Ultra Creamy One Pot Mac Cheese

If you’ve never made one pot mac and cheese your life is about to change for the better. And possibly your waistline. But it’s oh so worth it. Follow me…

Creamy Mac and Cheese

We’ll get into the ‘one pot’ aspect in just a sec, but first things first, let’s talk about the creaminess.

What makes this Mac and Cheese so creamy?

One Pot – The starch from the pasta helps the sauce go nice and glossy/creamy because it’s all cooked in one pot! Milk/Cream – The pasta is cooked in milk and heavy cream, which alongside the starch, helps form an ultra creamy base for the sauce. Cream Cheese – One of the cheeses used in this recipe is cream cheese, which adds to the creaminess of the sauce.

Look I’m always down for a baked mac and cheese with a crispy crust, but sometimes you just can’t beat a velvety stove stop mac and cheese. Just look at that gooey goodness 😍

One Pot Mac and Cheese

Why make Mac and Cheese in one pot?

No need to make a roux to thicken the sauce, the starch will do it for you. The excess starch helps create a glossy/velvety sauce which coats the pasta much better. Less washing up!

What cheese to use in stovetop Mac and Cheese?

Cheddar – I actually prefer a medium to mature cheddar with this recipe. Usually I like the strongest cheddar going, but here I find it distracting. I slightly milder cheddar has create a creamier flavour. Gruyere – This adds a gorgeous nutty flavour. Mozzarella – Offers a slight cheese pull and adds creaminess. Cream Cheese – Adds creaminess.

When it comes to making the mac and cheese, depending on how thick your macaroni is and when you take the pot off the heat, you may find the sauce is either slightly too thin or thick. This is very easy to adjust. Just add milk a splash at a time to thin out, or just simmer for an extra min to reduce the sauce. Process shots: add dry macaroni, milk, cream, chicken stock and seasoning to pot (photo 1), simmer and stir until the pasta is al dente (photo 2), add cream cheese (photo 3), stir to combine (photo 4), add cheese (photo 5), stir to combine (photo 6).

Serving Mac and Cheese

I tend to serve this as a main, but you can serve it as a side too. Goes great with Fried Chicken or Chicken Tenders (Spicy or Baked!). I also most recently served this with Pulled Pork which was incredible! For more similar recipes check out these beauties: