Easy From Scratch Stovetop Mac and Cheese

5 from 2 votes

This is an easy and delicious homemade stovetop mac and cheese that will replace those blue boxes in your pantry.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time20 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 478kcal

8 ounces elbow macaroni (or other small shape such as small shells, rotini, or fusilli)
1 large egg
6 ounces evaporated milk (using a 5 ounce can is fine, just slightly less saucy–an extra splash of milk wouldn’t hurt)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¾ teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon hot sauce or a pinch of cayenne pepper
8 ounces cheddar cheese shredded

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 3 minutes or until silky and creamy. The sauce will thicken more as it sits.

For the cheese you can also use a combination of cheddar, American, and/or Monterey Jack cheeses–I use medium sharp Tillamook cheddar; anything sharper would be too sharp in my opinion or would need to be mixed with a milder cheese.
This recipe uses kosher salt (aka cooking salt, kitchen salt, coarse salt outside of the US). If you are using table salt, definitely scale down the salt as that is a saltier type of salt! The type of salt will make a big difference in how salty your food tastes, so keep that in mind.

Adapted from Alton Brown