3 Ingredient Creamy Macaroni and Cheese
You’d never know this mac and cheese is only 3 ingredients. It’s a great beginner recipe if you’re new to cooking. There’s no roux required and the pasta cooks right in milk, releasing its starches and creating the perfect base for a cheese sauce.
Ingredients
- 3 cups (24 fl oz) whole milk
- 8 oz (227 g) elbow macaroni, about 1 1/2 cups
- 6 oz (170 g) freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese, slightly less than 3 cups
Instructions
- Add milk to a large saucepan or pot and bring to a low boil.
- As soon as milk reaches a low boil, add in the macaroni.
- Stir a few times to prevent the macaroni from sticking to the bottom of your pot. Let your milk reach a simmer.
- Let the macaroni cook over a gentle simmer (just a few bubbles on the surface), stirring occasionally so the macaroni doesn’t stick to the pot, until the pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes. Keep the pot uncovered during the cooking process. As it cooks, the milk should reduce down. Some of the milk should still be in the pot when the pasta is done.
- Remove the pot from the stove and add the shredded cheese. Gently stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is thick and creamy. Make sure to remove the pot from the heat before adding in the cheese (just turning off the stove is not enough), otherwise the cheese will curdle.
- If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of water or milk to thin out to your liking. Taste and season with additional salt if needed.
Notes
- I did thick cheese shreds using the large holes on my box grater.
- You want to watch the milk carefully. Only bring to a low boil at the beginning and nothing above that because otherwise it will foam and curdle. As soon as it reaches a low boil, add in the pasta.
- Once the pasta is added in, you want the milk to heat back up again but nothing above a gentle simmer (just a few bubbles on the surface). This is important because if you cook at a rapid simmer or boil then the milk will reduce too fast before the pasta is done cooking.
- It’s also important to remove the pasta pot completely from the hot stove once it is done cooking and before you add in the cheese. If you keep it on the stove even with the burner off, the cheese will start to curdle from the heat.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 490kcal, Carbohydrates: 52g, Protein: 23g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Sodium: 349mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 10g, NET CARBS: 50
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below!