This recipe for Easiest One-Pot Mac and Cheese is literally the easiest! No roux. No draining. Everything cooks in one pot, including the pasta!
For many, Macaroni and Cheese is the ultimate comfort food. There’s just something about the dish that says “home.” And while the methods to make it vary widely, I’ve got a super-easy way to get a delicious, gooey, homemade mac and cheese on the table in about 10 minutes. Seriously. You’re only 10 minutes away from one of the best recipes for mac and cheese, in my humble opinion!
This easy recipe makes a lot, too. So, feel free to cut the recipe in half if you don’t need 8 cups of mac and cheese. You could even turn this into an entire meal with the addition of chicken and broccoli! Mix all that up in the yummy cheese sauce, and you’ve got yourself a well-balanced meal, my friend!
Quick flashback to what feels like just a few years ago… Every time I’d whip up this recipe, the hungry vultures swarm. It has always been one of Jack’s faves. I would usually bribe the kid by making him hold the spoon or something for the photo, then promise him he gets a bite when we’re finished. Parenting skill level: EXPERT! I hope y’all enjoy it as much as Jack did.
Do I have to use hand-shredded cheese?
I use hand-shredded sharp cheddar cheese in this, but you are welcome to use other cheeses here. You’ll just need to use something that melts well to make the cheesy sauce. You can certainly use the pre-shredded bagged cheese, too. You just probably won’t get that stringy, gooey cheese pull that you would with blocks of cheese you’ve grated yourself. Sometimes the extra work is worth it. As I’ve said before, the bagged stuff has cornstarch and other stuff to keep it from sticking together in the bag, and it usually throws off the texture of the dish a bit.
Have I used the bag stuff with this? You bet I have. Can you? Absolutely. And the food police won’t show up at your door. And your family won’t disown you. They probably won’t even notice. Do what works for you. For me, some days that means using bagged cheese. I’m just saying. Keeping it real, folks.
Can I just use water instead of water and milk?
Cooking this mac and cheese recipe in milk gives the pasta and sauce a delicious creamy flavor and texture. You may notice this recipe does not call for butter, so the reduced milk makes the perfect liquid to blend with our cheese, resulting in a super creamy sauce.
All that to say, I really recommend using the milk. I know it seems a little odd to boil the elbow macaroni in the milk-water liquid, but you just gotta trust me on this one.
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 (16-ounce) box macaroni
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- In a deep skillet or Dutch oven, stir the milk, water, and salt together over medium-high heat. Stir in the uncooked macaroni and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring very frequently, for about 8 minutes or until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese. Stir until melted. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
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Thanks for the easy Mac and cheese recipe! I added butter with water and milk.
So glad you enjoyed it!
Super easy. Ingredients you always have on hand. Simple and quick when you don’t really feel like cooking. Thrown in some broccoli and a bit of butter, because, why not?
Exactly! Why not!?!? So glad you enjoyed it!
Super yum and super easy!
Thanks, Teri!
I don’t understand how people are giving this recipe bad reviews besides user error. I use this recipe all the time and comes out PERFECT. I plan on using it as a baked mac and cheese base. This is great for when you don’t feel like making a roux mac n cheese. I usually top with some sort of chicken for added protein.
Thank you so much, Kelsey!!
Made exactly as written. It was very easy and simple, but too starchy for my taste (since no pasta water is drained). My 3 yo loved it though! Also, it needed a bit more liquid. I won’t make this again, but thank you for the recipe.
Thanks for the feedback.
delicious, quick and easy. added some ham and broccoli to help get some more protein and fiber. I was surprised at how quickly it came together and I will definitely make this again
Sounds great, Rachel! So glad you enjoyed it!
YUCK!!!!! worst mac a nd cheese I have ever ate, no flavor, used sharp cheddar cooked the macaroni as directed and ran out of liquid before the pasta was cooked added more milk and pasta still was not cooked, bland taste yuck!!!
It’s been a while since I’ve heard a grown person use the word yuck, but here we are. Definitely sounds like something wrong here.
This was so easy and tasted great. I used pre shredded cheddar and it worked great for me. I was being lazy 😆 Also I used half and half in place of the whole milk because that’s what I had. Definitely will make again
So glad you enjoyed it, Cher!
