Less than 30 minutes stands between you and some of the creamiest, tastiest White Cheddar Cheese Mac and Cheese. And this stove top version is quick and easy to make, its a perfect side dish for a busy weeknight or cozy night in.
What You Can Expect From This Recipe
Creamy, Fast, and Flavor-Packed: This stovetop White Cheddar Mac and Cheese comes together in minutes and tastes far better than any boxed version. Made with real cheese—no preservatives or powdered mixes—it’s rich, creamy, and perfect for weeknight comfort food.
In this post, I’ll walk you through my go-to stovetop method, the best white cheddar to use, and a simple secret ingredient (hint: it’s mustard!) that takes the flavor to the next level. This tried-and-true recipe has been in my kitchen for over 40 years—and after one bite, you’ll see why.
Let’s get started.
Table of contents
- What You Can Expect From This Recipe
- Why White Cheddar For Mac and Cheese?
- Stovetop vs Baked Mac and Cheese
- Ingredients You’ll Need To Make White Cheddar Mac and Cheese
- Ingredient Substitutions
- Step by Step Instructions, It’s Super Easy
- Recipe Variations
- Tips For Success
- Storage
- What To Serve With Mac and Cheese With White Cheddar
- Frequently Asked Questions
- What’s The Best Pasta Shapes For Cheese Sauce Retention?
- Recipe for White Cheddar Mac And Cheese
Why White Cheddar For Mac and Cheese?
Cheddar that is marketed as “white cheddar” is simply cheddar cheese in it’s natural state. There’s been no coloring, such as annatto added to make the cheese orange in color. In my opinion, it’s pure creamy color gives the impression of a creamier dish.
I like to use an extra sharp white cheddar to make white cheddar mac and cheese. Extra sharp means it’s been aged longer and it’s nutty and pungent flavor has a lot to brag about. It’s intense bold flavor makes for a more satisfying and complex mac and cheese experience.
I like to use Dubliner White Cheddar Cheese. It’s a very special cheese, an aged full flavored mature Irish cheese. It brings a distinctive flavor with a hint of sweetness. It’s easily found in the special cheese section at the supermarket. It’s also the cheese used for one of my favorite appetizers, Dubliner Cheese Dip. It’s good stuff, complex, worldly, slightly sweet, slightly nutty and robust, this cheese is fabulous.
Stovetop vs Baked Mac and Cheese
When it comes to macaroni and cheese, the cooking method makes all the difference in taste, texture, and preparation time. Here’s a breakdown of the key differences between stovetop mac and cheese and baked mac and cheese.
- Stovetop mac and cheese is made entirely on the stovetop. After boiling the pasta, you mix it with a creamy cheese sauce and serve it immediately—no oven required.
- Baked mac and cheese, on the other hand, involves an extra step. After mixing the pasta and cheese sauce, the dish is transferred to a baking dish, often topped with breadcrumbs or extra cheese, and baked until bubbly and golden.
- Texture: Stovetop versions are creamier and more saucy, perfect for those who love a smooth and velvety mac. Baked mac and cheese develops a firmer texture and often includes a crispy, cheesy top layer thanks to the oven finish.
Ingredients You’ll Need To Make White Cheddar Mac and Cheese
- Elbow Macaroni
- White Cheddar Cheese: Choose extra sharp, sharp or even mild.
- Whole Milk: This is no time to skimp on fat calories. Use whole milk.
- Dijon Mustard: The acidity in the mustard will brighten the end flavor in an amazing way.
Pro Tip: Purchase good quality cheese and grate it yourself. Pre-grated cheese in bags includes additives to keep it from clumping, which will also compromise the melting factor. Grating cheese from a block of cheese will result in a creamier and more consistent melting experience. Plus, it’s less expensive.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Pasta: Elbow macaroni is customary to make mac and cheese, however shell macaroni is a good choice here, or a corkscrew shape such as fusilli.
- Milk: Using whole milk will result a creamier mac and cheese. However, you can also use reduced fat 2% milk.
- Mustard: Substitute plain yellow mustard for Dijon, or even mustard powder.
Step by Step Instructions, It’s Super Easy
- Step 1: Cover elbow macaroni with water and cook to package directions, drain and reserve ½ cup of the water the pasta was cooked in.
Pro Tip: Why is pasta water good for pasta sauce? Don’t throw all of that pasta cooking liquid down the drain, It’s liquid gold. It’s a must to add to any sauce for any pasta dish. It’s high in starch and this salty starchy water helps the sauce cling to the pasta while helping to thicken the sauce. It turns any pasta dish into a luxurious pasta dish.
- Step 2: In the meantime, in a saucepan, melt the butter. Add flour and stir for two minutes over medium heat.
- Step 3: Slowly add the milk and stir constantly until thickened.
- Step 4: Add the pasta and grated cheese and stir until the cheese melts.
- Step 5: Stir in the Dijon mustard until blended.
Recipe Variations
- Measure the cheese with your heart. This recipe calls for a healthy cup of white cheddar cheese. It won’t hurt a thing to throw in a little more.
- To make this mac and cheese even more decadent, use half and half instead of milk.
