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    Home » Recipes » Side Dishes

    Stovetop White Cheddar Mac and Cheese

    April 13, 2022 by LaKita 20 Comments

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    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    This easy stovetop recipe for White Cheddar Mac and Cheese creates a thick and creamy pasta dish that is so gooey and delicious. The perfect comfort food recipe.

    If you are craving a traditional baked mac and cheese, then be sure to try making some Southern Mac and Cheese. For another stovetop one-pot option, try making a batch of Broccoli Mac and Cheese.

    overhead view of bowl of mac and cheese

    Macaroni and Cheese is one of those comfort foods that you can never really grow tired of. And how could you when it is so cheesy, gooey, and delicious.

    I mean seriously when you think about the best macaroni and cheese that your taste buds have ever had the pleasure of meeting does it not make you want to go to extreme lengths just to have it once again?

    I absolutely love me some good macaroni and cheese, especially if it's paired with a side of freshly cooked green beans. This combination paired with a protein creates the perfect dinner for me. I'm actually getting hungry just thinking about it.

    Making baked macaroni and cheese can be a little tedious and this may make you reach for the convenience of the boxed version. I am cool with that as well in a pinch, but before you do that let me share with you a simple stovetop version that can be made from start to finish in less than 30 minutes.

    Let's get started!

    Jump to:
    • Ingredient Notes
    • Instructions
    • Recipe Tips
    • Storage
    • Recipe
    • More Recipes You'll Love:

    Ingredient Notes

    overhead view of all ingredients on marble surface
    1. White cheddar - Choose your favorite brand of white cheddar cheese. Try to select a high quality cheese that is already shredded or in a block that you will shred yourself using a box cheese grater.
    2. Pasta - Use your favorite pasta to make this recipe. Traditional mac and cheese uses elbow but shells (small or medium), cellentani, and fusili will work just as well.
    3. Butter - You can use salted or unsalted depending on your preference. Select a high-quality butter to add thickness and creaminess to the dish.
    4. All-purpose flour - This will help to thicken the sauce.
    5. Milk - Use whole milk or canned milk.
    6. Heavy cream - Helps to make the cheese sauce thick and creamy.
    7. Salt - Use kosher or sea salt to balance the flavors in the mac and cheese.
    8. Ground black pepper - If you have white pepper available, then you may opt to use that in the same unit of measure instead.
    9. Dry ground mustard - An important step in any good macaroni and cheese recipe, it adds flavor and color to the dish.
    10. Sugar - Use granulated or cane sugar. It prevents the flavors from tasting flat and you will not be able to taste the sweetness at all.
    11. Hot sauce - Just a small amount of any hot sauce that you have on hand. If you do not have any available, then you can substitute with cayenne pepper in the same unit of measure instead.

    Instructions

    Begin the recipe by cooking the elbow pasta according to the package instructions. Once finished, drain the water from the pasta and set aside until ready to use.

    cooked pasta in white strainer

    Make the sauce in a large pot over medium-high heat, add the butter and allow it to melt. Add in the all-purpose flour and whisk to combine.

    Reduce the heat to medium-low and add in the milk, heavy cream, salt, ground black pepper, dry mustard, granulated sugar, and a dash of hot sauce. Continue whisking the sauce mixture until it is combined and begins to bubble.

    Reduce the heat to low and add the shredded white cheddar. Stir until smooth and combined.

    shredded white cheddar added to pan for cheese sauce

    Add in the cooked elbow pasta and stir just until combined. Carefully remove the large pot from heat and allow it to sit for a few minutes to thicken. Serve warm and enjoy!

    all ingredients to make mac and cheese combined in pan

    Recipe Tips

    • Use freshly grated cheese instead of the bagged pre-shredded cheddar because it melts so much better and usually does not have any additional ingredients.
    • Do not overcook the pasta. Undercook it a bit, until it is al dente and then combine the pasta into the sauce while it is still warm for better absorption. Try cooking the pasta and making the sauce at the same time.
    • Stir the sauce constantly, I prefer to use a whisk because this will help prevent clumps and ensure a creamy cheese sauce.

    Storage

    Be sure to store any white cheddar mac and cheese leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave before serving.

    Recipe

    white cheddar mac and cheese in two small bowls with small bowl of shredded cheese and two forks

    White Cheddar Mac and Cheese

    LaKita Anderson
    This easy stovetop recipe for White Cheddar Mac and Cheese creates a thick and creamy pasta dish that is so gooey and delicious. The perfect comfort food recipe.
    5 from 11 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8
    Calories 614 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • ¼ cup butter
    • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
    • 1 cup milk
    • 2 cups heavy cream
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon dry mustard
    • ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
    • dash of hot sauce
    • 2 cups white cheddar, shredded
    • 1 pound elbow pasta, cooked

    Instructions
     

    • Begin the recipe by cooking the 1 pound elbow pasta according to the package instructions. Once finished, drain the water from the pasta and set aside until ready to use.
    • Make the sauce in a large pot over medium-high heat, add the ¼ cup butter and allow it to melt. Add in the ¼ cup all-purpose flour and whisk to combine, about 1 minute.
    • Reduce the heat to medium-low and 1 cup add milk, 2 cups heavy cream, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon dry mustard, ½ teaspoon granulated sugar, and a dash of hot sauce. Continue whisking the sauce mixture until it is combined and begins to bubble, about 2 to 3 minutes.
    • Reduce the heat to low and add 2 cups shredded white cheddar. Stir until smooth and combined. Add in the 1 pound of cooked elbow pasta and stir just until combined.
    • Carefully remove the large pot from heat and allow it to sit for about 5 minutes to thicken. Serve warm and enjoy!
    • Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave before serving.

