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Quick and Easy Macaroni and Cheese Recipe for One
I love finding recipes that are quick & easy, like this one pot mac & cheese recipe. It’s as easy as our Weight Watcher’s Spinach Tortellini Soup! You’re going to love it… enjoy!
Our kids’ love Macaroni and Cheese (so do I!). I’ve done both the boxed mac & cheese and I’ve made homemade mac & cheese. The issue that I have with the boxed kind is that if the kids don’t eat it all… it’s terrible when it’s saved. Leftover boxed macaroni & cheese is just awful. So… I throw it away.
When I make homemade mac & cheese, it just tastes better, it’s great to eat the next day, and I know exactly what’s going into the recipe. (It works well to send to school, too. I’ll pack it in a little thermos for our son for his lunch… he’s the only one of our four kids that requests that I send him a hot lunch instead of a sandwich, so I’m happy to send it along!)
This recipe is perfect because I always have the ingredients on hand – nothing fancy, just the things that you would keep at home on a daily basis. Plus, I love that I can make it all quickly and without using a bunch of pots or dishes, so I have less to clean when I’m done.
This recipe takes about 5 minutes to prepare and around 8-12 minutes to cook, so your start-to-finish time is around 17 minutes.
Ingredients needed for Quick and Easy Macaroni and Cheese Recipe for One:
- ½ cup macaroni (can use Gluten Free Pasta)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (can use Gluten Free all-purpose flour)
- ½ cup milk of your choice
- ½ cup shredded cheese of your choice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: pinch of paprika and cayenne pepper
Directions for Quick and Easy Macaroni and Cheese Recipe for One:
Start by boiling your water. You want to lightly salt the water and let it come to a rolling boil before you add the macaroni noodles. Cook them according to the directions on the box. (While I’ve never made my own noodles, my brother does… and he said that it is much easier than I think.)
Next, while the pasta is cooking, start on your sauce in a separate pan.
Noodle Tip: If you want to only have one pot, just cook the noodles first. Drain them & use that same pot for this part. I’ve also boiled noodles in large batches & froze them in one-serving-size Zip-top bags. When I want to use them, I just thaw them in the microwave. So easy!
Sauce Directions:
Melt the butter in a separate small saucepan over medium. Once the butter has melted, whisk in the flour and cook until mixture thickens – about 1 minute. Next, you will pour in the 1/2 cup of milk and continue to whisk it, for about three minutes, to keep a smooth consistency.
When the mixture is thicker and bubbly, you’ll remove the pan from the heat.
Add the shredded cheese and stir. When the pasta is done, drain it and fold it into the cheese sauce until it is completely coated.
Serve warm.
Optional: You will probably want to add want to add salt & pepper (to taste). You can also toss in a pinch of paprika or cayenne pepper if you want a little extra kick. I like it better without these extra spices, but Beau, our son, loves it when I add these spices. (He also adds hot sauce!)
Quick and Easy Macaroni and Cheese Recipe for One
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- ½ cup macaroni can use Gluten Free pasta
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour can use Gluten Free all-purpose flour
- ½ cup milk of your choice
- ½ cup shredded cheese of your choice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: pinch of paprika and cayenne pepper
Instructions
Directions:
- Bring a small saucepan of lightly salted water to a rolling boil. Add macaroni and cook according to box directions.
- While pasta cooks, melt butter in a separate small saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in flour and cook until mixture thickens – about 1 minute. Pour in milk and continue to whisk to keep a smooth consistency until mixture thickens and bubbles (about 3 minutes).
- Remove pan from heat and stir in shredded cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add (optional) pinch of paprika and cayenne pepper, and stir.
- Drain pasta once cooked and fold it into the cheese sauce until completely coated. Serve warm.
Notes
More Recipes You Might Like:
Pepperoni & Eggs (perfect for one)
