Mac And Cheese Without Milk

Why You'll Love This Recipe:

• This mac and cheese recipe is smooth and creamy, and you would never know it didn't have milk.
• Do not think this recipe is dairy-free because it is not because it has cheese and sour cream in it.
• Homemade mac and cheese is better than the boxed ones you can buy and just as easy to make.

Ingredients In This Recipe

The printable recipe further down the page has the complete list of ingredients, including quantities and step-by-step instructions.

Pasta - Use short pasta like elbow macaroni, straight macaroni, small shells, penne, or farfalle rather than long spaghetti or linguine because these are easier to eat with a spoon.

Sour cream was used as a replacement for milk because it gives a similar creaminess to the mac and cheese as milk does but with a slightly tangy flavor. 

Cheese - use a matured sharp cheddar cheese or use your favorite cheddar.

Water - we used the pasta water and chicken stock powder, but you could replace this with vegetable or chicken stock.

Butter and flour - are used to create a roux that helps thicken the cheese sauce.

Salt and pepper - add these to taste after mixing the cheese into the sauce because cheese is salty.

Seasonings - garlic powder and mustard

Garnish (optional) - a simple topping can be made with a small amount of breadcrumbs, butter, and freshly chopped parsley.

Step By Step Instructions

Make the topping

Step 1 - Melt butter in a small fry pan over medium heat add the panko breadcrumbs and stir to evenly coat the crumbs in the butter.

Stir frequently until the crumbs turn a medium brown color, as soon as you see the breadcrumbs browning, turn off the heat.

Keep stirring as they continue to change color. Remove from the pan, and mix in the parsley.

Cook the pasta

Step 2 - Cook the macaroni according to the package directions. Drain the pasta reserving the ¼ to ½ cup of water.

Make the sauce

Step 3 - (Image a) Place the butter, flour, and onion powder into a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat, constantly whisk until the butter has melted and the mixture begins to bubble and cook the roux for one minute.

(Image b - d) Reduce the heat to low, whisk in a small amount of water to create a smooth paste, add a little more water while whisking to create a smooth paste, and repeat until all the water has been added. 

Step 4 - Mix in the sour cream, chicken stock powder, salt, pepper and constantly stir over medium heat until the mixture thickens to the consistency of heavy cream. Turn off the heat, and stir in the mustard. 

Step 5 - Gradually mix in small amounts of the cheese until it is completely melted. Season to taste with salt.

Step 6 - Combine the pasta and cheese sauce. Serve hot.

Recipe Notes

Don't overcook the sauce

Don't overheat the sauce because it can split and become grainy. If it does it won't look that nice but it will still taste fine.

Recipe Tips

Home grated cheese

Grate your cheese rather than buying shredded cheese because it melts better. 

Depending on the brand, some pre-shredded cheese won't always melt well because they are coated in a noncaking agent to keep them separate in the bag.

Serving Size

This recipe serves 6. One cup or 200 grams (7 ounces) is a serving size.

Calories Per Serve

There are just over 444 calories per serve.

Serving Suggestions

• You can eat mac and cheese by itself.
• Serving it with steamed broccoli or cauliflower, roasted vegetables, mixed buttered vegetables, or simple salads.
• Serve it as a side to main dishes like roasted chicken, barbequed, or grilled meats. 

Substitutions

Besides sour cream, there are other milk substitutes you could use in mac and cheese, you could use:

• Cream
• Cream cheese
• Mascarpone cheese
• Cream Fraiche 
• Evaporated milk
• Yogurt
• Milk powder
• Unsweetened and unflavoured plant milk, like soya milk, rice milk, oat milk, cashew milk, coconut milk, or almond milk.

Just keep in mind when using some of these alternatives, they do taste different from dairy milk, and these differences will be noticeable in the finished dish.

Variations

Richer sauce

We used ½ a cup of sour cream, but if you wanted a creamier sauce, you could use 1 cup of sour cream and reduce the water by ½ a cup.

Use a different cheese

Cheddar cheese is not the only cheese you can use in mac and cheese try one of these either on their own or in combination:

• Parmesan cheese
• Gruyere
• Mozzarella
• Brie
• Smoked cheese
• Goat cheese

Make Baked Mac and Cheese Without Milk

To make a baked no milk mac and cheese:

1. After making the recipe without making the topping, transfer the mac and cheese to a casserole dish.
2. Sprinkle over the uncooked panko breadcrumbs and a little extra cheese.
3. Bake in a pre-heated 180°C (350°F) oven for about 15 - 20 minutes or until the top has browned.

Storage

Refrigeration - Cooled leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for about 2 -3 days.

Freezing - To freeze, put the cooled mac and cheese into freezer-safe bags or containers, label, date, and freeze for up to three months.

How to thaw - Remove the mac and cheese from the freezer and thaw in the fridge overnight or defrost it in the microwave oven on the defrost cycle.

Reheating

Reheat in the microwave oven or in a saucepan on the stovetop over low/medium heat.

If reheating it on the stovetop, add a little water to the sauce because the pasta would have soaked up most of the sauce making it thick and dry.

When the pasta is hot taste it for seasoning adding a little more salt, pepper, or stock powder if necessary.

Frequently Asked Questions