Macaroni and Cheese for One

There are some recipes that I love, but I don’t often eat them because it’s just me eating them. Homemade macaroni and cheese is one of them. I mean, have you looked at a recipe for mac and cheese lately? You could feed a small army with some of those recipes. But it just isn’t practical for me to make such a large recipe for one person, am I right?  So I spent decades relying on boxed mac and cheese, which, honestly, just doesn’t compare (although occasionally it is okay). And yet, I continued to miss the comfort of homemade macaroni and cheese.

So I decided to do something about it and created my own recipe! And it’s the perfect recipe for one person…woo hoo!

Now, I’m good about giving you substitutions to make recipes more accessible for those who have food intolerances and allergies. But to be honest, I’m not sure if substituting gluten-free elbow macaroni will work in this recipe or not, because I haven’t tried it. If you decide you want to take the risk to make it with gluten-free ingredients, then be sure to use some brown rice flour or arrowroot powder as your thickener instead of wheat flour.

And you can certainly substitute a non-dairy milk in place of conventional milk. Have at it…and enjoy this little cup of comfort! I hope it makes your heart as happy as it makes mine!

Macaroni and Cheese for One

This classic dish now available for one person!

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Servings: 1 serving

Course: Side Dish

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1/4 cup elbow macaroni l. Substitute 2.5 ounces of any other pasta shape.
• 1 tbsp butter
• 3 tsp whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese shredded
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/8 tsp ground mustard optional
• 1 pinch garlic powder optional

Method

 

1. In a medium saucepan cook the pasta according to package directions.
2. Once the pasta is done cooking, transfer it to the strainer or a separate bowl
3. Add the saucepan back to the burner and melt the butter over medium heat.
4. Mix the flour in. When it's fully mixed it will have a paste-like texture. This will take at least 30 seconds.
5. Add the milk in slowly, Whisk it into the butter and flour mixture so that any lumps have been broken up. Stir continuously until the mixture begins to thicken and bubble. This can take anywhere from 3-5 minutes.
6. Remove the pan from the stove and add the cheddar cheese and stir until it's completely melted.
7. Add the pasta back into the pan and stir thoroughly until the cheese is fully coating the pasta. Enjoy!

Notes

This recipe is best eaten right away.