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.
I made this tonight because I had a serious craving for some comfort food and it was awesome! I didn’t have any cheddar but a mix of left over cheeses (M. Jack slices, mozzarella and parm) but it turned out yummy and I used some things up. The only thing I think I’d change next time is the paprika, didn’t really suit my palette but that’s just me. Thank you for this great recipe!!! :)
Love this recipe!!! I am a horrible cook and I was able to easily make this!!!! I also tried using half pepperjack cheese and half chedder and it turned out AMAZING!! Cheesey with a little kick!
Keep up the good work Beth!!!!
This is such a miracle that I even halved it to make a tiny pot, wandered away, ended up with milk all over my stove and it STILL came out delicious. I’m going to make this so many more times.
I just finished up eating a bowl of this. So yummy! Thanks again for another great recipe. I can’t wait to try this with a bunch of different cheeses. I always make the mac and cheese for the holidays. I thought I had found the perfect mac and cheese recipe, but this one beats it out for ease of cooking and real ingredients (the other used condensed cheese soup). Once again, thank you so much for posting this.
This recipe was so tasty!
I wonder if having to add a lot more milk is due to the heat being too high. It sounds like maybe the milk is boiling away before it has a chance to soften the noodles. Try turning the heat down to the lowest point that still has the milk bubbling (a very gentle simmer) and keep the lid on as much as possible between stirs. I’m not sure if that will help with the graininess, but hopefully!
Mine ended up being a little grainy… also, I had to add milk throughout the process because my noodles didn’t seem to cook sufficiently with the written amount. Perhaps they were too dry near the end to get a smooth texture? I added a lot already, though :\
Hmm, that’s strange. Are you using regular pasta? Did you keep the lid on between stirs?
Whoa, I had to add upwards for 4 cups of milk to this recipe. My noodles still aren’t done where I like them. I also added butter….
Thanks for another great recipe. I made it with half and half since I had some left over from another recipe and I used some Dubliner Irish Cheddar and it turned out wonderful. I also added a little water to it when I reheated it the next day since it was not as saucy the following day but the splash of water did the trick.
as above it is really tasty if you eat it later on or reheat it, but it isn’t very saucy. The boy loved it though, couldn’t get enough of it :)
Just made for the family, makes a very dense creamy mac and cheese. Using sharp cheddar definitely adds flavor and leave room to play around with the seasonings as suggested. If it’s coming out bland then you’re not adding enough flavor or your using bland cheese. Serve it up quick, it’s better fresh and just melted hot!
Just made this with penne as I had no macaroni, I used 2.5 cups of pasta. I didn’t keep the lid on as it just kept boiling and I was worried it would scorch. The pasta was firm but it was tasty :) I added a little water rather than more milk. I also added a good grind of black pepper and a squeeze of garlic paste. I topped it with a little grated cheddar an
d some parmesan and popped it in the oven for ten mins. This was really tasty and ill make it again :-)
Oh yeah I added cut up hotdogs too :-)
I hate wasting money, it irritates me to no end. And not even edible.
Horrible. I fixed it exactly as written with good ingredients and it had NO taste whatsoever. Heating up frozen dinner as I write this. Not only a wasteof money (I’m on a budget), but a waste of time also.