Recipe Cinema

This recipe is inspired for my love of cheese, my family’s love of cheese and my of course my looove of cheese…

What I like most about this recipe is that I can make it on the stovetop when my oven is preoccupied and I don’t have to precook the noodles. I don’t have to cook a separate cheese sauce either. It’s all just in one pan.

Made with 4 different cheeses, this not only has the aged flavors of sharp cheddar and parmesan, but also a velvety and creamy texture from the cream cheese. Since the noodles are cooked in from the beginning they absorb so much of that cheesy goodness. If you really want to go the extra mile, cook this in an oven ready skillet, then throw a layer of shredded cheese on top and broil till bubbly.

Print Recipe

One Pan Mac & Cheese

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time45 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 3 c Water
• 3 c Whole Milk
• 1/3 c All Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Pepper
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1 tsp Ground Mustard
• 1 lb. Elbow Macaroni
• 8 oz Cream Cheese
• 1/2 c Parmesan Cheese shredded
• 8 oz Colby-Monterey Jack shredded
• 8 oz Sharp Cheddar shredded

Instructions

• In a large sauté pan, combine water, milk, flour, salt, pepper, paprika, and ground mustard. Stir well, add macaroni.
• Cook on medium-low heat until moisture is absorbed into pasta. Do not allow it to bubble or boil, this will cause the milk to curdle. Regularly stir and scrape bottom of pan during this process to prevent sticking. Keep covered in between stirring. Cook for 15-20 minutes.
• Next add the cream cheese and stir. Once the cream cheese is melted and the pasta is thoroughly coated, add each cheese one at a time. Stir thoroughly and continuously after each addition.
• Continue cooking on medium-low heat until all the cheeses are melted and no longer stringy. Approximately 20-25 minutes.
• Serve hot. Enjoy!

Notes

Substitutions:

• Elbow Noodles– You can substitute for other varieties of pasta. Popular choices are Cavatappi or Rotini.
• Whole Milk- 2% works just as well but the trick is to keep the heat low. It will take slightly longer in the cooking process but it will prevent the milk from curdling. I don’t recommend skim, however.

 

Storage:

Leftovers must be refrigerated. Keep in a tightly sealed container, refrigerate for up to 2 days.

 

For a video demonstration on how to prepare this recipe, please check out my video on YouTube.