Easy One Pot Macaroni & Cheese adults will love? You bet! This Easy One Pot Macaroni & Cheese is so delicious and satisfying that adults and kids alike love this classic. It’s comfort food, and it’s FAST! This easy, one pot recipe is going to be your new family favorite! So many mac & cheese recipes are created with a flour mixture, roux, or béchamel to thicken the cheese sauce. Not this one! It relies on a bit of tangy cream cheese and milk to create a rich, thick creaminess that stays moist and clings to the macaroni.
The sauce comes together with whole milk, or a combination of whole milk and half & half, and heavy cream. Try different variations each time you make it to achieve the thick creaminess you prefer. Then shredded parmesan, pepper jack, and sharp cheddar add big cheese flavor. The sauce begins to thicken as it cools. Use reserved pasta cooking liquid to thin the sauce if you desire it thinner. And save some reserved cooking liquid to add before you refrigerate it for another meal.
The pasta shape is versatile, too! Use your favorite small pasta in place of macaroni noodles. Try it with rotini, shells, or mini farfalle. This decadent, yet homey dish with four different cheeses, has rich cheese flavor and could easily be named something fancier like four cheese pasta. Customize this with veggies if you wish, but I think the perfect garnish is crispy cooked bacon.
Easy One Pot Macaroni & Cheese reheats beautifully as leftovers, too! It’s also perfect for creating a Baked Mac & Cheese. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a skillet on low. Add two cups of plain bread crumbs with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, plus 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder ( if desired). Sauté lightly just to coat evenly. Pour prepared Easy One Pot Macaroni & Cheese into a buttered 9×13 glass or ceramic baking dish. Top with seasoned, buttered bread crumbs. Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes if starting with hot macaroni & cheese. If baking from refrigerated, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until bubbly and crumbs are lightly browed, about 20 more minutes.
Forget the boxed stuff! Tonight you’re making the creamiest, cheesiest Easiest One Pot Macaroni & Cheese you’ve ever tried. Let me know what you think! Enjoy!
Easy One Pot Macaroni & Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry macaroni noodles (or small noodle of your choice)
- 1 stick butter (½ cup)
- 4 ounces cream cheese, cubed
- 3 cups whole milk (or half & half, or combination of both)
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 cups reserved pasta cooking liquid
Baked Macaroni & Cheese
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups plain bread crumbs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder (if desired)
Instructions
- In large Dutch oven or saucepan, cook macaroni noodles in boiling salted water for one minute less that package instructions for al dente pasta.
- Drain pasta, reserving 2 cups of pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta to Dutch oven or saucepan on stove with burner off.
- Slice butter and add to pasta along with salt, pepper, seasoned salt, and cubed cream cheese.
- Stir until butter is melted. Heat on low/medium and add milk or half & half, and cream. Bring to gentle simmer with bubbles just appearing at the edges.
- Turn heat down and add shredded parmesan, pepper jack, and sharp cheddar cheeses. Stir until melted and thickening. Remove from heat. Sauce will continue to thicken off heat. Let stand about 5 minutes before serving. Use reserved pasta cooking liquid to thin sauce, if desired.
Baked Macaroni & Cheese
- Heat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare Easy One Pot Macaroni & Cheese. Set aside and prepare crumb topping.
- In medium skillet, melt butter over low/medium heat.
- Add crumbs, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to butter and stir until just coated.
- Add prepared Easy One Pot Macaroni & Cheese to a 9x13 buttered, glass or ceramic baking dish.
- Top with bread crumb mixture. (At this point, you may cover with foil and refrigerate to bake the next day, if desired.)
- Bake for 25 minutes or until mac & cheese is bubbly and crumbs are lightly browned.
- If baking cold from the refrigerator, bake covered at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake another 20 minutes or until bubbly and crumbs are brown and crisp.
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