Thank you for this recipe. I was looking for the simplest mac and cheese recipe possible, and this is it. I could teach this to a child. It is simpler and tastier than boxed mac and cheese; it may even be cheaper.
I have experimented with modifications that improve the flavor, such as a bit of butter and pepper, but yours is still the simplest, and I love it for that.
Thank you! That’s exactly what I was going for. Simple, easy, and still really good. I love that you’ve played around with it a little, too. A little butter and pepper never hurt anything! So glad you enjoyed it.
Wondering if you could make tgus recipe in a crock pot?
I do have a crock pot version, but I’m not sure that this one will work that way. Mac and cheese just does not hold very well. The Best Crock Pot Mac and Cheese
This is great. The only problem is there’s not enough! I’m going to have to try doubling the recipe next time.
So glad you enjoyed it!
Great quick recipe. When liquid is just about evaporated I added more milk with the cheese even though my Cellantani wasn’t quite finished. The pasta continued to cook as the cheese was melting. Turned out creamy and the pasta was perfect.
So glad to hear it turned out great for you!
Thank you for easy recipe! My daughter wanted mac and cheese and all I had was a box of elbows, Oat milk, and an 8 oz block of cheese. It worked! Next time I will use more cheese
So glad it worked in a pinch!
This mac and cheese was delicious and so easy to make! I used muenster and american cheese, as that is what I had on hand. Thanks Stacey for a yummy dish! I will definitely be making this again!
So glad to hear it turned out great for you!
I tried this because I didn’t have enough cheese for the roux-type. Mine turned out clumpy and grainy, but all I had was instant nonfat milk. You did remind me of how I made mac and cheese as a kid- cook the pasta as usual, leave a little water in the pot when you strain the pasta, add cheese and spices, mix and eat! This is truly the easiest way and you don’t have to worry about burning milk.
The graininess, in this case, is definitely the result of not using the correct ingredients. You need the fat from the milk to help keep things smooth.
This is awesome! I added more milk and water as it was evaporating. Also added a little butter. My kids approved!
Sweet! Happy to hear everyone enjoyed it!
Dude… really, simple to make!!! ..and good!! I’ve been always looking for a simple, cheesy – gooey recipe…now I’ve got one..thank you!! I adjusted it slightly… cut back the water and added some cream and butter; also added more cheese…Delicious!!! Thank you!!
It looks perfect, Nelson! So glad you enjoyed it!
What a wonderful recipe! I made this for lunch for my toddler and I. It was so easy to cut the recipe down to a quarter sized batch, which made a generous portion for just the two of us. I love the simplicity of the measurements!
I did need to add a few more ounces of water around the four minute mark as the liquid had mostly been absorbed and the pasta started to stick together. I also added a tablespoon of butter, a sprinkle of garlic powder, and a little black pepper. I used bagged pre-shredded cheese and had no issues! (Thanks for being encouraging about that choice!)
The mac and cheese was both mom and child approved. My toddler enthusiastically declared that it was “good,” which means a lot coming from him. I will be using this recipe again and again!
This comment put a HUGE smile on my face this morning, Kara! So glad you and the little guy enjoyed it!
We are trying to be more health conscious about bad for you ingredients like anything contains a bio-engineered product. So bye bye to box Mac and cheese. With Mac and cheese being my daughter’s favorite meal at least 4 times a week, what to do? Thank goodness I found this recipe. She said it’s the best Mac and cheese she ever had! Just be sure to use real cheddar and grate it yourself. It’s not the same if you use the shredded cheese in the bag.
Thank you so much! I’m so glad she enjoyed it!!
Hi. The recipe itself is so enticing, but I keep trying & something isn’t working for me. It doesn’t get that smooth creamy saucy texture & always seems like it needs more liquid. But it has a good flavor, so I’m afraid that adding more water/milk will dilute the flavor. For the last batch, I even used double the liquid/cheese … 4 oz macaroni, 8 oz water, 8 oz half-and-half, 8 oz cheese (part cheddar, part American). And almost the same result, kind of thick & chunky. I’ve used hand-shredded cheese & bagged cheese, same result. Help!
Sorry to hear you’re having trouble. Have you tried just increasing the milk or half and half without increasing the cheese and other ingredients?
Added afew things and it was perfect. Simmered closer to 18 minutes because my Gemelli pasta takes longer to cook.
2 cups broccoli
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 cup greek yogurt
pepper
nutmeg
Delicious and soooo eady
Thanks, Diane!
