This One Pot White Cheddar Mac and Cheese is the easiest comfort meal you’ll ever make. Make creamy, gooey mac and cheese in one pot for maximum enjoyment and minimal cleanup.
One-pot
Easy cleanup
You’ll Learn: Why shredding your own cheese gives you the best flavor and texture
Worth It: It’ll satisfy your cheesy craving in just about 20 minutes
Bonus: Toss in your favorite veggies or proteins to mix things up
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One pot dinner – This white cheddar mac and cheese is a super easy recipe since there is no need to drain the pasta or make a roux to bring the cheese sauce together!
- Perfect weeknight meal – This homemade mac and cheese comes together in about 20 minutes for a super simple and delicious weeknight dinner.
- Easy clean up – This stovetop mac will save you from having to wash some extra items like an extra pan and a colander. It might not be a big deal to you, but when time is tight, this recipe is awesome.
Serving Suggestions
This quick and easy white cheddar mac and cheese recipe is perfect as a side dish for a weeknight dinner. Serve it with any of your go to proteins, like Air Fryer Flank Steak, Balsamic Grilled Chicken, Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin or Air Fryer Fish Nuggets.
It is also a wonderful addition to any simple Thanksgiving dinner menu. If you are making food for a bigger crowd, try this dry brine turkey.
Ingredients
- Dry macaroni noodles – I love using traditional elbow macaroni for this white cheddar mac and cheese recipe, but you can use any noodle such as penne, fusilli, rotini, or cavatappi
- Vegetable broth – the broth adds so much extra flavor than just using water to cook the noodles, and you’ll use the perfect amount of liquid, so you don’t have to drain your pasta
- Water – a bit of water supplements the broth to make sure your noodles are fully cooked
- Salt – a bit of salt will intensify all the other flavors in your dish
- Milk – I used whole milk for extra creaminess, but feel free to use skim milk, 2%, or any other favorite milk of yours.
- Shredded sharp white cheddar cheese – the sharper the cheese, the more flavorful the dish! I also prefer to shred my own cheese for this recipe rather than using pre-shredded cheese
- Ground mustard, ground black pepper, smoked paprika – this spice blend adds a depth of flavor to your mac and cheese that makes it so delicious
Ingredient substitutions
To make this one pot creamy white cheddar mac and cheese, I recommend using extra sharp cheddar cheese or unexpected cheddar from Trader Joe’s. If you are not a fan of cheddar, you can use a mixture of shredded gruyere and Swiss cheese. Gouda cheese would also be delicious. For a creamier and tangier flavor, add cream cheese. If you would like, you can sprinkle parmesan on top as well.
If you do not have vegetable broth, you can use chicken broth instead. Using some sort of broth or stock is essential to add flavor to this white cheddar mac and cheese.
Garlic powder and onion powder would be good seasoning additions. A squeeze of dijon mustard would also add a ton of flavor. I did not use any butter, but you could cut back the amount of milk slightly and add unsalted butter if you want.
For some added protein, you could add sausage, shrimp, or shredded chicken to your mac and cheese. Veggies, such as broccoli, would also be good in your pasta.
How to Make
Step 1: Boil macaroni noodles
Add 16 ounces of macaroni, vegetable broth water and salt to a large pot and mix thoroughly. Heat over high to medium-high heat until the liquid boils – stir occasionally to prevent the noodles from sticking
Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer, cover the pot and simmer for a total time of 6-8 mins, stirring occasionally.
After 6 minutes, pasta should be tender and almost completely cooked. If you selected larger noodles you may need to let it simmer for couple more minutes.
Step 2: Add Cheese and Spices
Once the noodles are cooked to slightly al dente, turn off the heat, leave pot on stove and pour in the milk, shredded cheese, ground mustard, black pepper and smoked paprika.
Mix continuously while the cheese is melting until the sauce has a smooth texture.
Step 3: Serve and Enjoy!
Take off the stove and serve this white cheddar mac and cheese immediately! If you like spice, you can top with crushed red pepper to taste or some hot sauce!
Storage and Reheating
Once prepared, allow the macaroni to cool completely and then transfer to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also store this white cheddar mac and cheese dish in the freezer, but I think it is best served fresh.
Remove from the fridge and reheat leftover white cheddar mac and cheese with a splash of milk on medium heat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Check out these other delicious side dish recipes
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
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Recipe
One Pot White Cheddar Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 lb dry macaroni noodles
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 2 tsp salt
- ½ cup milk
- 3 cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese – the sharper the cheese the more flavorful the dish
- 1 tsp ground mustard
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ⅛ tsp smoked paprika
Instructions
- Add macaroni, vegetable broth water and salt to a large pot and mix thoroughly. Heat over high heat until the liquid boils – stirring occasionally to prevent the noodles from sticking
- Once boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover the pot and simmer for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After 6 minutes, pasta should be tender and almost completely cooked. If you selected larger noodles you may need to let it simmer for couple more minutes.
- Once the noodles are cooked to slightly al dente, turn off the heat, leave pot on stove and pour in the milk, shredded cheese, ground mustard, black pepper and smoked paprika.
- Mix continuously until all of the cheese has melted. Take off the stove and serve immediately!
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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