This creamy stovetop mac and cheese for two is the easy one-pot comfort food you need—no baking, no roux, and ready in 20 minutes. It’s perfect for a small batch or single serving and made with simple pantry ingredients in just one pan.
Jump To (scroll for more)
- 😊 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- 🧀 Ingredients
- 👨🍳Quick Overview: How to Make Creamy Mac and Cheese
- 😊 Make It Right Every Time
- 🤔 Options and Variations
- ↕️How to Scale the Recipe (Up or Down)
- ❓FAQs
- 🍽️ Serving Suggestions
- ❄️ Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- 👍 Other Mac and Cheese Recipes
- 📖The Recipe Card with Step-by-Step Instructions
Featured Comment by RG:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Easy and good. "
😊 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One pot, no oven: Stovetop only—no roux, no baking.
- An adjustable small-batch recipe: Make it for two, scale up for leftovers, or cut it down for mac and cheese for one.
- Ultra creamy: Pasta cooks in milk for extra richness.
- No blue box here: Just fresh macaroni, milk, cheese, and spices you control.
- Foolproof: Easy enough for beginners—no draining, no drama.
🧀 Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need—simple pantry staples and flexible options:
- Elbow macaroni – Or other small pasta like shells or rotini.
- Milk – Whole milk is best for richness. 2% is fine. If using fat-free, add a bit more butter to boost the missing butterfat.
- Butter – Just enough to round out the sauce. Use a little more if you're using lower-fat milk.
- Cheese – Sharp or mild cheddar is classic. Velveeta melts beautifully. Try Gruyère, Gouda, or a touch of Parmesan for variety.
- Spices – Garlic powder, paprika, dry mustard (optional), salt, and black pepper. These add subtle depth—skip the mustard if you prefer.
✅ Pro Tip: For the creamiest texture, shred your own cheese. Pre-shredded works, but may melt less smoothly due to the presence of anti-caking agents.
👨🍳Quick Overview: How to Make Creamy Mac and Cheese
1. Simmer the pasta in milk and spices
Add everything but the cheese to a nonstick saucepan. Simmer gently, stirring frequently, until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed—about 15 to 18 minutes.
If the pasta is sticking, turn down the heat—high heat can curdle the milk.
✅ Pro Tip: If the pasta is tender but there’s still a lot of fluid, pour off most of it. If the liquid is almost gone but the pasta isn’t tender yet, add a splash of milk and cook a bit longer.
2. Add the cheese
Remove from heat, stir in the cheese, cover, and let it melt. Mix and serve.
👇 Scroll down for the printable recipe card and complete step-by-step photo instructions—or keep reading for tips, veggie options, and serving ideas.
😊 Make It Right Every Time
- Use a nonstick saucepan to avoid sticking and curdling.
- Watch your simmer: Timing can vary slightly depending on your stove and pasta.
- Shred your own cheese for the creamiest results. Pre-shredded works but may be a little grainy.
🤔 Options and Variations
- Pasta swaps: Shells, rotini, or penne all work well—just avoid very quick-cooking types.
- Cheese options: Sharp or mild cheddar is classic, but Gruyère, Gouda, Monterey Jack, or a little Parmesan all melt well and boost flavor. Velveeta may not be fancy, but it melts like a dream—and kids love it.
- Add-ins: Try crumbled bacon, cubed ham, or leftover pulled pork, chicken, or beef.
- Breadcrumb topping: Add crunch with toasted Panko or a Parmesan-breadcrumb mix—broil briefly until golden.
Save this recipe!
Enter your email address and we'll send the link straight to your inbox!
↕️How to Scale the Recipe (Up or Down)
This recipe makes two servings, but it's easy to scale up or down, even to a single serving. This works great as a mac and cheese for one with no waste and no leftovers. In our house of two, I usually double it for leftovers.
- Use the recipe card to change servings from 2 to whatever you need—1, 4, 6, or 8.
- The ingredient amounts will update automatically. The instructions will not, so use the updated list, not the text.
- Cook time stays the same, no matter the batch size.
❓FAQs
It can be! Just use gluten-free pasta and double-check your cheese. Most shredded cheese is safe, but always scan the label for additives like flour.
Not for this recipe. The starch on the pasta helps thicken the sauce. Rinsing is only helpful for cold dishes, like pasta salads.
Yes! This recipe makes two servings, but is easy to cut in half, or just enjoy the leftovers the next day.
