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.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
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.
I must apologize for ever doubting you. I didn’t think anything could be easier than the box. This was easier than easy and tastier than tasty.
Thanks for this recipe can’t wait to try it. My recipe takes so long and we hate the box ones . So family are pleased I’ve found this easy one. Will let you know how it goes. Have already passed this onto a friend who was also looking for an easier homemade recipe that was quick to make. Many thanks will be in touch with the results.
Can’t wait to hear what they think!
This finally got my family to like mac’ n cheese. Thanks!
Hooray! Happy to hear it!
Good recipe: I love it.
I made this last night for a quick dinner with some homemade chicken nuggets (because even as an adult, this is one of my fav meals LOL) … my family & I loved this! It was so simple, so tasty … and i added a little bit of bread crumbs to the top before serving. It totally reminds me of home made mac and cheese that i bake in the oven, which obviously takes a lot longer. I will def be making this again!!
We love our comforts no matter what age!
I made this last minute and only had unsweetened almond milk on hand- delicious! I think with the almond milk, I’d skip adding the dijon because it kind of took over the flavor, but I’m really happy with this recipe! Will make again!
Good to know the sub worked out fine!
You’re going to die laughing, but I even once made it with unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and it was still delicious!
That’s a win for sure! :P
hmmm I wonder if it would work with unsweetened coconut or coconut/almond milk I always have one or the other in the house. for my protien shakes and other treats I make. with my shake mix haha. I tend to eat more “dirty keto” or modified Atkins due to Epilepsy. So I try as much as. I can to adapt recipies and I have been able to adapt a lot of the budget bytes recipies to spect with a few modifications and they taste great.
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Woah. When they say it doesn’t keep, they’re not kidding. In the 10 minutes it took me to eat one serving, the rest of the mac and cheese in the pot was congealed and awful. So sad!
I liked it a lot! It tastes weirdly sweet to me–I wonder why? I didn’t have dijon or paprika.
You’re probably tasting the natural sweetness of the milk. The Dijon would definitely help cut the sweetness.
It was ok. Not a smooth creamy texture that you would expect! And very time consuming! Don’t be fooled, box Mac and cheese is way easier! I had to babysit this.
boxed might be easier but it contains numerous ingredients I bet you can’t pronounce. not sure why you would want to eat them or people would want to feed them to kids. if stirring and grating cheese is a hassle… our world is in trouble
I decided to make this with Trader Joe’s Unexpected Cheddar, and let me tell you……OMG. So creamy and comforting, and EASY. This will be my go-to on busy days (or bad days, haha).
Thank you for this great recipe!!! It’s really easy and really good and creamy!!!
I pinned this recipe a long time ago and have used it as written many times. It’s easy and delicious. Fast forward to now… we have cut dairy out of one of my kiddos’ diet (to see if it helps with eczema flare ups) and we have been on the hunt for a dairy free Mac n cheese without much success until now. I’ve made several highly rated homemade DF recipes and have tried all the DF boxed versions that I could find, all of which have been rejected by the boss. We did just discover that he doesn’t mind the “Go Veggie” brand of DF cheese so I decided to try this recipe by using that “cheese” and cashew milk and he is currently on his THIRD bowl of it, lol. Everybody is happy. So for anyone that might be searching for a dairy free version, try this recipe making substitutions and it’s still easy and delicious! THANK YOU!!
That’s so awesome!! Thank you for sharing that variation, too. I’m sure it will be helpful to a lot of people!
Why did mine come out grainy? Please help! :)
Hmm, not sure. Did you use sharp cheddar? I’ve learned that sharp cheddar “breaks” easier than mild cheddar.
I find it comes out grainy if it is too dry. Mixing in more milk at the end might help.
Oh my goodness, what a great quick recipe – thanks! So much tastier than boxed stuff. I’m in Europe so I used a Swedish cheese (jämtgård) and it is awesome. Tack så mycket! (Thanks so much!) The kids are gobbling it as I type.
I had no idea what to make for lunch and remembered this recipe, had everything, and decided to try it out. It was a great recipe. Ended up adding in a few fried hot dogs and a can of chili. Super yummy lunch!