This extra creamy stovetop mac and cheese, made in just 20 minutes without flour, is the best creamy mac and cheese recipe ever!
Some like baked macaroni and cheese and some like stovetop macaroni and cheese. Either way, you’re going to love this dish!
This homemade, extra creamy mac and cheese comes together so easily. With no roux and only 2 kinds of cheese, this simple mac and cheese recipe without flour will become your go to mac and cheese recipe!
The Pasta
Cavatapi noodles are my favorite for mac and cheese. I like the curly shape, the density of the noodle, and the ridges that hold on to all of that delicious cheese sauce.
Typically, a recipe that combines pasta and sauce instructs that the noodles be slightly undercooked so they can finish cooking in the sauce. However, with cavatapi noodles, they are so dense that they won’t become overcooked.
Pro Tip: Add 1 tbsp coarse sea salt to the water in which the pasta is boiled to flavor the noodles.
The Cheese Sauce
Normally, you would make a roux, which is equal parts of fat and flour cooked together in a pan to thicken your cheese sauce. This cheese sauce is thickened with heavy cream and evaporated milk. No roux needed!
The cheese sauce, made with cream cheese, extra sharp cheddar cheese, heavy cream, and evaporated milk is what makes the sauce so creamy and creates a flavorful, silky, smooth texture.
I particularly like extra sharp cheddar cheese because it melts well and adds tons of flavor to the sauce. Use a block of cheese rather than shredded cheese as shredded cheese has additives that interfere with the cheese’s ability to melt.
How to Make Extra Creamy Stovetop Mac and Cheese
- In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of water and 1 tbsp coarse sea salt to a boil
- Add the cavatapi noodles and boil 8-10 minutes or according to package directions
- Using a colander, drain the noodles and set aside
- To a VERY large pot, add the heavy cream, evaporated milk, ground mustard, cayenne pepper, and salt
Pro Tip: Heavy cream expands by a large amount when simmering, or reducing. Use a pan much larger than you think you will need or it will quickly boil over.
- Over medium high heat, bring the cream mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer 15 minutes to reduce the amount of liquid by 1/3rd and enhance it’s thickening power
- While the cream mixture is simmering, cut the cream cheese into small cubes and grate the cheddar cheese
- After the cream mixture has simmered 15 minutes, add the cheese and stir until it is melted and the sauce is thoroughly combined, about 3 minutes
- Stir in the cavatapi noodles
Initially, it may appear that there is too much cheese sauce, however, as it cools the sauce will thicken and the sauce to pasta ratio will become perfect.
To bake or not to bake
If you love stovetop mac and cheese, serve as is. However, if you want baked macaroni and cheese, mix together 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs, and 1/4 tsp garlic powder. Add the macaroni and cheese to an oven safe baking dish, top with the bread crumb mixture and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
Storage and Reheating
If you are lucky enough to have any left over mac and cheese, it will store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for 1 week. To reheat stovetop macaroni and cheese, add a splash of milk, half and half, or heavy cream (whatever you have on hand) and reheat in a pan on the stove or in the microwave. For baked macaroni and cheese, do not add any extra liquid because it will make the topping soggy. Microwave until warm or reheat in a 350 degree oven.
For the creamiest macaroni and cheese ever, give this quick and simple recipe a try!
If you like Extra Creamy Stovetop Mac and Cheese, you might also like Mushroom and Goat Cheese Pasta.
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Extra Creamy Stovetop Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp coarse sea salt
- 16 ounces cavatapi noodles
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 12 ounces evaporated milk
- 1 tsp ground mustard
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 8 ounces extra sharp white cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Bring 4 quarts of water and 1 tbsp coarse sea salt to a boil
- Add the cavatapi noodles and boil 8-10 minutes or according to package directions
- Using a colander, drain the noodles and set aside
- To a very large pot add the heavy cream, evaporated milk, ground mustard, cayenne pepper, and salt
- Over medium high heat, bring the cream mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer 15 minutes to reduce the amount of liquid by 1/3rd and enhance it's thickening power
- While the cream mixture is simmering, cut the cream cheese into small cubes and grate the cheddar cheese
- After the cream mixture has simmered 15 minutes, add the cheese and stir until it is melted and the sauce is thoroughly combined
- Stir in the cavatapi noodles
Notes
- Heavy cream expands by a large amount when simmering, or reducing. Use a pan much larger than you think you will need or it will quickly boil over.
