White Cheddar Mac and Cheese (Stovetop Recipe)

This creamy White Cheddar Mac and Cheese is an easy recipe made right on the stovetop in about 35 minutes, with no oven and no baking dish required! It’s the best white cheddar mac for busy weeknights, Sunday dinners, potlucks, and holiday tables, and it works as a hearty main dish or the perfect side dish the whole family will love!

White Cheddar Mac and Cheese

I’m not sure I’ve ever met a mac and cheese I didn’t like. But this white cheddar version? I love it so much!

If there’s one thing that my kids have always loved (as littles and even now as mostly adults), it’s mac and cheese! Here in Mississippi, it shows up at potlucks, church dinners, and holiday tables, and there are rarely leftovers.

You know I’m all about shortcuts, and boxed mac definitely has its place in my pantry. But this stovetop mac is almost as quick as the box and SO much creamier. It’s made with real cheese, comes together on the stove, and tastes a lot like Panera’s mac and cheese… maybe even a little better.

The best part is that you don’t have to turn on the oven or wait around for a casserole to bubble. You just make a quick, creamy cheese sauce, stir in your pasta shells, and dinner is on the table.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s ready in about 35 minutes. The pasta cooks while you get everything else ready, and the cheese sauce takes about 15 minutes from start to finish. Perfect for nights when everybody is hungry and you’re running behind (which, at my house, is most nights).

The cheese sauce is so smooth and creamy. My secret is evaporated milk! It makes a creamy cheese sauce that stays silky instead of turning grainy, and it gives the whole dish a rich flavor without needing a carton of heavy cream.

It’s made with real cheese. Boxed macaroni is fine in a pinch, but this version uses real white cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Parmesan cheese, and you can absolutely taste the difference.

It works for any occasion. Serve it on a busy weeknight, or set it next to a holiday ham for Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. It’s one of those classic mac recipes that fits just about anywhere.

Tools Needed

You don’t need anything fancy for this one… just the basics you probably already have in your kitchen.

• Large pot for boiling the pasta
• Colander
• Large saucepan or Dutch oven (or just reuse your pasta pot!)
• Whisk
• Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
• Box grater or a food processor with a shredding disc

Ingredients

This cheese recipe uses a handful of ingredients you can find at any grocery store, and there’s plenty of room for swaps.

• Pasta shells – any medium shells work
• Butter – I almost always cook with salted butter but unsalted butter works too
• All-purpose flour 
• Evaporated milk – whole milk also works but probably not skim or low-fat.
• Salt – Kosher salt or sea salt both work.
• White pepper (or black pepper if that’s all you have)
• Garlic powder
• Dry mustard 
• Mascarpone cheese – Makes the sauce extra rich and velvety. Cream cheese is a great substitute.
• Monterey Jack cheese
• White cheddar cheese
• Parmesan cheese
• Fresh parsley, optional

Find the full recipe with ingredient measurements in the recipe card below.

How to Make White Cheddar Mac and Cheese

This comes together fast, so I like to shred the cheese and measure everything before I start.

1. Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook the pasta shells according to the package instructions until al dente, drain, and set aside. (Don’t rinse them… that starch helps the sauce cling!)

2. Melt the butter. In the same pot, a large saucepan, or a Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat.
3. Make the roux. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture is smooth and bubbly.

4. Add the evaporated milk. Pour the milk in a little at a time, whisking as you go so no lumps form. Keep whisking until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5-7 minutes. It will thicken more as it cools and once you add the cheese.
5. Season the sauce. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the salt, white pepper, garlic powder, and dry mustard.

6. Stir in the Mascarpone. Stir until it melts completely, then remove the pot from the heat.
7. Add the cheeses. Stir in the Monterey Jack, white cheddar, and Parmesan a handful at a time until everything is melted and smooth.

8. Add the pasta. Add the cooked pasta to the cheese sauce and stir until every shell is coated. It may look like too much sauce at first, but the pasta soaks it right up.

9. Garnish and serve. Top with freshly grated Parmesan and a little chopped parsley, and serve warm.

Optional Crunchy Topping

This creamy mac is perfect as-is, but sometimes you might want a little crunch on top for a holiday meal. Spoon the finished mac into a broiler-safe baking dish, sprinkle it with bread crumbs tossed in a little melted butter and Parmesan, and broil for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Watch it closely, because bread crumbs go from golden to burnt really quickly!

