A pot of the Best Creamy Stove Top Mac and Cheese will get smiles from kids and adults. This extra cheesy macaroni and cheese recipe is ready in less than 20 minutes and makes the perfect for dinner.
Growing up I ate my fair share of mac and cheese. The blue boxes were a staple in my parent’s kitchen cupboard. And once we had kids of our own, we kept the same boxes of Kraft on hand. It was just easy to make, and all of our kids loved it.
Our youngest son ended up as the pickiest eater in our family. He ate great as a baby and toddler, but as he started getting older his taste buds changed. He knows what he likes and doesn’t stray very far from it.
Most of the time he doesn’t eat much meat, other than canned chicken. That and Chick-fil-a nuggets are the only kind of chicken he likes. Every once in a while we can get him to eat a few bites of these Parmesan Ranch Chicken Tenders, but that doesn’t happen too often.
The one food group that he has always loved is macaroni and cheese. It’s something that he always orders when we go out to eat. Although, most of the time he doesn’t care for the restaurant versions. Probably because he grew up on the blue boxes.
A few weeks ago he had a group of friends over to celebrate his birthday, and his request for food was a platter of nuggets and mac and cheese.
We went ahead and ordered the nuggets, but I tweaked this Three Cheese Macaroni and Cheese recipe and turned it into an easy and creamy stove top macaroni and cheese. It got rave reviews from everyone!
Three kinds of cheese, Greek yogurt, and a béchamel sauce creates the smoothest and richest cheese sauce you can ever imagine. Get ready to dive into a pot of cheesy goodness.
How to make the Best Creamy Stove Top Mac and Cheese:
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set it aside.
- Melt the butter in a large pot. Sprinkle the flour on top and stir it in. Cook the mixture for a minute.
- Whisk in the milk slowly. Continue to simmer the mixture for a few minutes until it thickens.
- Add the yogurt, cheeses, and seasonings and stir until melted and creamy.
- Run hot water over the cooked noodles and drain again. Add to the pot of cheese and stir until coated.
- Let the best homemade mac and cheese sit for a few minutes before serving. (full recipe below)
This is seriously the easiest and cheesiest Mac and cheese I have ever made. We shared an extra pan with friends, and now they ask for it all the time when we have a get together.
It’s the perfect comfort food meal for chilly nights, or a delicious side dish for potlucks or cookouts. Trust me when I say this will be your go-to mac and cheese recipe from now on.
What can you add to creamy mac and cheese?
- Feel free to use your favorite cheese in place of the cheddar cheese. Pepper jack or chipotle cheese will give it a spicy kick. Mozzarella cheese will add more cheese strings.
- Stir in bacon, chicken, ham, or any other meat you love. You can also add different veggies to change it up.
- Top it with more shredded cheese and Panko or Ritz crumbs and bake it.
Can you make stove top mac and cheese ahead of time?
- Yes. It reheats very well. You can place it in a covered dish and refrigerate it until you need it.
- Place it in a pot over low-medium heat and stir until creamy.
- Or place it in an oven safe dish and bake until heated through. If you are baking it, make sure to undercook your pasta by one minute.
- You can also freeze this macaroni and cheese. Spoon the cooled pasta into a disposable foil pan, add shredded cheese, and cover it. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight and bake until heated through.
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What to serve with homemade mac and cheese:
This easy stove top mac and cheese can be served as a main course for dinner or as a side dish for cookouts and picnics. It also goes with any type of meat that you like. Here are a few of our favorites to serve with mac and cheese.
- Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
- Honey Sriracha Barbecue Meatballs
- Homemade Cajun Shrimp Burgers
- Chipotle BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
- BBQ Chicken and Avocado Quesadillas
- Cheddar Bacon Ranch Sliders
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Best Creamy Stove Top Mac and Cheese
A pot of the Best Creamy Stove Top Mac and Cheese will get smiles from kids and adults. Extra cheesy, delicious, and ready in less than 20 minutes makes it perfect for dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow pasta
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 1/4 cups milk
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 8 ounce Velveeta cheese, cubed
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Cook and drain the pasta. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large pot. Sprinkle the flour on the melted butter and stir in. Cook for 1 minute.