2nd time I made this. And as usual, I managed to flub it up. But quess what? It was still the tastiest and easiest recipe to make. Will definitely try to follow the directions next time. And, yes, there will be a next time.
Ha! Love that you’re going to keep at it! Glad you enjoyed it, regardless!
I’m eating this right now…I don’t think I’ll ever have to buy boxed mac ever again! This worked perfectly, and it came out even more perfect! Thanks for this!
Awesome! So glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Followed.the recipe and added.some sourcream.to it. As I was stirring. the block cheese. My siblings. Are.asking for me.to.make.it again. This is a over all favorite dish at my house.
So glad y’all enjoyed it!
I may have done something wrong as mine came out a bit dry (maybe boiled too long?) All in all a good, quick meal.
Sounds like that might be the case. Glad you enjoyed it.
Making this recipe for a potluck. Do you think it will be okay to put it in a 9×13 pan once it is made and refrigerate when cool and then sprinkle cheese on top and bake in oven to reheat before serving? We do not have a microwave. Thanks for your help.
I wouldn’t recommend this for a potluck. It’s really best eaten immediately. This might be more along the lines of what you’re looking for: https://southernbite.com/cheesiest-mac-and-cheese-for-a-crowd/
Worthless. The dish came together for 1 minute. Then all the cheese and liquid separated and I was left with water, noodles, and cheese balls. Followed exactly. The pot was not too hot.
Sorry to hear you had trouble! What type of cheese did you use, Kim?
I am a white sauce Mac n Cheese old school girl, I will still do that for 4th of July make ahead. But this should be EVERYONE’s weeknight or emergency dinner go to. I added 2 slivers of butter, a bit of powdered mustard, powdered onion, powdered white pepper, and a spoon of wondra flour with the milk. My Mom and husband like well done macaroni so I added extra boiling water (you can do that to your liking with this recipe). My family LOVED it. My husband doused it in whatever El Scorcho hot sauce and jalapeños, and said, “Make this every week.” Mom hardly eats (she is 89) and gobbled it up, which is amazing. Thank you so much for this easy and wonderful recipe.
Thanks so much for this recipe!
Love it! I’ve made it a few times for me and my siblings! it’s also great for comfort food when your sick. Simple and delicious 😋 I like to add some spice with Cajun seasonings!
Yum! So glad to hear that you’ve enjoyed it!
thanks for sharing such an efficient recipe, turned out great!
This is amazing! Oh oh oh so good. I used gluten free elbow macaroni, 12 ozs, so used 12 ozs (evaporated) milk, 12 ozs water, 3/4 tsp salt, but forgot and used 2 cups cheese. I think if I used 1-1/2 cups cheese it would have been perfect-er. As it was, it was a bit thick (but we ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT.)
Oh, and now I’m going crazy buying all the blocks of different kinds of cheddar. I just bought the Kerrygold Dubliner at Costco. I can’t wait to try it!
Yum! I bet that Dubliner will be amazing! So glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Delicious! I’ve become lactose intolerant so I used lactose free milk and shredded Cabot(naturally lactose free) seriously sharp cheese, I am thrilled to be able to eat Mac and cheese again, thank you for this delicious and easy recipe!
So glad it turned out great for you! Glad to hear it worked with the lactose free cheese!
Calories? Carbohydrates?
When it comes to nutritional content, that’s not something I calculate. Many of my recipes use ingredients whose nutritional content will vary by brand, so I encourage my readers to pick their favorite brands and then plug them into a nutritional calculator like the one over at myfitnesspal.com. Hope that helps!
I needed recipe guide for one pot MAC to use with what was in the pantry.
Resources: one box of Organic wht mac/chz with the bunny on the box, 2 types shredded chz, bag of frozen grn peas, 1/2c powder milk, 2sm cans tuna & oil drained (kittytreat), 3Tbsp(1/4-1/3c) whole mayo, 1Tbsp Worcester sauce. 1/4tsp Fresh nutmeg, 1/2 tsp fresh grnd pepper.
Mixed sm shells with hot tap water in med pot, added powder milk stir to mix while stove set to med high, starts to boil turn to medium to add chz powder sauce, add pepper n nutmeg, Worcester sauce, add more hot water as need. Add mayo stir. Add peas and 1 c @ chz. Stir till melted and hear it bubbling on the bottom when stirring. Yum.
