I make this creamy mac and cheese recipe whenever I’m craving comfort food. It’s rich, cheesy, and oh-so-delicious! Actually, I’m all about extra creamy mac & cheese, so I use a mix of cheeses, heavy cream, and whole milk. YUM!
Creamy Mac And Cheese
This old-fashioned mac & cheese is my family's favorite dinner; we love it SUPER creamy and rich.
To make the best cheese sauce, I use equal parts of butter and flour to make a roux, which will thicken the cheese sauce; I also, make sure the sauce is smooth and lumps-free before mixing it with the cooked pasta.
This recipe is simple: cook the pasta, make the cheese sauce, and mix them together. You can serve it right away, or you can take an extra step like I do and bake it for just 15-20 minutes. I bake it just to get a crispy top.
You'll Need
Dried macaroni: I use elbow pasta. I also made this recipe with shells and cavatappi, and they were both good.
Cheese: I use sharp cheddar and mozzarella cheese. I also don't prefer to buy pre-shredded cheese. Instead, I shred them myself. However, I highly recommend using high-quality cheese for better flavor.
Seasonings: Salt, black pepper and garlic powder.
For the roux: I use unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, heavy cream and whole milk.
Tip: if you don't want to use heavy cream, you can replace it with milk.
Find the quantities in the recipe card.
How To Make The Recipe
Step 1: Cook the pasta in boiled salted water according to the package instructions (I prefer to undercook for 1 minute because it will continue cooking in the oven) and then drain.
Step 2: In a large pot, melt the butter, whisk in the flour, and cook for 1 minute or until light brown.
Step 3: While whisking, pour in the milk and heavy cream, and KEEP WHISKING until smooth and the sauce thickens.
Step 4: Turn the heat to low and stir in the cheddar and mozzarella cheese gradually (keep a handful to sprinkle on top) until melted. Season with salt, black pepper and garlic powder.
Step 5: Stir in the cooked pasta until mixed well with the sauce, then turn off the heat.
Step 6: Spoon the mixture into a 9x12-inch baking dish, sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top and bake in the oven at 350F (180C) for 15-20 minutes or until golden (DON'T OVERBAKE).
More Pasta Recipes
I hope you like this recipe! Follow Recipe Tale on Pinterest or subscribe to our newsletter to keep up-to-date with all new recipes.
Recipe
Creamy Mac And Cheese Recipe
Equipment
- Pot
Ingredients
- 1 box dried elbow macaroni ,( 500g)
- 1 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese , grated
- 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese , grated
- 5 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 5 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk , warm
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in boiled salted water according to the package instructions (I prefer to undercook for 1 minute) and then drain.
- In a large pot, melt the butter, whisk in the flour, and cook for 1 minute or until light brown.
- While whisking, pour in the milk and heavy cream and KEEP WHISKING until smooth and the sauce thickens.
- Turn the heat to low and stir in the cheddar and mozzarella cheese (keep a handful to sprinkle on top) until melted. Season with salt, black pepper and garlic powder.
- Stir in the cooked pasta until mixed well with the sauce, then turn off the heat.
- Spoon the mixture into a 9x12-inch baking dish, sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top and bake in the oven at 350F (180C) for 20 minutes.
Comments
No Comments