My easy stove-top Velveeta mac and cheese is a rich and creamy comfort food delight that's irresistibly cheesy. It's a one-pot stovetop side dish that takes practically no effort to make. This family favorite dish is ready to enjoy in less than 20 minutes!
Love mac & cheese? Try my smoked gouda mac and cheese, tangy sour cream macaroni and cheese, easy instant pot mac, or microwave mac n cheese versions.
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Macaroni and cheese is a staple comfort food side dish in my house. It pairs well with practically everything, and my whole family loves it.
I'm always on the lookout for trying out new twists for mac & cheese recipes. Be sure to tell me all about your faves too!
This stovetop version of Velveeta mac and cheese is extra easy to prepare since it uses a block of Velveeta. It only takes one pot to make it, so even cleanup will be a snap.
🥘 Ingredients
- Milk - 1½ cups of milk divided into 1 cup and ½ cup portions (*see notes for recommendations or my milk substitutes guide).
- Water - 1½ cups of water.
- Onion Powder - ½ teaspoon of onion powder.
- Garlic Powder - ½ teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Pepper - ¼ teaspoon of pepper.
- Macaroni - 2 cups of dry elbow macaroni.
- Butter - 2 tablespoons of butter.
- Velveeta - ½ pound that has been cut into cubes.
- Cheddar - ½ cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
See my great mac and cheese add-ins and upgrade ideas too.
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
🔪 How To Make Velveeta Mac & Cheese
This easy recipe is beginner-friendly and only requires some stirring! You will only need one large pot, a wooden spoon, and a cheese grater, and you are ready to begin.
You'll get approximately 6 servings of ooey-gooey mac and cheese.
Step 1: Combine ingredients. In a large pot over medium-high heat, combine 1½ cups (355 milliliters) of water, 1 cup (236 milliliters) of milk, ½ teaspoon each of onion powder and garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper (photo 1). Stir these together, then add 2 cups (280 grams) of elbow macaroni (photo 2).
Step 2: Boil the Pasta. Bring the pot to a boil (photo 3), stirring occasionally. Continue boiling for 5-6 minutes or until the macaroni is al dente (meaning firm to the bite). Keep an eye on the mixture to ensure the pasta cooks evenly.
Step 3: Melt the Velveeta. Once the pasta is cooked, reduce the heat and add 2 tablespoons of butter (photo 4), stirring until completely melted.
Then, pour in the remaining ½ cup (118 milliliters) of milk and add ½ pound (226.8 grams) of cubed cheese (photo 5). Continue stirring until the cheese has fully melted and the mixture is smooth (photo 6).
Step 4: Add More Cheese. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in ½ cup (56.5 grams) of shredded sharp cheddar cheese (photo 7) until it's completely melted and the sauce is creamy (photo 8).
Step 5: Serve. Serve the macaroni and cheese immediately while it's still warm and enjoy the creamy, cheesy goodness!
🥗🥘🍲 Best Served With
This macaroni and cheese is the perfect side dish for any entree, try it with some meatloaf, Bisquick oven-fried chicken, or sloppy joes. For more ideas, check out my post on what to serve with mac and cheese. Enjoy!
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💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- I like to use higher-fat dairy to make macaroni and cheesy, giving it a richer flavor. My favorite dairy options are heavy cream or half & half (which both do well when boiled).
- This high-fat recommendation applies to your butter, too! Grab some European butter, Challenge, Tillamook, or Vermont Creamy brands. See my post on the best cheese for mac and cheese for cheese ideas.
- Make sure you reuse any leftovers to make my mac and cheese bites.
- Macaroni noodles are the classic choice for mac & cheese, but you can mix it up with other types of pasta. Penne pasta is my runner-up for making great mac & cheese! Choose your best pasta for macaroni with the help of my complete guide.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Keep your leftovers stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.
Freezing
You can freeze it, too! I like to portion out leftovers so they can be reheated in individual portions quickly.
