste so I used the Colby and Tasty I had already and Parmesan. It turned out great!
My first time trying this recipe. We’ll its not bad cant complain i like it. I use to like the kraft dinner in a box but after what i read about it concerns me to even continue buying it so i opted for a homemade kind.
This has become my weeknight mac and cheese. Sometimes I cut the milk a bit and use water and chicken base for added saltiness. For a really easy mostly one pot meal I will add some canned tuna in the last couple minutes before I add the cheese and serve with frozen peas warned up with a little butter and salt.
Seriously saves me hassle of doing the full bechmel after a long day at work.
Not really my cup of tea and I LOVE BUDGET BYTES. (SERIOUSLY. Every recipe on here other than this one is beyond good)
It really tasted like noodles with cheese on them and less of a cheese sauce and I really tried to make sure I added enough milk.
There are amazing recipes on here so not the end of the world by any means, but wouldn’t make this again.
Multiple types of cheese and some Dijon fixed that problem for me. With just cheddar, it did feel a bit cheese on noodles for me too
Made this tonight and it turned out awesome!!! The only thing I didn’t differently was I also added a cup of parm cheese. It’s good without it but it makes it perfect
I am soooo going to try this. What seasonings would you recommend? Thx