- Initially, it may appear that there is too much cheese sauce, however, as it cools the sauce will thicken and the sauce to pasta ratio will become perfect.
- For baked macaroni and cheese, mix together 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs, and 1/4 tsp garlic powder. Add the macaroni and cheese to an oven safe baking dish, top with the bread crumb mixture and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
- To reheat stovetop macaroni and cheese, add a splash of milk, half and half, or heavy cream and warm in a pan or in the microwave. For baked macaroni and cheese, do not add extra liquid because the topping will become soggy. Microwave until warm or reheat in the oven at 350 degrees.
23 Responses
I love this recipe far more than any others that call for a roux. Reheating this dish it comes out as creamy as the day you made it. The biggest drawback of roux-based mac n cheese is when you reheat it in the microwave the sauce often separates. I used sharp cheddar and gruyere and it was excellent. Terrific recipe – thanks you!
I really appreciate that. I worked so hard perfecting this recipe. I’m glad to hear my hard work paid off!
I love this recipe far more than any others that call for a roux. Reheating this dish it comes out as creamy as the day you made it. The biggest drawback of roux-based mac n cheese is when you reheat it in the microwave the sauce often separates. I used sharp cheddar and gruyere and it was excellent. Terrific recipe – thanks you!
I plan to make this recipe tonight, but I have a question. After trying and failing with all the roux-based mac & cheese recipes out there, I am excited to try this one. I would like to use the baked option provided in your recipe, but my concern is that the topping with the parm cheese and panko will just sink into the cheese sauce (you noted it will be kind of soupy at first) before it has a chance to brown. Do I need to allow the mac & cheese to kind of “rest” before adding the topping and baking it, or is it fine to top it and bake it right after I finish mixing it at the recipe implies.
Great question! I would allow it to rest 10 minutes before topping and baking.
Wow, an answer within minutes of the question, you are really on top of it for your site! Kudos to you! I will post my review tomorrow after I make it.
I hope you love it! I’m looking forward to your review.
Do you think it would work to sub the cream cheese for mascarpone?
Great question! Mascarpone works as a stabilizer so I think it work really well.
This was amazing! So easy to make. I preferred this method over the butter/flour method. (The other way always tasted like flour~y paste) This was rich and creamy! If I was to change anything, it would be decreasing the amount of cayenne pepper just by a touch.
I will definitely be bringing this to the holidays!
Can I add chicken to this recipe and should I add anything if I do
Cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken would be a great addition! You wouldn’t need to add anything else.
Is there any way to modify this to lower the fat content a little? It looks amazing for my girls but for me to eat often, my waste line wouldn’t be shrinking ever.
And I love that your title says without flour. I always have to scroll to the recipe to see if there’s flour in the ingredient list.
I agree, this is not for every day. For me, this is a “cheat day” recipe. To lower the fat, you could use half and half instead of heavy cream, low fat cream cheese, and low fat cheddar cheese. I’m not sure it will be as creamy or taste as good, but it might be an acceptable substitute. The evaporated milk and the cream cheese work as the thickener for this recipe since there is no flour. Another alternative would be to use milk instead of heavy cream with a slurry of corn starch as a thickener. To make a slurry, use equal parts cold water and corn starch and mix together before whisking into the milk. If you have any other questions, please reach out. If you try that, I would love to know how it turns out. Best of luck!
Can you use other cheeses like Gouda?
Yes, Karen! You can use other cheeses in addition to or as a substitute for the cheddar cheese, but the cream cheese is necessary to thicken and emulsify the sauce.
Made this for dinner, really good! Easy to make and tastes great. I will be making this for a wedding reception. Thank you so much.
Wedding reception? I’m honored! Thank you for the kind words. I made this at least 8 times to get it just right😊.
I made this tonight and it was so delicious and easy! Thanks for the note about letting the extra liquid sit. I almost panicked!
I’m glad you liked it!
Can I make this as a baked Mac and Cheese?
Yes Melanie, you can! If you would like to bake this, I would recommend topping with a mixture of 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs, and 1/4 tsp garlic powder, then baking at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Enjoy!
This is the creamiest, cheesiest mac and cheese ever! Great recipe!