Absolutely. Everything cooks in one pan on the stovetop—no draining, no extra dishes.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Serve as a main dish with a crisp green salad or a simple hot vegetable. It also works great as a side for just about any casual meal.
Kids especially love it with hot dogs or easy chicken recipes like:
Or pair it with Grilled Chicken Drumsticks and Oven Baked Chicken Drumsticks for a heartier meal.
❄️ Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
This mac and cheese doesn’t freeze well—the texture just doesn’t hold up.
To reheat, cover and warm gently in the microwave or oven until hot and creamy. Stir in a splash of milk if it looks dry.
👍 Other Mac and Cheese Recipes
Love this one? Try these other easy options:
- Oven Baked Mac and Cheese
- Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese
- Roadhouse Mac and Cheese
- Crock Pot Mac and Cheese with Uncooked Pasta
- Chili Mac.
Each one is beginner-friendly and full of flavor—just like this stovetop version.
📖The Recipe Card with Step-by-Step Instructions
Creamy Stovetop Mac and Cheese for Two
Video Slideshow
Ingredients
- 1 cup elbow macaroni
- 1 cup milk
- 1½ teaspoon butter
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon dry mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup shape cheddar cheese - or Velveeta
Step-by-Step Instructions
Simmer the pasta in milk and spices
- In a small, nonstick saucepan, combine 1 cup of milk, 1½ teaspoons of butter, ½ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon of black pepper, ¼ teaspoon of paprika, and ¼ teaspoon of dry mustard. Add 4 ounces (about 1 cup) of elbow macaroni.
- Bring to a light simmer over medium heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Keep uncovered and stir frequently for about 15-18 minutes, until the pasta is tender and the liquid is mostly absorbed.✅ If the pasta is tender but there’s still too much liquid, pour off most of it. If the liquid is nearly gone but the pasta isn’t tender yet, add a splash of milk and continue cooking.
Add the cheese
- Remove from heat. Add the cheese, cover, and let it melt. Stir and serve hot.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- Most small pasta shapes work—avoid very quick-cooking types.
- The endpoint of cooking pasta is that it is tender but not overcooked, and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
- If there is still significant fluid when the pasta is tender, drain some of the fluid.
- If the pasta is not tender and the liquid is almost gone, add a little more milk and simmer for a short while longer.
- Use any cheese you like—shred your own for the best melt.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Originally Published December 20, 2012. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
RG says
Easy and good. Thanks for sharing this. We added some leftover bbq meat which gave it a little something extra. i might even add spinach next time.
C. Matusiak says
In the instruction number 4, and also the recipe steps before the recipe, it says "When the pasta is tender, and the milk mostly absorbed, add 1 cup of cheese (your choice), remove from heat and cover for minutes."
Would that be a few minutes, 10 minutes, or what? I'm one that follows a new recipe exactly the first time around and would like this missing piece of information.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi,
Welcome to the blog.
A "few minutes" here means 2-3 minutes only until completely melted and able to be combined. I'm not cooking the cheese which I find makes it stay creamier.
Hope that helps.Thanks for asking and the rating.
Dan
Charlene says
Thank you Dan - it is a very clear response - I agree, it has to be the milk. I am going to try this recipe one more time with regular milk - the picture of it looks so good!
Charlene says
Hi Dr. Dan,
I have made this recipe twice now and have been disappointed with the results. I think it is because I am using Lactose Free milk - the mac and cheese tastes like it has sugar in it as a result. I am going to try it one more time with regular milk to see how it goes because usually your recipes are great! Just thought I would pass the info on about Lactose Free milk.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Charlene,
Sorry it didn't work well but it may be the milk.
A brief doctor discussion. All dairy has sugar called lactose. Lactose is what is called a disaccharide which is two molecules of sugar (glucose and galactose) stuck together. Most people have an enzyme called lactase to break the lactose in half so you can absorb it. If not broken up, it will ferment in the intestine and produce gas and diarrhea. So one molecule of lactose becomes two molecules of other sugars. You body detects the sweetness by number of molecules not weight. So lactose from milk has been pretreated with the emzyme lactase doubling the number of sugar molecules and making it sweeter.
I know, clear as mud but I must have explained it a thousand time to people with lactose intolerance.
So if the problem to your taste is sweetness, it probable is the milk. Otherwise maybe a different recipe.
Dan