Macaroni and cheese is an all-time classic! This creamy shells and cheese is packed with everything you love about macaroni and cheese, with the perfect pasta shape to hold all the cheesy goodness! The best part? This is a stovetop shells and cheese - No ovens needed! If oven baked mac and cheese is your jam, though, I've got you covered with my baked cavatappi bacon mac and cheese, too!
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👩🏽🍳Why This Recipe Works
A comforting classic: Mac and cheese is an all time favorite, whether you are feeding tiny toddlers or looking for a bowl of warm comfort on a cold night. This creamy shells and cheese mac is the perfect stovetop recipe, that will transport you to a warm and cozy world instantly!
Stovetop recipe: There are plenty of delicious oven-baked mac and cheese recipes, but sometimes you just want the classic no-fuss stovetop version. This is like your favorite boxed mac and cheese, but even better.
No fancy cheeses required: We all love a gourmet macaroni and cheese recipe, but this recipe is not here to satisfy that craving. You do not need to head out to the specialty grocery store to get the cheeses you need for these creamy shells. In fact, you probably already have exactly what you need.
🥘Ingredients
- Sharp yellow and white cheddar: I always recommend opting for a sharp cheddar cheese, as the flavor will always come through in a cream-based sauce. Milder cheeses sometimes get lost in the mix, which can also cause the cream sauce to be on the blander side.
- Medium-sized shells: Shells are the pasta shape of choice for this recipe, as they are the perfect envelope to hold the cheese sauce in every bite. I recommend avoiding the super small shell pasta, as they do not tend to open up as much, which is a missed opportunity for a cheesier bite.
- Whole milk: Whole milk tends to have a fat percentage over 3%. It has more richness than standard 2% milk, but still keeps things slightly lighter than using all half and half cream, or heavy cream.
- Half and half cream [not pictured]
A full list of ingredients with measurements is located on the recipe card, below.
📖Substitutions
- Shell pasta: Instead of using shell pasta, feel free to use any shape pasta you prefer. I recommend using a tubular pasta, or one with ridges, so that it keeps the sauce in the crevices of the pasta. Spaghetti or other long pastas are not ideal.
- Cheeses: You can substitute any cheese you prefer, in this cheese sauce. I recommend using melting cheeses to avoid a grainy cheese sauce. Cheeses like monterey jack, pepperjack, gruyere, or gouda are all great examples of melting cheeses.
- Whole milk: You can use half and half cream, or heavy cream instead. Keep in mind that the sauce will be much richer if you use all half and half, or heavy cream.
- Mustard powder: If you do not have any mustard powder on hand, a spoon of dijon mustard is a great substitute.
🔪Variations
- Vegetable-heavy: Add in sun-dried tomatoes and spinach to make this a little more nutritious! Broccoli is also the perfect addition to classic shells and cheese.
- Smokey & meaty: Add in some crisped bacon for a smokey, meaty twist!
- Baked: Transfer to a greased baking dish and top with breadcrumbs and more cheese, for a crunchy baked version!
⏲️ Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep Work Before Cooking
Collecting all your ingredients - This will make cooking so much easier. Gather all the spices you will need, and keep them nearby.
Boil water - Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Once the water is boiling, salt liberally.
Shred the cheese - Shred the yellow and white cheddar cheese using a box grater or grater attachment on a food processor or stand mixer.
In a pot of salted, boiling water, boil the shells until al dente. Drain the cooked pasta, and set aside. You do not need to keep any pasta water before draining.
