The One-Pot Stop: Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese

by Bethany Imondi

Earlier last week I had one of those days. My heart felt broken, my eyes could not stay awake and no amount of caffeine could break me from my slump. As the day went on, the jingle of a popular blue box of macaroni and cheese came into my head. With the words, ” I’ve got the blues” playing in my head, I began craving a rich, indulgent cure for my heartache. Rather than succumbing to the blue box, I searched through my food blogs to find a recipe that would distract me long enough in the kitchen. Once I stumbled upon White on Rice Couple’s One Pot, Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese I knew I had found a remedy.

Because the recipe requires constant attention, it was just the thing I needed to help clear my focus. Not only does it use only one pot, but also the lack of baking means it can be enjoyed on even the hottest summer days. The recipe is also flexible enough so that it can be prepared with various combinations of cheeses. Despite the popular slogan of that specific macaroni and cheese box, making the dish from scratch on the stovetop is an easy, satisfying prescription for the blues.

Bethany Imondi, a junior studying Government and English at Georgetown University and a self-proclaimed carbohydrate queen, shuns the Atkins Diet for all its suffering. Read more…

**Recipe**

One Pot, Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese
Adapted from White on Rice Couple
Serves 2-3

I used whole grain shell pasta for this recipe, but you can easily substitute any type of large elbow macaroni.

Ingredients

2 cups large elbow or shell macaroni, uncooked
1 tablespoon butter
¼ onion, diced
2 cups of low fat milk
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup of grated cheese, any one or combination (cheddar, pepper jack, mozzarella, swiss, gruyere)

Place raw macaroni in colander and quickly rinse under water. Let drain.

In a medium saucepan, about 2 quart, melt butter over medium heat and add diced onion. Sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes.

Add milk, raw, rinsed macaroni, salt and pepper.

On medium heat, slowly bring mixture to a simmer, stirring the macaroni frequently. Stirring will separate the pasta and keep them from sticking to one another. Do not leave the stove; leaving the mixture unattended could result in an over-boiled mess.

Once mixture comes to a simmer, immediately turn heat down between medium and low. Too-high heat will evaporate the milk too quickly.

Continue to stir the mixture frequently for about 15-20 minutes, or until milk has been fully absorbed and pasta is cooked al dente. Judge to taste. If pasta is not fully cooked after this time, add a little more milk or water to the mixture. Liquid amount will depend on how much longer pasta needs to cook.

When milk has nearly evaporated and thickened, stir in cheese.

Turn off the heat and allow cheese to melt into the mixture. Add additional salt to taste. Before serving, stir one final time to mix everything together.

Recipe Index Keywords:

Categories: Campus Cooking, Eating, Featured, and Recipes.
Cooking Method: On the Stove.
Mealtime: Dinner and Late Night.
I Don't Have Any: Money.
I'm Cooking For...: Easy Dinner, Late Night Snack, Myself, and Potluck.
Type of Food: Pasta, Vegetarian, and Vegetarian Main.
I Don't Eat: Meat.