Name: 30-Minute White Cheddar Mac and Cheese
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 pound uncooked pasta, such as cavatappi or shells; 4 cups whole milk; 8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter; 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 3 cups shredded white cheddar cheese; 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

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30-Minute White Cheddar Mac and Cheese

Kelly Senyei
9 November 9, 2020
2 Comments

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Ditch the boxed variety in favor of a quick and easy recipe for White Cheddar Mac and Cheese that will be on your table in 30 minutes or less.

Top down view of stockpot and bowl with 30-Minute White Cheddar Mac and Cheese

Few foods are as comforting and satisfying as a big ol’ pot of mac and cheese. The kind that slurps as you stir it, as a velvety smooth cheese sauce yields cheese pull after cheese pull. True Instagram-worthy stuff, if you ask me.

We mastered the sharp cheddar version and French onion version of this comfort food, so a recent purchase of way too many blocks of white cheddar meant only one thing: You get a bowl of 30-Minute White Cheddar Mac and Cheese and you get a bowl and you get a bowl!

Shredded white cheddar cheese in large stockpot

While the creamy consistency and mild taste of white cheddar may be the initial draw here, this mom of three (boys under age 5) is all about that total recipe time of 30 minutes. Yes, just 30 minutes from start to finish.

Elbow pasta in large stockpot with spatula

The setup is simple:

Boil your noodles of choice
Make your white cheddar cheese sauce
Add cooked noodles to said cheese sauce
Stir and devour

Macaroni in large pot sprinkled with black pepper

While white cheddar is most definitely the star of the cheese show, I like to also use an entire cup of grated Parmesan cheese. The salty richness of the Parm punches up the creamy tanginess of the white cheddar, making these two a match in cheese-lovers’ heaven.

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30-Minute White Cheddar Mac and Cheese

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 pound uncooked pasta, such as cavatappi or shells
4 cups whole milk
8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups shredded white cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook it until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain the pasta then set it aside.

Add the milk to a medium saucepan set over low heat. Once the milk is hot to the touch, turn off the heat and set it aside.

Add the butter to a large heavy-bottomed stockpot set over low heat. Once the butter has melted, whisk in the flour. Cook the mixture, whisking constantly, until it is pale golden in color and smells slightly toasted, about 3 minutes.

Slowly whisk in the warm milk, whisking constantly to avoid any lumps. (The mixture will become very thick then thin out slowly.)

Increase the heat to medium and continue whisking the mixture constantly until it has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Whisk in the salt and pepper.

Stir in the white cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the cheese sauce is creamy and the cheese has melted.

Stir in the drained pasta then taste and season the mac and cheese with salt and pepper. Serve.

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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.

Categories: 30-Minute Meals, Entrées, Recipes

Estimated Nutrition Information

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