Pro Tips

• Cook the pasta al dente. Slightly firm pasta holds its shape in the sauce and keeps the final dish from turning mushy. It softens a little more once it hits that warm cheese sauce, so don’t overcook it!
• Add the milk slowly. The easiest way to get a smooth sauce is to pour the evaporated milk in gradually and keep whisking the whole time. That’s what keeps lumps away.
• Take the pot off the heat before adding the cheese. The leftover heat is plenty to melt it. Cheese that gets too hot can turn grainy or oily.
• Shred your own cheese. Pre-shredded cheese is so convenient (I get it!), but it’s coated with a powder to keep it from clumping, and that can make the sauce a little gritty. Freshly grated cheese melts so much more smoothly, and a food processor makes quick work of it.
• Taste before serving. Every brand of cheese is a little different, so taste and adjust. Add more garlic powder, a pinch more dry mustard, a dash of hot sauce, or a pinch of cayenne pepper for a little kick.
• Use full-fat cheese. Low-fat cheeses don’t melt as smoothly and can leave the sauce stringy or rubbery.

Variations

This is a great base recipe, so have fun making it your own!

• Switch up the cheese. Any kind of cheese that melts well will work. Try Colby cheese, a little white American cheese for an extra-melty sauce, or yellow cheddar for that classic mac look.
• Make it spicy. Stir in a few dashes of hot sauce or a pinch of cayenne, or swap the Monterey Jack for pepper jack.
• Add Old Bay seasoning. A sprinkle of Old Bay with some cooked shrimp or crab turns this into a fun Gulf Coast-style dinner.
• Make it a cheeseburger mac. Brown a pound of ground beef with a little onion powder and stir it in for a hearty main dish.
• Sneak in some veggies: stir in steamed broccoli or peas.
• Add bacon or chicken. Crumbled bacon or shredded rotisserie chicken makes it extra filling.
• Boost the flavor. Add ½ teaspoon of onion powder with the other seasonings for extra flavor.

Serving Suggestions

White cheddar macaroni goes with just about everything, but here are a few of my favorite ways to serve it.

• Fried chicken, baked chicken, or pork chops for a Southern-style supper
• Holiday ham or turkey, alongside my Southern Cornbread Dressing for Thanksgiving
• Barbecue ribs or pulled pork at a cookout
• Green beans, roasted broccoli, or a simple green salad to balance out all that cheese
• A cup of broccoli cheddar soup on a chilly night (for the true cheese lovers!)

Storage and Reheating

Leftover mac keeps well, which makes it great for lunches the next day.

• Store: Let it cool, then keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
• Reheat on the stove: Warm it gently in a saucepan over low heat with a splash of milk or heavy cream, stirring until it’s creamy again.
• Reheat in the microwave: Add a splash of milk to individual portions and heat in 30-second bursts, stirring in between.

The sauce firms up in the fridge, so don’t be surprised when it looks thick at first. That little bit of milk brings it right back to life.

FAQ

Can I use whole milk instead of evaporated milk?

Yes! Use 3 cups of whole milk in place of the two cans. The sauce won’t be quite as thick and rich, but it’s still delicious. I’d avoid skim milk or low fat milk, since they make a thinner sauce. For an extra-indulgent version, swap some of the milk for heavy cream.

Why use evaporated milk?

Evaporated milk has some of the water cooked out, so it makes a richer, creamier sauce that’s less likely to break or turn grainy. It’s also shelf-stable, so it’s easy to keep a few cans in the pantry for busy nights.

Can I use pre-shredded cheese?

Absolutely, it’ll still taste great. Freshly shredded white cheddar melts more smoothly, so grate your own when you have a few extra minutes.

Why did my cheese sauce turn grainy?

Usually, it’s because the sauce was too hot when you added the cheese. Pull the pot off the heat first and add the cheese a handful at a time. Low-fat cheeses can also cause a grainy texture.

Can I make this gluten-free?

Yes! Use gluten-free pasta and a 1:1 gluten-free flour. To use corn starch instead, skip the flour, whisk 1½ tablespoons of corn starch into about ½ cup of the cold evaporated milk, then add it to the melted butter along with the rest of the milk and whisk until thickened.

Is this like Panera’s mac and cheese?

It’s my homemade take on that creamy white cheddar mac n cheese style, so it has a very similar rich, cheesy feel. It’s not an official copycat, but it sure scratches the same itch!

Do I need an egg?

Nope! Some baked mac recipes use an egg or an egg white to help them set, but this stovetop version doesn’t need one.

Can I make it ahead of time?

It’s best served fresh, but you can make it a day ahead. Store it in the fridge and reheat it with a splash of milk to bring back the creamy texture.

Make It Your Own

This creamy mac is proof that you don’t need a lot of time or fancy ingredients to put something really special on the table. Whether you serve it as the main event on a busy Tuesday or next to the turkey at Thanksgiving, I hope it becomes a family favorite at your house too! Make it just like the recipe card, or play around with the cheeses and add-ins until it’s exactly how your crew likes it.

Tried this recipe? Please leave a comment and a star rating below… it helps me grow my blog, and I’d be so grateful!

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