Mac and Cheese In A Mug is a deliciously cheesy TikTok trend that everyone’s running to the kitchen to make! And the best part? It only takes 5 minutes and a handful of ingredients!
Want to skip the microwave mac and cheese? Check out my Best Ever Creamy Mac and Cheese or Crock Pot Mac and Cheese instead for a bowl of classic homemade mac and cheese!
This Mac And Cheese In A Mug is a quick way to snag a single serving of creamy, cheesy goodness! Thanks to TikTok for spreading this trend quicker than it takes to make it, there’s now an easy, cheesy recipe that fits everyone!
Looking to skip mealtime battles with your kids? Mug mac and cheese. Settling into the dorm after a party? Mug mac and cheese! Getting home late from work and don’t want to cook? You guessed it! Macaroni and cheese in a mug!
All it takes is just a handful of ingredients, 1 minute of prep, and 5 minutes of cooking before you’re holding a mug of comfort food in your hands! You can even get super fancy and add in some crumbled bacon or chopped-up jalapenos!
Ingredient Notes
Luckily most of these viral recipes have short ingredient lists, making it relatively easy to try a taste of the trends everyone’s talking about! For this mug mac and cheese you’ll need:
- Short Pasta – I used elbow macaroni, but you can also use penne, rotini, or medium shells.
- Water – For cooking the pasta!
- Salt – This helps increase the boiling point of the water while also adding a slight flavor to the pasta.
- Cheddar Cheese – Triple cheddar, mild cheddar, sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese.
- Parmesan Cheese – Adds another cheesy flavor to this mug meal!
- Milk – I used whole milk but feel free to use what you have on hand!
- Salted Butter – This is where my recipe differs slightly from the TikTok version. The addition of butter is perfect in this mac and cheese recipe making the sauce even smoother and creamier.
Once you finish off this microwave macaroni and cheese you might as well grab another mug recipe for dessert! Try my Microwave Brownie Mug Cake or Peanut Butter & Oatmeal Mug Cake!
How To Make Mac and Cheese In A Mug
- Add water, pasta, and salt to a large mug.
- Microwave for 4 to 4 1/2 minutes.
- Stir in the cheese, milk, and butter then continue microwaving until the pasta is tender and the cheese is fully melted. Season with salt and pepper, enjoy!
How Can I Avoid Overcooking The Pasta?
Just simply keep a closer eye on the pasta by stirring after each minute! Once it gets to the tenderness you prefer move on to the next step in the recipe!
Can I Use Evaporated Milk For This Recipe?
Yes you can! It will just make it much more creamier unless you do one tablespoon of water and one tablespoon of evaporated milk!
Can I Cook Two Mugs Of Mac and Cheese At The Same Time?
No, I’d recommend just cooking one at a time. Usually when you try to microwave two things at once one will cook more than the other.
Who thought delicious, fun recipes would be spreading over TikTok like wildfire? Check out more viral TikTok recipes like this Instant Mac and Cheese that you may have missed that are worth trying!
- Smoked Queso Dip (Viral TikTok Recipe) – Smoky, spicy flavor floods this appetizer that’s cooked in the smoker in just 1 hour!
- Korean Corndogs with Korean Ketchup – Hot dogs hand-dipped in a batter and then rolled in chopped-up french fries or ramen noodles for a fun food truck snack!
- Corona Sunrise (Viral TikTok Cocktail) – Made right in the bottle with beer, tequila, orange juice, grenadine, and lime juice for a citrusy, sweet tasting drink perfect for summer!
- Nature’s Cereal Recipe (All Berries) – A healthy trend that fills your cereal bowl full of fruit, ice cubes, and coconut water for a refreshing start to your day!
- Cookie Butter Latte (TikTok Starbucks Secret Menu) – This simple sweet and creamy latte comes together quickly right at home for a fraction of the cost!
Let’s Connect!
If you’ve tried this recipe, please let me know how you liked it in the comments below and leave a review. I love hearing from you!
Don’t forget to tag me – @sugarandsoulco – on Instagram and Pinterest with your photos or join our Sugar & Soul Show-offs Community and share them there, where you can join our recipe challenges!
Mac and Cheese In A Mug
Ingredients
- ½ cup short pasta such as elbows, penne, or medium shells
- ½ cup water
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- parsley optional garnish
Instructions
- Add pasta, water, and salt to a large mug and microwave for 4 to 4½ minutes.
- Remove from the microwave and stir in the cheese and milk, microwave for an additional 30 seconds or until pasta is tender and the cheese is fully melted.
Notes
- An additional 30 seconds of cook time may need to be added to both rounds of microwaving depending on the style and brand of pasta you use.
- You do not want the pasta to be completely soft before adding the cheese since you’ll need to microwave after adding the cheese and no one likes mushy pasta.
- I tested this with both elbow macaroni and penne pasta, the elbows took 4 minutes to cook before adding the cheese whereas the penned took 4 1/2 minutes.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Comments & Reviews
Janelle says
While this was meant to be easy it didn’t turn out right. I used real Shredded cheese instead of packaged. I’m not sure if that was where I went wrong or not. Needless to say I was a tad bummed.
Karen says
I was out of regular milk so I used 1/8 c of coconut milk and put that in with the 1/2 cup pasta and 1/2 cup water and salt. My mug had a lid but kind of erupted (haha) and worked out well when I added another quarter cup of water with 1/2 the recommended cheeses and no butter. Came out great with less calories. Will make again but I could easily see doing this vegan with vegan alternatives to cheese.
Mary says
This is so good and very easy to make!!!
Thank you so much
Rebecca Hubbell says
So glad you liked it!