Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese
Real cheddar sauce built from a roux and folded through elbow macaroni.

- Serves
- 4
- Total time
- 25 min
- Cost per serving (United States)
- $11.70
Ingredients
- 12 oz elbow macaroni
- 10 oz block cheddar cheese
- 2 1/2 cup whole milk
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
Method
Boil the macaroni in salted water until just tender, then drain.
Grate the cheddar. Grating from a block melts far more smoothly than pre-shredded.
Melt the butter in the empty pot over medium, whisk in the flour, and cook 1 minute.
Slowly whisk in the milk and cook 4 to 5 minutes until it thickens enough to coat a spoon.
Take the pot off the heat and whisk in the cheese a handful at a time, then the Dijon, salt, pepper, and paprika.
Fold the macaroni back in and serve immediately, while it is still loose.
What this costs, country by country
Each figure is the ingredients for the full recipe at prices read in that country’s own shops, in its own currency. Nothing here is converted from dollars.
| Country | Whole recipe | Per serving | Priced from |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $46.80 | $11.70 | 9 of 9 ingredients |
| United Kingdom | £27.61 | £6.90 | 9 of 9 ingredients |
| Australia | $56.84 | $14.21 | 9 of 9 ingredients |
| New Zealand | $81.40 | $20.35 | 9 of 9 ingredients |
| Egypt | ١٬١٤٨٫٥٩ ج.م. | ٢٨٧٫١٥ ج.م. | 9 of 9 ingredients |
| Canada | $113.79 | $28.45 | 9 of 9 ingredients |
| Spain | 30,19 € | 7,55 € | 9 of 9 ingredients |
| Greece | 38,93 € | 9,73 € | 8 of 9 ingredients |
| Mexico | $667.83 | $166.96 | 7 of 9 ingredients |
| Germany | 13,19 €* | 3,30 € | 4 of 9 ingredients |
| Austria | € 25,16* | € 6,29 | 4 of 9 ingredients |
* We have read fewer than seven in ten of these ingredients in that country, so the total is a partial figure and the real one is higher.
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