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    Home » Side Dish Recipe » Easy Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese

    Published: Jan 11, 2016 · Modified: Jun 2, 2020 by Ajoke

    Easy Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe
    an overhead photo of mac and cheese in a ramekin and beside it is the same food in a pryex bowl

    Did someone say cheese or is it macaroni and cheese you are saying, yeah cheese and plenty of it? Lol, so I have been converted to a cheese addict since my daughter started nursery. She wouldn't eat any meal from school if it doesn't have cheese in it. She has managed to eat curry and vegetable successfully since this post. lol

    So I stepped up my game too, and now make her food more fun other than what she would usually get from school. Macaroni and cheese is comfort food, it is creamy with plenty of yummy cheese, more importantly, it is very easy to whip up. In order for this mac and cheese to tick all the boxes for me, I added some smoked ham and pepper

    I love me some mac and cheese and it can either be made on the stove top or baked. I always prefer the stovetop meal to the baked one but hey, if any recipe calls for cheese you can bet my daughter and I would be the first to say yes, please. Come on and let’s cook...

    mac and cheese with peppers in a small blue ramekin

    Ingredients

    400g pasta of any shape

    300 – 400g of grated cheddar cheese

    Salt

    Seasoning (optional, I am Nigerian and we add boullion to almost everything)

    1 green bell pepper

    1 red bell pepper

    Ham (optional)

    500ml milk

    Crushed chilli flakes

    1tbs veg oil

    2tbs flour

    How to make stove top mac and cheese

    Wash the peppers, de-seed and cut into tiny cubes, set aside till you are ready to use

    Cut the ham into small pieces and set aside till you are ready to use

    Place the pasta in a pan, cover with enough water, add salt and bring to boil till al dente, drain and set aside

    cooked macaroni in a colander

    Prep the peppers

    Place a pan to medium heat, add the diced peppers and stir fry for about 2 minutes. Follow by the bouillon if using, crushed chillies and chopped ham and fry for another 4 minutes till pepper is soft and still crunchy.

    chopped ham and peppers in a pot

    To make mac and cheese

    Add the milk to a pan and bring to boil on low heat for about 5 minutes, mix the flour with water to form a paste, then add the flour paste to the milk and whisk till its lump free and creamy texture is achieved

    Add the cheese to the milk mixture and continue to whisk till its lump free and very creamy and cheesy. Keep an eye at this point as the mixture can thicken up quickly. once you are happy with the consistency of the cheese mixture, reduce the heat or take it off the heat completely before the next step

    Follow by the drained pasta to the cheese sauce and mix to combine and all pasta covered with the sauce. Go on to add the stir fry and mix with the pasta till evenly coated. Serve warm immediately. There you have it, yummy, cheesy, comforting and super easy

    If you loved this stove top mac and cheese recipe then you might also love this Cheese and tomato pizza.

    Print Recipe
    5 from 3 votes

    Stove Top Mac and Cheese

    This stove top mac and cheese is so good and easy to make, I added some ham and peppers to take it up a notch. This is ready under 30 minutes
    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Cook Time15 minutes mins
    Total Time25 minutes mins
    Course: Dinner, Main Course, Side Dish
    Cuisine: American, British
    Keyword: macaroni and cheese, stove top mac and cheese
    Servings: 4
    Author: Ajoke

    Ingredients

    • 400 g pasta of any shape
    • 3 cup cheddar cheese grated
    • Salt optional
    • bouillon cube just a little for taste, optional
    • 1 green bell pepper
    • 1 red bell pepper
    • 1 cup chopped Ham optional
    • 500 ml milk
    • 1 tsp Crushed chilli flakes
    • 1 tbsp veg oil
    • 2 tbsp flour

    Instructions

    • Wash the peppers, deseed and dice into tiny cubes, set aside till you are ready to use
    • Cut the ham into small pieces and set aside
    • Place the pasta in a pan, cover with enough water, add salt and bring to boil till al dente, drain and set aside
    • Place a pan to medium heat, add vegetable oil and heat for 1 minute. add the diced peppers and stir fry for about 2 minutes, add bouillon (if using), crushed chillies, chopped ham and cook for another 4 minutes till pepper is soft and still crunchy.
    • To make mac and cheese
    • Add the milk to a pan and bring to boil on low heat for about 5 minutes, mix the flour with water to form a paste, then add the flour paste to the milk and whisk till its lump free and creamy texture is achieved
    • Add the cheese to the milk mixture and continue to whisk till its lump free and very creamy and cheesy. Keep an eye at this point as the mixture can thicken up quickly. once you are happy with the consistency of the cheese sauce, reduce the heat or take it off the heat completely before the next step
    • Add the drained macaroni to the cheese sauce and mix to combine and all pasta covered with the sauce, add the stir fry and mix with the pasta till evenly coated. Serve warm immediately. 
    Up close shot of mac and cheese with ham and pepper

    Super yum you'd say... Don't forget to tag me your food photo on Instagram or leave a comment if you recreate this easy stovetop macaroni and cheese recipe.

    Ajoke xx

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Queen says

      August 13, 2019 at 5:10 pm

      5 stars


      I just tried this (with a modification here and there) and I am blown away! It’s so easy, yummy and creamy, my partner and I love it. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Ajoke says

        August 15, 2019 at 6:54 pm

        Yay! Happy to hear you enjoyed it and thanks for the feedback

        Reply
    2. Esther says

      February 03, 2019 at 5:16 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Ajoke. Thanks for this recipe. I hope to try it soon. I would like to know, can the ham be substituted for chicken or beef?

      Reply
      • Ajoke says

        April 08, 2019 at 2:07 pm

        Hi Esther, thanks for stopping by. Yes, you can substitute the ham for chicken or beef. I hope to hear back from you when you try the recipe

        Reply
    5 from 3 votes

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    Hello, my name is Ajoke, and welcome to my food world,  I love to cook in my lively little kitchen. Join me in the adventure of cooking what we all call warm, hearty, and quick meals...

    More about me →

    Hello, my name is Ajoke, and welcome to my food world,  I love to cook in my lively little kitchen. Join me in the adventure of cooking what we all call warm, hearty, and quick meals...

    More about me →

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