Thank you for your recipe help!
Glad you found it helpful!
This is delicious! I will definitely be making this more often because it is literally the easiest meal I’ve ever made!
However I was wondering if anyone had or knows the nutrition facts on this recipe?
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, Katelyn! I don’t keep up with nutrition facts for my recipes as many of them rely on prepackaged products and the nutritional content of those items will vary by brand. You can jump over to a site like myfitnesspal.com when you have your favorite brands picked out and plug them in to get a more accurate count.
Trying this recipe tonight for National Mac n Cheese Day today! Debating on evaporated milk vs regular milk…know it will be delicious regardless!
I think it will be delicious regardless, but the evap milk sure does give it a marked richness! Enjoy!
Very delicious mac and cheese, and so easy to make! I used bagged shredded mild cheddar cheese, 6 tbsp of unsalted butter, and Rice Dream Original rice milk. I kept the rest of the ingredients the same as the original recipe, and followed the recipe instructions as written. Thank you for sharing this simple yet wonderfulfood! Hugs and love to you. <3
So glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing your variation!
You’re welcome! 🙂
This recipe is fabulous! I’ve made it twice…first with milk and I did use the packed shredded cheese, but it turned out great! Not one bit of leftovers!! The second time I used one can of evaporated milk but was shy of that second cup and didn’t have any milk. I added some plain Greek yogurt to get the 2 cups. Shredded cheese myself and used cavatappi noodles. Oh my!!!! So creamy and delicious! Thank you for this recipe!!!! All time favorite!
Awesome!! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it!!
I made this tonight and the taste was great. But the consistency was nowhere near ooey or gooey. I halved the recipe but followed it to the T. What went wrong? It’s super stiff and the cheese is almost crumbly. I’ve been making a different one of your recipes every day since November 1st and I won’t give up in this one because of the easy factor. And I have an (almost) 2 yr old granddaughter who loves Mac and cheese. So please….tell me how to fix it!! Also….could this be made with almond milk? Or any other dairy substitute? She does have a dairy free diet.
Hey Kelley! This is one of those dishes that can be a little finicky based on the ingredients you used. Lower fat milk and bagged cheese can sometimes cause it to stiffen up. You can always add in a little butter with the cheese to get it to soften up.
SO. GOOD. And so easy! And minimal cleanup! This is my first review on a recipe and I just needed to come here to THANK. YOU. What a game changer 1 pan is without needing to strain. Such an easy, simple, delicious recipe. I used sharp cheddar for this, but I think next time I’ll do mild. Personal preference. The consistency is great and this is my new go to mac and cheese recipe.
Wonderful, Ally! Thanks for letting me know. I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This is my go to mac & cheese recipe! I highly recommend it! Recently, I didn’t have milk on hand, so I used about 1 3/4 cup half and half with 2 1/4 cup of water. The original and modified recipes are both delicious! Sometimes for a fun stir-in, I use frozen roasted green chiles.
Thanks for the tip and I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed this recipe!
Cooked bacon before boiling the pasta and crumbled on top. Ooo eee it was delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Everything is always better with bacon! Glad to hear you enjoyed it!
What type of milk does this use? 1% 2% whole?
I would recommend whole, but 2% will work.
Oh my goodness! This is sooo good! By far the easiest best tasting mac and cheese recipe ever! This just became my go to recipe. Thank you for posting it!
Awesome, Gina! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!
Ugh. Not enough liquid. Needed to cook waaaay longer. I could pawn this off on 3 year old. The adults pushed their plates away.
Hmm… I’ve never really heard of folks having much issue with this recipe. Did you use the same type of pasta I did?
This is super easy and super delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
So glad you enjoyed it!
Top with a mixture of bacon and toasted panko bread crumbs.
It’s hard to argue with that idea! 🙂
Tried this tonight with milk. Daughter was pleased! Want to listen to some of the reviews and try it with evaporated milk. Is it same amount?? (2 cups)
Thanks!
It should be the same amount, yes. Enjoy!
using anything but Chedder cheese is a felony in 29 states…..
Ha! Love it! Thanks, Donald!
I’ve made many delicious Mac and cheese recipes…but this one is delicious AND simple! Well done! My kids said it was heaven!
Wonderful! So glad they enjoyed it!!
