3 Ingredient Mac and Cheese
Macaroni cooked straight in milk and finished with grated cheddar in one pan, ready in 20 minutes with no draining and no roux.
Photograph credit: Beecher's 'World's Best' Mac & Cheese by adambarhan · CC BY 2.0 · Flickr
Macaroni, milk and cheese: that is all it takes, and salt and pepper do not count. The pasta cooks directly in the milk, so the starch it releases thickens the liquid into a sauce, with no flour, no butter and no roux. It is the dish for a night when the cupboard is nearly bare, and every step takes place in a single pan.
Use small elbow macaroni, which cooks in about 10 minutes and fits the volume of milk. Larger pasta shapes take longer than the milk can bear. Whole milk is best, since the fat helps the sauce stay smooth. Bring it to a gentle simmer, not a boil, because milk scorches on the base of the pan and can foam over in seconds.
Stir often and keep the heat low. Milk catches on the bottom of the pan if left alone, and the macaroni sticks together in the first few minutes. Stir every minute or so with a wooden spoon, scraping the base. The sauce thickens gradually as the pasta releases its starch, and the pan should look creamy by the end.
Take the pan off the heat, stir in the grated cheddar a handful at a time until melted, and season well. Grate it yourself, since pre-grated cheese is coated in starch that stops it melting smoothly. A pinch of mustard powder, if you have it, sharpens the flavour. Serve at once, as it thickens as it sits.
3 Ingredient Mac and Cheese: Step by Step
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Put the macaroni, milk and salt in a large, deep pan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
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Cook for 12 minutes, stirring every minute and scraping the base, until the pasta is tender and the milk has thickened.
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Take the pan off the heat. Stir in the cheddar a handful at a time until melted and smooth.
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Season with the pepper and taste for salt.
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Serve at once, loosening with a splash of milk if it has thickened too much.
Tips That Matter
- Stir often to avoid scorching.
- Grate the cheese yourself.
- Loosen with milk if it thickens.
Pairs Well With
Green salad · Steamed broccoli · Crispy bacon · Hot sauce
Storage
Best eaten at once. Reheat with a splash of milk.
3 Ingredient Mac and Cheese Nutrition
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.
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Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked.
First published ; last changed .
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