Stovetopcheddarmac Recipes

THE BEST STOVETOP MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain.
• Melt the butter in the same pot over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, mustard powder and paprika; cook, whisking constantly, until smooth and slightly darker, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and continue to cook, whisking occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly and comes to a simmer, 7 to 8 minutes. Whisk in the cheddar, American cheese and cream cheese until melted and remove from heat.
• Add the pasta to the sauce; toss, adding some reserved cooking water as needed to loosen. Season with salt.

STOVETOP WHITE CHEDDAR MAC

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, bring the cauliflower and 3 cups water to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook until the cauliflower is very soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook until al dente according to the package directions. Just before pasta is set to be done, add the spinach and cook until just wilted, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Drain in a colander and set aside.
• In the empty pasta pot, melt the butter over medium heat and add the garlic. Cook until the garlic is soft but not burnt, about 2 minutes.
• Add the cooked garlic, steamed cauliflower, milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 cup water to a blender and puree until creamy and smooth. Depending on the power of your blender, you may need to add more water.
• Return the cauliflower sauce back to the saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the shredded Cheddar and stir until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in the cooked noodles, spinach and Parmesan. Serve immediately.

STOVE TOP CHEDDAR MAC

Steps:

• In a large saucepan of boiling, salted water, cook the macaroni until al dente; drain in a colander.
• In the same saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
• Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
• Gradually whisk in the warmed half-and-half and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is steaming hot and thick, about 4 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the cheddar until melted.
• Stir in the cooked macaroni and season to taste with salt.

CHEESY STOVETOP MAC WITH SAUSAGE AND KALE

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large, wide pot or a very large, deep skillet over medium-high, then add the onion, kale and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale has cooked down and the onion is smaller in size, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring often, until the paste darkens slightly, 1 to 3 minutes.
• Add the sausage and cook, breaking the meat into small pieces, until it loses its pink color, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add the red-pepper flakes, sprinkle with salt and give everything a good stir. Add the chicken broth and pasta and stir to combine. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, place a lid on the pan and cook until the pasta is soft but still has some bite to it, about 10 minutes. Be sure to check on the pasta and stir every now and again. (The sauce will have thickened from the starch in the pasta.)
• Add the cheese and hot sauce and mix well. Add salt and additional hot sauce to taste before serving.