Skillet Mac and Cheese

Easy, cheesy and delicious, skillet mac and cheese is a well loved family favourite.  Straight from the stovetop to the oven for a quick broil to crisp the breadcrumbs and melt the cheese topping, this one pot pasta dish is perfect for weeknights!

Is there anything more comforting than a big plate of cheesy creamy noodles?  Homemade mac and cheese is a family favourite and I specifically love this skillet version because it makes this classic dish more accessible for a weeknight meal.  A quick sauce, one pot for cooking and serving, and just a few minutes under the broiler instead of baking in the oven for 30 minutes or more.

I use smoked white cheddar in this recipe because I love the extra level of flavour that it brings to the dish, but if your not that into that kind of thing feel free to use any kind of cheddar (or semi-hard cheese) you like!  Gouda, Havarti, and gruyere are also good options here.

The ONLY thing I insist on is that you buy block cheese and shred it yourself!  Pre-shredded cheese is coated with cellulose to prevent it from clumping and because of that it will not melt well.

How to make Skillet mac and cheese

Start with a big pot of boiling and well salted water to cook your noodles.  I used rotini here because I like the shape and how it grips the sauce, but you can use your favourite pasta here.  Tubular pasta and other pasta with 'grip' work well in this recipe.  I only wouldn't suggest spaghetti, linguini or any other long skinny pasta.

While your pasta cooks according to package directions, heat a cast iron skillet to just below medium heat.  If you do not have a cast iron skillet you can use any other skillet that can transfer from the stovetop to the oven.

Add the butter to the skillet and allow it to melt.  Once the butter has melted, add the flour and using a wooden spoon stir the butter and flour together until they have come together and formed a roux.

Start adding the milk bit by bit to the roux while stirring constantly with a whisk.  Adding the milk slowly will help to keep the sauce from getting lumpy.

When all the milk has been added to the pan and mixed into the roux, add the Worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard and 8 of the shredded cheddar cheese.  Reserve the last 2 ozs of cheese for topping when broiling the pasta.

Whisk the sauce until the cheese has all melted then add the pasta and stir to coat.

Combine the breadcrumbs with the melted butter.  I use a small bowl to melt the butter in the microwave before adding the breadcrumbs, but you can also use a small pan on the stove for this if you like.

Spread the breadcrumb mixture across the top of the skillet then do the same with the remainder of the shredded cheddar cheese.

Put the skillet in the oven under the broiler and broil for 3-4 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the breadcrumbs are toasted.

Dietary Considerations

This recipe for easy bean salad is suitable for the following diets:

• vegetarian

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More Easy Pasta You'll Love

If you like this recipe for skillet mac and cheese, you might want to check out some of our other easy weeknight pasta recipes:

• Spaghetti gorgonzola
• Smoked salmon carbonara
• Basic tomato sauce - this fresh pasta sauce is an amazing simple pasta dish when paired with spaghetti or linguine!

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