Have you tried this with charcoal out camping? If so, how many briquettes and how long did it take?
I haven’t tried that, Sheila.
You say to serve it immediately, would this do well in a warmer for a large dinner? I plan on doubling the recipe and cooking it before guests arrive.
I love this recipe! I was wondering if you could add milk to thin it out because I notice it getting thick after it cools down… I’m making a bunch of it for a party and keeping it in the fridge for a day, I hope it turns out ok!!
Hi Jenna! Yes, adding a little more milk and some butter will work to keep it smoother for longer. That said, I really think recipe is best served immediately. I would love for you to use my recipe, but I’m hate for it to turn out badly and you not be happy with the results. If you’re willing to entertain another idea, shoot me an email to info@southernbite.com and let’s chat.
Can I use heavy cream for part of it, I don’t have enough milk? And my kids are begging me to make this awesome stuff!!
You can. You can also add a little water to the cream to thin it out.
I have made this recipe 6 times and always comes outnlumpy and runny. I have never been able to make a homemade mac and cheese meal
If it’s runny, you might need to cook a little longer or stir in some extra cheese. The lumpy part I’m just not sure about. Is the cheese not getting melted all the way?
Using chicken broth in place of the water…..more flavor! Adding some cut up hot dogs for a fun meal. Thanks!
Greta ideas!!
This is the easiest, creamiest homemade mac and cheese! So glad I found this recipe. Never going back to a box version ever.
So, so glad you enjoyed this one!!
How well do the leftovers keep? Is there much separation between the cheese and noodles?
I’ve never had leftovers to keep! 🙂
I made this today and it was a hit. I used evaporated milk and grated my own cheese. It was creamy and cheesy. What a wonderful mac and cheese to have on the table in under 15 minutes. This is going on my favorites’ list. I already have so many ideas to transform this into other dinner ideas. Thanks!!
Love hearing that! So glad everyone enjoyed it!!
Just wanted to let you know that I make this recipe often! My family loves it and I love how easy it is to prepare. Genius!!!
Made it with hoop cheddar tonight, super melty and good!
Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know! So glad y’all enjoy it! Love me some hoop cheese!! I think it makes the BEST mac and cheese!
Using the starch from the boiled macaroni, BRILLIANT!!!
I’m eating a second helping of your mac-n-cheese recipe right now, it’s perfect.
Ha! Thanks, Melissa! So glad to hear you enjoyed it! 🙂
This looks delicious. I can’t wait to try it. Sometimes you just don’t have the time to make a white sauce or make the custard based mac & cheese that has to be baked. This sounds really quick and it looks so good. I think I might want a little butter in mine! 🙂
Butter would be great! Yes, I just love how easy this is. Enjoy!
Alright! Someone who makes (at least when there’s time) Mac and cheese with white sauce! Years ago, someone gave me a Mac and cheese recipe using white sauce. Naturally, I had to fuss with it, so I quartered an onion, and cooked it, with the macaroni, al dente. Then I took the onion out and threw it away, and layered the macaroni with thin white sauce (a and plenty of it), American cheese, and a little parmesan, I don’t use a lot of cheese — maybe a 12 ounce package of American, and 1/4 cup of parm, for two pounds of macaroni, and sometimes I’ll add some shredded cojack, and I top it with buttered fine bread crumbs and bake. The onion makes all the difference in the world. Don’t ask me how. And if you try to mix the white sauce and the cheese to make cheese sauce, it just doesn’t work. (My nephew takes it as a personal offense, if I don’t bring it to family dinners.) This recipe looks a lot easier than mine, and I bet it’s delicious!
I am looking forward to making this mac and cheese!
Sure hope you’ll enjoy it!
Thanks. Stacy I look forward to making this!
You are so welcome, Dara! Enjoy!
That looks so wonderfully gooey!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweeite.com
My favorite kind of mac and cheese!!
I use evaporated milk for the regular milk. Makes it so much richer. Good and quick recipe.
Yes! My other recipe does use evap milk and it certainly makes a difference.
+1! I always use evaporated milk for anything with cheese and noodles. Gonna fix tuna noodle casserole tonight — need to pickup some more milk! 🙂
🙂
Oh. My. Goodness.
This Mac and Cheese looks divine. And so easy! Thank you for sharing.
I must make this tonight!
I sure hope y’all enjoyed it, Trish!!