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Microwave Macaroni and Cheese in a Mug

4.43 from 683 votes
In a time crunch? My microwave macaroni and cheese is quick to whip up and calls for just a few ingredients, making this mug recipe a fan favorite.
By Gemma Stafford | | 711

Last updated on May 10, 2022

Make mac and cheese at a moment's notice with my mug recipe.

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Hi Bold Bakers!

Microwave Macaroni and Cheese in a Mug may change the way you make this family favorite forever! My macaroni and cheese recipe is made with real ingredients and ready in a few microwave minutes. Say goodbye to those dried macaroni boxes because from here on out you can make your mac and cheese cheaper, faster and better.

How To Cook Mac and Cheese in a Mug

My homemade mac and cheese can be mixed and cooked in a single mug. Many people are amazed that you can cook pasta quickly and easily in the microwave. If you are, then you might be blown away that you can add three other ingredients to make a delicious cheesy sauce.
Using just milk, cheddar and cornstarch, you can make this rich mug meal in no time.

Microwave Macaroni and Cheese in a Mug, with a sprig of parsley on top.

This mug recipe is perfect for lunch or dinner and will even work really well as a filling snack. To save you even more time, make your Microwave Macaroni and Cheese the night before and microwave the next day.

What a bite of Microwave Macaroni and Cheese in a Mug looks like, perfect for dorm room cooking.

Get 100 more Mug Meals on my Mug Meals Collection Page!

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Watch The Recipe Video!

Microwave Macaroni & Cheese in a Mug

4.43 from 683 votes
Print Recipe
In a time crunch? My macaroni and cheese is quick to whip up and calls for just a few ingredients, making this mug recipe a fan favorite.
Author: Gemma Stafford
Servings: 1
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
In a time crunch? My macaroni and cheese is quick to whip up and calls for just a few ingredients, making this mug recipe a fan favorite.
Author: Gemma Stafford
Servings: 1

Ingredients

  • ⅓ cup (28g/1oz) pasta
  • ¾ cup (175ml/6fl oz) water, cold
  • 4 tablespoons milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch (aka cornflour)
  • 4 tablespoons cheddar cheese , grated
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  • In a large microwavable mug or large bowl add in the macaroni and the water. You need a large mug as the water will boil up.
  • Microwave for roughly 3 ½ minutes. You want the pasta to be fully cooked. (Timing is based on my 1200w microwave so your timing might vary)
  • Pour off the remaining cooking water.
  • Stir in the milk, cornstarch and shredded cheese and microwave for a final 60 seconds to create your sauce. Stir well, season with salt and pepper and enjoy.

Recipe Notes

Cooking time will vary greatly depending on your microwave and the width and depth of the mug.
Always keep a close eye on your mug while in the microwave so it doesn’t overflow or overcook.
Nutrition Facts
Microwave Macaroni & Cheese in a Mug
Amount Per Serving (1 Recipe)
Calories 183 Calories from Fat 51
% Daily Value*
Fat 5.7g9%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.9g
Cholesterol 12mg4%
Sodium 231.1mg10%
Potassium 9.3mg0%
Carbohydrates 22.9g8%
Sugar 2.9g3%
Protein 8.9g18%
Calcium 90mg9%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

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Paul
Paul
3 years ago

i discovered you through tasty’s chef out of water series and found this recipe of yours. this is probably the fifth time i’ve made mac and cheese through this recipe now, just because the end result is so perfect and delicious! at first i didn’t add cornstarch because i didn’t have any, but now that i did it’s so much better. i even shared this with some of my friends. thanks so much for the wonderful recipe!

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Pranjal Gupta
Pranjal Gupta
3 years ago

Hi Gemma
I really liked your recipe,but I just want to ask you that can I use mozzarella cheese instead of cheddar cheese bcoz it is not easily available in my country

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Gemma Stafford
Author
Gemma Stafford
4 years ago

Hi,

Unfortunately you can’t use regular flour as it will likely not cook out and taste floury. If you don’t haven’t cornstarch you can just leave it out but note it will be a little thinner.

Best,
Gemma.

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Carolyn Smith Moorman
Carolyn Smith Moorman
3 years ago

Gemma, this is a fabulous recipe!! I had to sub brown rice pasta because it’s what I had in the pantry. This is tasty, tasty, tasty!!! Thank you for all the hard work you put into your Bigger Bolder Baking blog! You are the best! xo

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Madison Edwards
Madison Edwards
3 years ago

Has no taste

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Emily Lynch
Emily Lynch
4 years ago

I love Mac and cheese and this recipe seemed to be quick and easy way to make my favorite meal. But after I cooked the cheese milk and corn starch everything separated. There was milky soup at the bottom and giant clumps of cheese through out.

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Ryleigh
Ryleigh
5 years ago

This turned out great! I’m always a little hesitant when it comes to making mug meals because they can be hit or miss, but I really like this one! It ended up taking me about 11.5 minutes to cook the pasta properly, using a rather thick ceramic bowl (in case others are using the same type of bowl and struggling to figure out how long to cook the noodles). I also had to add a little extra water about half way through. I found that the key to getting it the right consistency was to add some extra cheesy after… Read more »

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Marie
Marie
3 years ago

This recipie is hard for people who have a micowave with a low amount of wattes. I had to leave my pasta in the micowave for around 8mins as it was not cooking or cooking really slow, even then after 8mins it was still not proply cooked. It took so long that it would of been easier for me to cook it on my stove top. That was disapointing, but overall the mac and cheeses is amazing, the sauce is really tasty, it tastes exactly like real mac and cheese. I will definetly be making it again, but I am… Read more »

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Sarah Edwards
Sarah Edwards
3 years ago

TTthis was delicious but since I have to eat gluten free I used rice macaroni. I imagine this is why it took 8 minutes to cook the macaroni.

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Claire Rawn
Claire Rawn
4 years ago

Can you mention what size of mug you’re using….my mug recipes turn out looking like muggettes as they usually take up only 1/3 of the mug when cooled (I’m using 12 oz ). Sauce on Mac and cheese is great but it’s hard to cook macaroni in less time than stove top at 1000w

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About Us

Meet Gemma

About Us

Meet Gemma

Hi Bold Bakers! I’m Gemma Stafford, a professional chef originally from Ireland, a cookbook author, and the creator of Bigger Bolder Baking. I want to help you bake with confidence anytime, anywhere with my trusted and tested recipes and baking tips. You may have seen one of my 500+ videos on YouTube & TikTok or as a guest judge on Nailed It! on Netflix or the Best Baker in America on Food Network. No matter your skills, my Bold Baking Team & I want to be your #1 go-to baking authority.

 

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