Easy Homemade Mac and Cheese

Cheesy, creamy, and made with whole wheat noodles, this macaroni and cheese takes less than 30 minutes to put together! Great as a side dish, or even the main dish with a veggie on the side.

Remember a couple of days ago I told you I was feeling a little sick-ish? Well, yesterday that kind of turned into a full blown head cold and fever. So, I’ve been spending quite a bit of time sitting around. Even though I don’t enjoy being sick, it’s kind of nice to have an excuse to read and write for much of the day. I love to do both, but I tend to get distracted by other things when I am well, or I feel like it’s lazy for me to sit and read/write when there are tasks that need to be done.

Jump to Recipe!

Because I wasn’t feeling the best yesterday evening, I was happy to go the really simple route when it came to dinner. Times of sickness call for warm and comforting food, right? I threw together this homemade macaroni and cheese and was very happy with how well it turned out. Casey liked it too!

To make my mac and cheese ultra creamy and flavorful, I cook the noodles in milk instead of water. During this step, be careful to heat the milk gradually and stir frequently so you don’t scorch it! (I’ve made that mistake before, yuck.)

After the noodles are cooked, I simply add some shredded cheddar cheese, a little butter, and some seasonings, and stir until a thick sauce forms. That’s it! Simple, right?

Feel free to add or remove seasonings as you desire. You could even stir in some steamed broccoli for a cheesy pasta and broccoli meal! 🙂 Various combinations of cheese could work as well; I’m tempted to try some different kinds of cheese besides cheddar in the future.

Enjoy!

Easy Homemade Mac and Cheese

Servings: about 5
Time: 25 minutes
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Ingredients

4 cups skim milk
2 1/3 cups uncooked whole wheat macaroni noodles
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)

Directions

In a large pot, slowly heat milk over medium low to medium heat, stirring frequently to prevent milk from scorching. (Don’t try to heat the milk too fast or it will burn!) Heat until milk is steamy and almost boiling. Add pasta and keep heat at medium low. Cook pasta for 15 minutes, stirring almost constantly, until pasta is cooked through. Most of the milk will be absorbed, but there will be some remaining for the sauce. Remove from heat.

Add the cheddar cheese, butter, and seasonings, and stir until cheese and butter are completely melted and form a sauce. Serve!

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~K in the Kitchen