So, when I was in college, we bought an entire flat of generic mac&cheese in a box from some discount store for my off-campus housing. So I ate a lot of mac & cheese from a box. Of course, I ended up adding lots of stuff to it ... milk, some real cheese, veggies, spices ... to the point where I doubt I was saving any money. And later moved on to "maccheroni al forno" a fancier, tasty casserole version.
But the gooey Kraft-style mac&cheese does still have some serious appeal. As does getting a main course done in less than 15 minutes using one pot. Kenji delivers:
http://www.seriouseats.com/2017/01/the- ... heese.htmlMind you, it's actually five ingredients (salt and water), but that's still damn simple.
This is a slightly upscaled version of Kraft, with real cheese and a lower salt content. It's very rich, so you don't need as much as you might think, and since it's a ratio formula (equal parts cheese, pasta, and evaportated milk) you can scale it up or down within reason. A couple of tips if you make this:
* Use a non-stick pot with a heavy bottom. The dairy tends to stick and scortch on the bottom of the pot.
* Scoop out any leftovers before they are cold, as it also sets rather firmly.
* Smoked cheddar makes for a really nice flavor.