    Notes

    • Use freshly grated cheese instead of the bagged pre-shredded cheddar because it melts so much better and usually does not have any additional ingredients.
    • Do not overcook the pasta. Undercook it a bit, until al dente and combine it into the sauce while it is still warm for better absorption. Try cooking the pasta and making the sauce at the same time.
    • Stir the sauce constantly, I prefer to use a whisk because this will help prevent clumps and ensure a creamy cheese sauce.
    *Recipe adapted from Shugary Sweets

    Nutrition

    Calories: 614kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 17gFat: 39gSaturated Fat: 23gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 114mgSodium: 407mgPotassium: 260mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1385IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 292mgIron: 1mg

    *All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.

    Keyword macaroni and cheese, white cheddar mac and cheese
    Tried this recipe?Mention @SimplyLaKita or tag #SimplyLakita

    Original post date 06/23/2014. Updated 04/13/2022.

    close up view of mac and cheese in small bowl

    More Recipes You'll Love:

    • Southern Mac and Cheese
    • One Pot Broccoli Mac and Cheese
    • Pressure Cooker Mac and Cheese
    • Warm Macaroni Salad

    Have any comments, questions, or other delicious ways to use this thick and creamy White Cheddar Mac and Cheese? Please share them in the comments below!


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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Tristin

      April 21, 2022 at 1:38 pm

      5 stars
      I made this Mac and cheese for a bbq and it was a huge hit. Everyone loved the white cheddar flavor!

      Reply
      • LaKita

        April 25, 2022 at 2:06 pm

        So happy to hear it was a hit, thank you Tristin!

        Reply
    2. Mikayla

      April 21, 2022 at 4:03 pm

      5 stars
      Mac and Cheese is one of my kiddos all time favorites, and we love white cheddar. Add a generous sprinkling of crumbled bacon and we had a meal we all ate seconds of.

      Reply
      • LaKita

        April 25, 2022 at 2:07 pm

        Thank you Mikayla, adding bacon sounds perfect!

        Reply
    3. Jessica

      April 21, 2022 at 8:01 pm

      There is no greater comfort food than mac and cheese and this one hit it out of the park. It was simple, delicious, and loved by my whole family. I will definitely be making this again in the near future.

      Reply
      • LaKita

        April 25, 2022 at 2:07 pm

        I completely agree with you Jessica, thank you!

        Reply
    4. Devan

      April 22, 2022 at 2:20 am

      5 stars
      You had me at WHITE CHEDDAR! This looks SOO good your pictures are making me hungry now! Nice recipe and love the tips included to make this.

      Reply
      • LaKita

        April 25, 2022 at 2:07 pm

        Thank you so much Devan!!!

        Reply
    5. Kathryn

      April 22, 2022 at 9:42 am

      5 stars
      This is the best mac and cheese! I love the white cheddar flavor and I can't wait to make this again asap!

      Reply
      • LaKita

        April 25, 2022 at 2:08 pm

        Thank you Kathryn, glad to hear you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    6. Veronika

      April 22, 2022 at 2:33 pm

      5 stars
      I appreciate how quick and easy this mac and cheese was to make. I don't wanna admit it but I go with the boxed version more often than not but this was so easy to make and so delicious, it's my go-to now!

      Reply
      • LaKita

        April 25, 2022 at 2:09 pm

        Thank you Veronika! I completely understand the convenience the boxed version gives 😉

        Reply
    7. Heather

      April 22, 2022 at 5:11 pm

      5 stars
      Love homemade Mac and cheese! And this white cheddar version looks so creamy and delicious! Can’t wait to try.

      Reply
      • LaKita

        April 25, 2022 at 2:09 pm

        Thank you so much Heather, hope you get a chance to try it soon!

        Reply
    8. veenaazmanov

      April 23, 2022 at 1:39 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious, rich and creamy. Quick and easy too. Happy Meal for sure.

      Reply
      • LaKita

        April 25, 2022 at 2:09 pm

        Thank you so much!!

        Reply
    9. Marie

      April 23, 2022 at 2:44 pm

      5 stars
      I love a recipe that you can make in a snap and that's even more satisfying than the boxed, sodium-laded store-bought product! This creamy mac'n'cheese is delicious as is, but my kid also loved it with some sausage chunks mixed in. This has definitely become one of my go-to family recipes!

      Reply
      • LaKita

        April 25, 2022 at 2:10 pm

        Thank you Marie, adding sausage sounds like a great idea!

        Reply
    10. Kayla DiMaggio

      April 23, 2022 at 7:14 pm

      5 stars
      This white cheddar mac and cheese was so rich and delicious! The whole family loved it!

      Reply
      • LaKita

        April 25, 2022 at 2:10 pm

        Thank you so much Kayla! Happy to hear it!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm LaKita, a food blogger living in Northwest/Panhandle Florida. I love creating and sharing recipes that are simple to make and comforting to eat. Follow me for more delicious recipes.

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