- Whisk in the milk. Cook and stir for a few minutes over medium heat until thickened.
- Add the yogurt, shredded cheese, Velveeta, Parmesan, seasonings, and salt and pepper. Stir until melted and creamy.
- Run hot water over the cooked noodles. Drain again and stir into the cheese mixture.
- Let the mac and cheese sit for a few minutes to thicken up before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 394Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 897mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 20g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.
What is the ground mustard for?
You add it to the pasta for a little bit of flavor. The instructions say “seasonings” and that is when you add it. I hope you enjoy the mac and cheese!
My kids (17 & 13) and I love this! We are eating it as I type. (I know, no phones at the table!)
I didn’t have Greek yogurt so used sour cream but did have everything else.
Thank you for a great stove top Mac & Cheese recipe!
Just made your recipe, with all ingredients. I must say that the greek yogurt gives it a delicious flavor so much that my kids, who don’t like yogurt, couldn’t even tell. Delicious. Thank you.
This looks amazing! I think some of you additions will make a flavor difference
The yogurt measurement is just too much. It overpowers the taste of the cheese. It’s creamy and delicious. My youngest just don’t like the yogurt after taste. ?
I’m so sorry you didn’t care for the taste of this mac and cheese. Feel free to cut the yogurt down to 1/2 cup and see if that makes the taste better for you. Our family loves this particular recipe the way it is written, but I realize everyone has different tastes. Keep me posted if you try it again.
I agree. It tastes like yogurt with a little cheese in it. I regret not using half of the amount.
I’m so sorry you didn’t enjoy it. Did you use plain Greek yogurt? I personally think it tastes just like sour cream. I’ve made this multiple times using both of those and it always tastes super cheesy!
Hello! Just made this, and it was absolutely delicious! One issue…the sauce seemed a little grainy, and not smooth like Mac & cheese would normally be…any thoughts on where I went wrong? I whisked sauce on medium, and everything was perfectly mixed, before adding pasta. Either way, I will make this again…SO FLAVORFUL! Thanks so much!
Hi, Christy. I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe. It’s one of my son’s favorites. As for the grainy texture, there are a few things that could be causing it. Is it grainy before or after you add the cheese? If before, it may be that the flour needs to cook a little longer on a little, lower temperature. I also read that heating up the milk before whisking it into the flour mixture can help, although I never do that. If the sauce is grainy after adding the cheese, it can be from the type of cheese. Do you use bagged shredded cheese or do you shred a block? Bagged cheese has a coating on it to keep it from sticking, so it melts differently than fresh grated cheese. Another factor can be the brand of block and grated cheese you buy. I tend to buy a better, pricer cheese when making things like this recipe. I hope some of that is helpful, and that the next batch is creamier for you. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.
Oh goodness, thank you for your response! The graininess came in after the cheese…and I DID use a bag of pre-shredded, b/c it’s what I had on hand. I usually grate myself, so that’s probably what happened! I will go with a good block, and try again…it is DELICIOUS! Thanks so much again…Happy Holidays! Christy
My daughter is allergic to yogurt. Is there something else I could use?
Is she able to have sour cream? If so, that is a great sub for the yogurt.
Hi Jocelyn,
I am planning to make this for Christmas. However could I omit the Velveeta cheese as I’ve not seen it anywhere where I live. Or perhaps could it be substituted with other cheese? Hope to hear a reply. Thanks!
Most stores have it in the pasta aisle. Did you look there too? If you still can’t find it, I would add a little more milk and shredded cheese until it is the consistency you like.
I live in Malaysia ? don’t think I’ve seen it here. Great I will do as you’ve suggested! Looking forward to making this 🙂
Best Mac n cheese I’ve ever made! This will be my lifetime recipe! I used stonybrooke organic yogurt and it didn’t leave a yogurt taste. It was sooo creamy and perfect!!