This easy and delicious homemade Stovetop Mac and Cheese is so good, you'll want to replace those blue boxes in your pantry. It uses real cheese and a handful of shelf-stable ingredients you can keep stocked in your pantry for whenever a craving hits.
8ouncesmacaroni(such as elbows, small shells or wagon wheels)
1large egg
6ouncesevaporated milk
1teaspoonkosher salt
¾teaspoondry mustard
½teaspoonhot sauce or a pinch of cayenne pepper
8ouncescheddar cheeseshredded (preferably medium or mild)
Instructions
In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta until al dente and drain. Return to the pot.
Whisk together the egg, milk, salt, mustard, and hot sauce. Stir into the pasta and add the cheese. Over low heat continue to stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until silky and creamy. The sauce will thicken more as it sits. Serve immediately.
Notes
The serving size for this recipe is based on 4 moderate servings (because it is fairly rich), however you could also divide it into 3 somewhat generous servings if you are really hungry!
I've tried this recipe with sharp cheddar alone, and it was too sharp for my taste. I prefer medium or mild cheddar cheese. You can also do a combination of cheeses, such as sharp cheddar and Monterey jack, to mellow out the sharpness.
Use half a 12-ounce can of evaporated milk for this recipe (save the other half in the fridge to make more mac and cheese!). You can also grab a 5-ounce can and add a splash of regular milk to yield 6 fluid ounces or ¾ cup (still delicious!).
There's a small amount of dry mustard in the recipe to enhance the flavor, but it's not overpowering. If you don't have dry mustard, you could replace it a couple teaspoons of prepared Dijon or yellow mustard, or omit it entirely.