
Stop every half cup or so and whisk to make sure the flour isn’t clumping. When adding your milk, pour it in a thin steady stream whisking it in as you pour. The flour and butter should be a deep golden and very thick. Let your flour cook in the butter for a minute or two before very slowly adding your milk.

It’s easy to want to add your milk directly after whisking in your flour but that won’t give it the proper time it needs to thicken your cheese sauce. So that you don’t have to overthink things I went ahead and tested 11 versions and here’s what I learned along the way: Eat it from the pot, eat it with a spoon. The kind you can bring to a friend who is under the weather, to a potluck, one you can make for a dinner party or for a night in by yourself. The no fuss straight forward good macaroni and cheese. The kind that brings back childhood memories. I wanted to skip baking and make the creamiest, dreamiest stove-top mac & cheese.

At its best it’s creamy and smooth, simple and straightforward, and makes you question whether you need a fork or spoon. An ideal mac & cheese shouldn’t be complicated.