- Add a protein to make this a meal. Cooked chicken, sausage or shrimp would work well here. Sprinkle in some cooked bacon bits, or some steamed small broccoli florets
- Gluten Free: Make this white cheddar mac and cheese gluten free by simply switching out all purpose flour for gluten free white flour.
Tips For Success
- Use room temperature ingredients. Let the milk set out for 30 minutes. The warmer the milk, the quicker the roux will thicken.
- Grate your own cheese and use sharp white cheddar or even extra sharp cheese. You’ll love the aged cheddar flavor experience it gives this recipe.
- The easiest way to grate cheese is with an old-fashioned box grater, using the large holes. You can also use a food processor with a grater attachment.
- Clumpy or Gritty Cheese Sauce? Bring the cheese close to room temperature before grating, it will melt more evenly and won’t become clumpy. And if your cheese sauce is gritty or grainy, it means you’ve over-cooked the cheese sauce at too high of heat. Just watch it close, and stir often.
- Don’t over-cook the pasta. Follow package instructions for al dente cooking time. If you over cook, pasta will seem mushy. Remember, it continues to cook during the sauce process.
Storage
- Store any leftovers in the refrigerator covered tightly. It will keep for 3 – 4 days.
What To Serve With Mac and Cheese With White Cheddar
This pristine comfort food side dish deserves a comfort food main course. Consider these to make it a meal. Our favorite Steakhouse Burger is a good choice. Or how about a Grilled T-bone Steaks. This white cheddar mac and cheese would also make a great side dish for Chicken Asado.
Frequently Asked Questions
Adding a form of acidity to many dishes helps to brighten the flavor. Adding mustard to macaroni and cheese won’t give the end flavor an overly mustard-y flavor, it will simply add a slight tanginess and round out the flavors.
Yes, macaroni and cheese dishes freeze well. Store in an airtight container for up to three months. I like to use zip-lock style freezer bags. Just fill the bag, squeeze the air out while it’s standing, seal and then lay flat in the freezer to optimize space. Let frozen white cheddar mac and cheese thaw overnight in the refrigerator before re-heating.
The 50% power feature on the microwave is your best friend. Add a little milk and microwave in 1 minute increments at 50% power. Stirring after each increment. Using the gentler lower temperature will keep the macaroni and cheese from drying out. You can also re-heat stove-top at a low temperature, stirring in a little milk as you go. Reheating at to high of a heat temperature will also bring out the oil in the cheese, which will compromise the texture.
What’s The Best Pasta Shapes For Cheese Sauce Retention?
There’s a reason elbow macaroni is a traditional pasta shape selection for mac and cheese. It’s curvy shape creates pockets and nooks to capture and hold on to that cheese sauce. Here are some other shapes that will work well.
- Curvy Cavatappi with all it’s twists and turns is an excellent choice.
- Shell shaped pasta works well due to it’s pinched end to trap the sauce.
Recipe for White Cheddar Mac And Cheese
I hope you give this super-easy White Cheddar Mac and Cheese side dish a try. It’s a one-pot wonder that you’ll want to make over and over.
And if you love macaroni and cheese recipes as much as we do, here are some of our favorites.
More Creamy Dreamy Mac and Cheese Recipes
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Stove-Top White Cheddar Cheese Mac and Cheese
Equipment
- 1 3-4 Quart Dutch Oven or sauce pan
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Elbow macaroni
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 Tablespoons All-purpose flour
- 1 Cup Milk
- 1 (healthy) Cup White cheddar cheese shredded. About ½ of a 7 ounce block of Dubliner White Cheddar Cheese.
- ½ Cup Water from cooked pasta
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard or ¼ teaspoon mustard powder
Instructions
- Using a Dutch oven or large sauce pan, cook elbow macaroni according to package directions. Drain, reserving ½ cup of the water the pasta was cooked in.
- While the pasta is draining, using the same pan, melt the butter. Add flour and stir for two minutes.
- Slowly add the milk and stir constantly until thickened. Add in the drained macaroni. Add the grated white cheddar cheese and stir until it melts. Stir in the Dijon mustard until blended. Use the pasta water to bring to consistency that you like.
- Taste and add salt if necessary. Cheese can be salty, and the pasta water also adds salt. I like to sprinkle with a little freshly ground pepper to add color.
Notes
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- Use room temperature ingredients. Let the milk set out for 30 minutes. The warmer the milk, the quicker the roux will thicken.
-
- Grate your own cheese: Buying pre-grated cheese in bags contain ingredients to keep cheese from clumping. Grating cheese from a block of cheese will give you a creamier and quicker melting experience.
- The easiest way to grate cheese is with an old-fashioned box grater, using the large holes. You can also use a food processor with a grater attachment.
- This recipe can easily be doubled.
Nutrition
Stove Top White Cheddar Mac and Cheese …. It’s Whats for Dinner
Why Trust My Recipes? I am a Culinary School Graduate and a lifelong student of home cooking. I hope to inspire you try to cook as often as you can. I’ve been cooking for 50 years, and my recipes are tried and true tested and tested and then tested again before published. To read more take a look at my About Page.
It was always stovetop in our house also. My mom used Velveeta … gawd it was so good.
Perhaps because it was all I got as a kid, but I still prefer the stovetop version of mac and yours looks very good. Mom used Longhorn cheese for hers – and all other cheesy dishes.