Get ready to whip up some stovetop mac and cheese, y’all! This creamy, cheesy delight is made right on the stove in a big ol' pot, and it’s ready in just 30 minutes. Toss in crispy bacon bits, and you’ve got yourself a Southern classic that’ll make everyone go weak in the knees. It’s comfort food at its finest – rich, gooey, and just waiting to be devoured! Serves 8-10
Give me alllllll the mac and cheese, please!
I have an unpopular option and it's a strong one. Mac and cheese baked in the oven is just wrong!
There. I said it. And I am not sorry.
I just don't get it. Why would you put something so creamy and delicious that's already finished into a baking dish and bake away that goodness so that it's dry and sad?
You will never see a baked mac and cheese around here. Mac and cheese made in the instant pot? Sure - that's fast and easy and still so creamy. But never baked.
As a Southern cook, my mom made mac and cheese like this for us often and taught me how to make it without even needing a recipe. It's what I like to call a no-recipe recipe. Where it's all just made on taste and heart. Actually having to stop and write down specific measurements for a recipe like this or bacon gravy is really hard because I just do it by sight.
But nonetheless. Tossing some crispy bacon into this dreamy goodness just send it over the edge. Come into my kitchen and let me show you how I like to do it.
Welcome to my real-life kitchen - let's cook!
There are going to be multiple things going on at the same time. But that is real-life multitasking at its finest and the best use of time. Once you get one thing going start the next (ex: while the bacon is cooking, start the water to boil for the noodles). This is the order I like to go in so that everything is finished right at the time it is needed.
First - start the bacon.
Second - boil the noodles.
Third - shred the cheese.
⭐️Pro Tip ⭐️ - Using pre-shredded cheese for mac and cheese is not recommended. The bags of pre-shredded cheese have a powder coating on them that does not melt well in a sauce. The sauce will turn grainy and have a weird texture to it. I only know this from experience and just using what we had in the fridge and kinda being lazy and it was not good! It is much better to just take the extra 2 minutes (while the noodles are cooking) and grate your own.
Fourth - make the sauce.
Fifth - stir it all together!
Serve this immediately while hot and creamy. If it's being served out of the pot and sits awhile and thickens too much, just add a splash of milk to loosen it back up.
Recipe
Stovetop Mac and Cheese with Crispy Bacon
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 1x
Description
Get ready to whip up some stovetop mac and cheese, y’all! This creamy, cheesy delight is made right on the stove in a big ol' pot, and it’s ready in just 30 minutes. Toss in crispy bacon bits, and you’ve got yourself a Southern classic that’ll make everyone go weak in the knees. It’s comfort food at its finest – rich, gooey, and just waiting to be devoured!
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Pasta
- 1 Tablespoon Butter
- 1 Tablespoon Flour
- 2 ½ Cups Whole Milk
- 2 Cups Mild Cheddar - shredded
- ¼ Teaspoon Salt + more to taste if needed
- ½ Teaspoon Pepper
- ½ Pound Bacon (or 6 slices) - cooked and cut into bits
Instructions
Bacon Prep - start this and get going before the pasta so that it can be going at the same time and finished when needed
- In a large skillet over medium heat, fry the bacon until crispy. Remove and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Once cooled, crumble into small pieces.
Pasta Prep
- Fill a large pot with water and a generous amount of salt (2 big pinches). Bring to a boil. Add noodles once at a boil and cook according to package directions - just to al dente. Drain once finished and keep to the side until needed.
- Shred the cheddar cheese while the noodles are cooking.
- Once the noodles are drained, use the same large pot, and add 1 tablespoon of butter and flour on medium heat. Whisk together as the butter starts to melt and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low. Add ½ cup of the milk while whisking vigorously. The mixture will start to become thick very quickly. It is important to not stop whisking. You want to get all of the clumps of flour out for this to become a smooth, creamy, and thick mixture.
- Add the rest of the milk, repeating the same whisking process as above - making sure no lumps are present. The milk will start to thicken after a couple of minutes.
- Once all the liquid has been added, add in your cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir gently to slowly melt the cheese completely.
- Once the cheese is melted, add in your cooked noodles and bacon bits. Stir together. Taste to see if any more salt and pepper is needed.
- Remove from the heat and serve immediately.
Notes
- This is best enjoyed right away after you have made it. If the mac and cheese will be sitting on the stove for a while until you eat, it will begin to lose some of the sauce and get too thick. Just add a splash of milk and stir to combine making it sauce and creamy again.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 3 days.
- Prep Time: 0 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner - Pasta
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 scoop
- Calories: 315
- Sugar: 4.5 g
- Sodium: 268.4 mg
- Fat: 11.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 38.4 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 14.3 g
- Cholesterol: 31.3 mg
