Lazy one-pan mac and cheese for one: one burner and about 30 cm of counter
One-pan mac and cheese for 1 serving takes about 17 minutes in one pan on one burner, and the free counter is about 30 cm wide. Butter goes in first, then the dry pasta, then milk and a splash of water, lid on. The cheese waits in a mug and goes in off the heat. The board's only job is to grate that cheese.
1 serving · 1 burner · 30 cm of counter · about 17 min
The order: what comes out when
With one free surface you cannot take everything out at once. Each line is one round: out of the fridge or cupboard, onto the board, into the pan, and the counter is free again.
- Out: pan, butter → Pan: 1 tbsp butter (1 min)
- Out: pasta → Pan: 100 g elbow macaroni (1 min)
- Out: milk, mug, salt → Pan: 200 ml milk, 100 ml water, 1/4 tsp salt → Waits: the milk, back in the fridge (3 min)
- Out: nothing new (11 min)
- Out: cheese → Board: Grate the cheese straight into the empty mug. That is the board's whole career tonight. → Waits: grated cheese in the mug (while it simmers)
- Out: black pepper → Pan: 40 g grated cheese, black pepper (1 min)
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp (about 15 g) butter · fridge
- 100 g elbow macaroni or other short pasta · cupboard
- 200 ml milk · fridge
- 100 ml water · tap
- 1/4 tsp salt · cupboard
- 40 g, grated cheddar or other hard cheese · fridge
- a few grinds black pepper · cupboard
Gear
- One burner: One hob ring or a plug-in single induction burner. Induction needs a pan with a magnetic base.
- One deep pan with a lid: 24-26 cm (10 in) across and at least 5 cm deep, so 100 g of pasta plus the milk fit without climbing out.
- One cutting board: About 30 x 20 cm. It comes out once, to grate the cheese, then it goes to the sink. The free counter beside the burner is about 30 cm wide.
- One knife, one spoon, one mug: The mug measures the water, then holds the grated cheese on the windowsill. The spoon stays in the pan.