However, you can read about plenty of options in my guide to freezing mac n cheese.
Reheating
Add a splash of milk or cream before reheating in the microwave or over medium heat on the stove. The extra liquid is necessary to return the macaroni and cheese to a creamy consistency. See my full guide for reheating mac & cheese here.
❓ Velveeta Mac and Cheese Recipe FAQs
Velveeta is technically not a true kind of cheese. It is a cheese product made from milk, whey, and whey concentrate. This type of cheese is commonly called American cheese.
I recommend buying a block of sharp cheddar and shredding it yourself. Bagged shredded cheese uses additives to help keep it from sticking together, which affects its melting abilities.
For more information, check out my post on the best cheese for macaroni and cheese.
You can add anything you like! Add in some chicken, hotdogs, or bacon for some meat. For veggies, I enjoy mixing in peas, carrots, or broccoli.
Top your mac with some Panko breadcrumbs or crushed Ruffles chips for extra texture.
🧀 More Macaroni & Cheese Recipes
- White Cheddar Mac & Cheese - Using white cheddar makes this macaroni extra rich.
- Microwave Mac & Cheese - Save yourself some time by making this tasty side dish in the microwave.
- Crockpot Mac & Cheese - Crockpot macaroni and cheese is extra simple and completely hands-off.
- Cauliflower Mac & Cheese - Check out this cauliflower mac and cheese for a low-carb alternative.
- Mac & Cheese With Hot Dogs - This kid-friendly twist can be enjoyed as a side dish or the main entree.
- Smoked Mac & Cheese - If you are cooking something in your smoker, go ahead and throw in this macaroni and cheese with it for a complete meal.
- Cracker Barrel Mac and Cheese
- Stuffed Shells with Spinach & Italian Sausage
- Stuffed Manicotti With Italian Sausage
- Baked Ziti with Ricotta & Italian Sausage
Do you love a recipe you tried? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
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📖 Recipe Card
Velveeta Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups milk (divided into 1 cup and ½ cup portions)
- 1 ½ cups water
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups elbow macaroni (uncooked)
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ½ lb Velveeta cheese (cubed)
- ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, add the first ⅔ portion (1 cup for 1x recipe) 1 ½ cups milk, 1 ½ cups water, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Stir to combine, and then add in the 2 cups elbow macaroni.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes or until the noodles are al dente.
- Next, add in the 2 tablespoon butter and stir until it is melted, then add the remaining ⅓ portion (½ cup for 1x recipe) of 1 ½ cups milk and the cubed ½ lb Velveeta cheese. Stir the pasta until the cheese melts.
- Remove the pot from the heat and add in the shredded ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese, stirring until melted.
- Serve immediately while warm.
Notes
- I like to use higher-fat dairy to make macaroni and cheesy, as it gives it a richer flavor. My personal favorite dairy options are heavy cream or half & half (which both do well when boiled).
- Make sure you reuse any leftovers to make my mac and cheese bites!
- Macaroni noodles are the classic choice for mac & cheese, but you can feel free to mix it up with other types of pasta!
- To store: Keep your leftovers stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- To reheat: Add a splash of milk or cream before reheating in either the microwave or over medium heat on the stove. The extra liquid is necessary to return the macaroni and cheese to a creamy consistency.
Ann says
Really easy to make!! I only used pepper for the spices. Followed the recipe as stated and surprised how good it was. Will be my go to for Mac and cheese. Going to try the Mac bites next.
Jean Fegley says
Can I make this in the crock pot?
Angela Latimer says
See my crockpot recipe here https://bakeitwithlove.com/crockpot-mac-and-cheese/
Twyla Hare says
In the refrigerator, how long can you store the cheese mixture without the macaroni? Would like to make a batch and then cook the quantity of macaroni that I need.
Angela Latimer says
I only suggest refrigerating cheese sauce for 3-4 days before using. I also wouldn't want to store leftovers if I had combined at the end of the storing period. Hope that helps!