In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Once the butter is melted, sprinkle in the all purpose flour. Combine together, and let it cook through for 1-2 minutes, or until the flour is a medium-blonde colour. [photo 1]
Add the whole milk and half and half cream to the pot in a slow stream while whisking vigorously, and let it come to a simmer. Continue to stir consistently. As it heats, the sauce will thicken. Once the milk has come to a thicker sauce consistency, add your spices. [photos 2 & 3]
Reduce the heat to low. In small portions, add the cheese to the sauce. Add a small handful amount, stir to combine, and repeat until all the cheese is mixed in. Once the cheese has melted, add the pasta, and combine well. [photo 4]
💭 Expert Tips
Use freshly grated cheese: Pre-shredded cheese is a fantastic time saver, however shells and cheese is not the recipe to use it for. Most pre-shredded cheeses are coated in anti-caking agents, which also makes your sauce a little gritty. You will always get better results with freshly shredded cheese.
Use full fat cheese: Another common reason why cheese sauces turn out gritty is because of lower fat cheeses. Low fat or fat free cheese does not melt the same way as their higher-fat counterparts, and tend to become clumpy and grainy.
Reduce your heat: When you are ready to add the cheese to your bechamel (white) sauce, reduce your heat to low. Lower heat will allow the cheese to melt more evenly, giving you a nice and silky smooth cheese sauce.
🍽 Make Ahead & Storage
Because this shells and cheese recipe is entirely cream-based, it is best enjoyed fresh.
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat leftovers in the oven or in the microwave.
If you find that the sauce has gotten thicker or a little dry, add a little bit of milk before heating it up.
I do not recommend freezing leftover mac and cheese. The texture of the sauce is very likely to change when defrosted.
⭐ Recipe FAQs
To prevent lumps in the cheese sauce, be sure to gradually whisk the milk and cream into the roux. You also want to add the cheese slowly in small batches, stirring continuously until fully melted.
There are a few factors that can change the thickness of your cheese sauce. Factors include the amount of flour used in the roux and the cheese-to-milk ratio. To adjust the consistency, you can add more milk or cream to thin it out. You can add more cheese to thicken it.
📝More Pasta Recipes
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Creamy Shells and Cheese
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Sharp cheddar cheese - grated
- ½ cup White cheddar cheese - grated
- 1 cup Whole milk
- 1 cup Half and half cream
- ½ teaspoon Garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion powder
- ½ teaspoon Mustard powder
- 2 tablespoon All purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon Butter
- 1 lb Medium shells pasta
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Once the water is boiling, salt liberally.
- In a pot of salted, boiling water, boil the shells until al dente, or until they are cooked through with a slight bite to them. Drain the cooked pasta, and set aside. You do not need to keep any pasta water before draining.1 lb Medium shells pasta
- In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Once the butter is melted, sprinkle in the all purpose flour. Combine together, and let it cook through for 1-2 minutes, or until the flour is a medium-blonde colour.2 tablespoon Butter, 2 tablespoon All purpose flour
- Add the whole milk and half and half cream to the pot in a slow stream while whisking vigorously, and let it come to a simmer. Continue to stir consistently. As it heats, the sauce will thicken. Once the milk has come to a thicker sauce consistency, add your spices.1 cup Whole milk, 1 cup Half and half cream, ½ teaspoon Garlic powder, ½ teaspoon Onion powder, ½ teaspoon Mustard powder
- Reduce the heat to low. In small portions, add the cheese to the sauce. Add a small handful amount, stir to combine, and repeat until all the cheese is mixed in. Once the cheese has melted, add the pasta, and combine well.1 ½ cups Sharp cheddar cheese, ½ cup White cheddar cheese
✱Recipe Notes
- Use freshly grated cheese: Pre-shredded cheese is a fantastic time saver, however shells and cheese is not the recipe to use it for. Most pre-shredded cheeses are coated in anti-caking agents, which also makes your sauce a little gritty. You will always get better results with freshly shredded cheese.
- Use full fat cheese: Another common reason why cheese sauces turn out gritty is because of lower fat cheeses. Low fat or fat free cheese does not melt the same way as their higher-fat counterparts, and tend to become clumpy and grainy.
- Reduce your heat: When you are ready to add the cheese to your bechamel (white) sauce, reduce your heat to low. Lower heat will allow the cheese to melt more evenly, giving you a nice and silky smooth cheese sauce.
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