The Best Macaroni & Cheese Recipe
This Mac and Cheese is a family favorite recipe, loved by children and adults alike. It uses a combination of cheeses melted into a rich and creamy sauce, for the ultimate cheesy deliciousness! Ideal for a hearty dinner or as a holiday side dish!
Prep Time8 minutes mins
Total Time15 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: mac & cheese, mac and cheese, macaroni and cheese
Servings: 8 people
Author: Lama
- 16 oz elbow macaroni noodles
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3 cups whole milk
- 2 oz cream cheese
- 2 cups medium sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 cups Colby and Monterey cheese shredded
- ¼ cup Swiss and Gruyere cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Boil a pot of water, add a little salt, pasta and cook for 8 minutes then strain.
Meanwhile in a large saucepan on low / medium heat melt butter, then add the flour and whisk together until smooth. After that, slowly add the milk, whisking to combine.
Add in the cream cheese, shredded Colby and Monterey cheese and the Gruyere cheese. Whisk until creamy.
Gently fold in the cooked elbow pasta. Serve immediately and Enjoy!
Top Tips
Cook pasta until it's al dente (firm). Otherwise, the noodles will cook more in the sauce and will become mushy.
Salt the pasta water. This really makes a difference in the flavor of the pasta.
Shred the cheese by hand because pre-shredded cheese contains additives to keep it from clumping together which affects the way it melts.
For more flavor to this mac ‘n cheese, you can add 2 teaspoons of garlic powder and a dash of paprika or ground nutmeg.
A great way to keep the macaroni extra creamy is to place the finished macaroni and cheese in a baking dish, top with more cheese of choice. Bake for 8 minutes at 350F then broil for 2 minutes until the top is golden.
THE BEST WAY TO KEEP MAC AND CHEESE CREAMY - Cook your noodles in milk instead of water. So for this recipe you will cook your noodles with 2 cups heavy cream and 3 cups whole milk. This helps to create a very creamy consistency since the starches of the noodles are released into the milk when cooked.