Aj says
The onion and garlic was too much for me. I felt like I was eating a cheese casserole instead of mac and cheese. I had meatloaf with it and there was hardly a contrast in the flavors between the two.
Jan says
I made this in several double batch recipes for 120 kids and adults. I used precooked barely el dente then frozen pasta in gallon zip lock bags to freeze pasta.
The other ingredients were pre-measured that day for each double batch, adding 1/2 cup grated Parmesan for each double batch.
Pasta was warmed (while making the cheese sause)till almost hot in the bag in microwave, about 5 minutes, then dumped into deep foil 9x13 pan, the hot cheese sauce was poured over pasta, stirred and served. The rate of making a fresh double batch was about right to keep up with serving line ( 2 double batches were ready at time to start serving). It was a real hit. It did take 2 of us, one to cook, one to serve.
Angela Latimer says
Holy Moly! Great job!
Whitney says
I only see a total of 1 1/2 cups of milk being added in the double recipe. When is the other 1 1/2 cup added in? Thanks!
Angela Latimer says
The recipe card automation only converts the amounts, not the notes. It's a work in progress. This ingredient note: "divided into 1 cup and ½ cup portions" should be doubled when you read it to "divided into 2 cups and 1 cup portions". The remaining 1 cup is added in step 3. Thanks for asking and I'll see if I can reword it so the 2x or 3x is easier to follow.
Christie Apodaca says
My family loved this! I love how easy it is to make!
Erika says
My family loved this! I would have never thought to make homemade Mac and cheese this way. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Drea says
Made it for 6 kids and none of them liked it. 😂🤷♀️
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
My daughter hates any mac and cheese with elbow macaroni. I can use rotini or penne, or you name it - just not elbow noodles (and she isn't a fan of any mac with Velveeta, either). Go figure!
Julie says
Peut-on le congeler ? Merci
"Can it be frozen? THANKS"
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Oui. Consultez mon article ici pour connaître tous les meilleurs conseils pour congeler des macaronis au fromage. https://bakeitwithlove.com/how-to-freeze-macaroni-cheese/.
"Yes. See my article here for all the best tips for freezing macaroni and cheese."
Chantal says
Ik wil deze Mac&cheese graag maken maar waar kan ik deze Velveeta cheese vinden?
Mvg Chantal
"I would like to make this Mac&cheese but where can I find this Velveeta cheese?
Kind regards, Chantal"
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Velveeta-kaas is een merk smeltkaas, ook wel "Amerikaanse" kaas genoemd. Elk merk dat u kunt vinden, levert vergelijkbare resultaten op. Genieten!
"Velveeta cheese is a brand of processed cheese, also called "American" cheese. Any brand that you can find will yield similar results. Enjoy!"
Diane says
I'm not a natural cook and wanted to find an easy yet tasty mac&cheese recipe, and this fit my limitations and most importantly it was D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S.
I never had Velveeta but wanted to try it and it was tasty in this recipe, which I doubled to freeze for the left overs. I altered the recipe and used whole grain elbow macaroni, half and half, added 1 tsp Turmeric, and added 2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese at the end (undoubtedly too much, but it thickened the sauce. Thanks for this recipe; its really quite good.
Ashley says
So easy to make which is a huge plus for me! My husband is on a journey to find the perfect Mac and cheese and this was a top contender. It's so creamy and delicious. I did add some Slap Ya Mama for a little kick.
Barbie says
This Mac and Cheese is so, so good! And quick and easy! I’m usually more of a traditionalist with Mac and cheese … making a roux with flour and butter, no Velveeta, etc. This recipe has changed my mind!! I did add some goat cheese for some tanginess and used medium shells because that’s all I had. I did need to cook the pasta a little because of the shells, but still so good! My husband said it’s the best mac & cheese I’ve made! And he’s picky! I made it again for Easter and got rave reviews! My husband requested it again tonight so I felt compelled to leave you a glowing review! Thank you! Can’t wait to check out your other recipes!