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I have been working on my Creamy Mac & Cheese for years and finally nailed down the perfect recipe! So many people love this recipe because you don’t need to make a roux, and you do not need an egg. This recipe is a guaranteed show-stopper at any event because it is creamy and cheesy but also drop-dead gorgeous- I mean, look at her. 😉
It’s the side dish my family fights over every Thanksgiving, and you can assemble it up to two days ahead, so it’s the easiest holiday win on your table. Scroll down for my make-ahead plan and how to scale it for a crowd.
P.S. If you love this recipe, please leave a review at the bottom of this page.
Table of Contents
- Why everyone loves this Recipe
- Tips for making the perfect Cheese Sauce
- Watch Me Make It (and follow @themoodyfoody)
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- Substitutions and Recipe Variations
- How to make Baked Macaroni and Cheese
- Making Mac and Cheese for Thanksgiving
- What to Serve with Mac and Cheese
- FAQ
- Creamy Mac & Cheese Recipe
Why everyone loves this Recipe
It’s easy- A huge part of the reason I developed this recipe is that many home cooks struggle with making a roux. It does take practice, and if you don’t cook out the flour long enough or if your liquid ratio is off, your cheese sauce will come out too thick. The roux step made my original recipe very intimidating, and I always strive for easy recipes that anyone can make, regardless of experience.
It’s creamy– The inside of this Mac and Cheese is so deliciously creamy and moist! When trying different Mac and cheese recipes, I found that even the ones that nailed the creaminess had a dryer sauce.
It’s cheesy- The cheeses I chose are appropriate because they have a balance of flavors and melt nicely. A cheese pull is mandatory, especially if you bring this to Thanksgiving dinner or a family potluck!
Tips for making the perfect Cheese Sauce
Buy Good Cheese
Buy the good stuff (if you can). If you’re trying to budget, I would suggest shopping at Aldi as they have amazing cheese options for affordable prices. Personally Tillamook is my cheese of preference. The cheese is perfectly salted and melts wonderfully.
Grate your own cheese- Store bought shredded cheeses contains cultures and preservatives that prevent the cheese from melting properly and change the taste of the cheeses. Not only are cheese blocks usually a lot cheaper than pre-shredded cheese, you’ll get better flavor and texture if you grate your own. This is a non-negotiable step.
Take your time- Although this is an easy recipe, it’s not a recipe I would suggest rushing through. Follow the steps slowly to ensure the best possible outcome. I mean, the ingredients aren’t cheap- do it right!
Watch Me Make It (and follow @themoodyfoody)
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Pasta: 1½ boxes (24 oz) of elbow macaroni. Cavatappi works too.
- Four cheeses: sharp cheddar, Colby jack, Gouda and mozzarella, all freshly grated. Plus cream cheese (optional) for extra creaminess.
- Heavy cream and salted butter: this is the base of the no-roux cheese sauce.
- Seasonings: salt, chicken bouillon, onion powder, ground mustard, white pepper and adobo.
Full amounts are in the recipe card below.
Substitutions and Recipe Variations
Make it without Heavy Cream- Don’t have heavy cream? No problem! Use evaporated milk instead!
Make it with another noodle- Don’t have elbows? Use cavatappi!
Make it with pre-shredded cheese- While I highly recommend using freshly grated cheese, it’s perfectly fine to use pre-shredded cheese, freshly grated just melts better!
Make it Keto- If you’re keto, this is the perfect recipe for you. Swap the macaroni noodles for boiled cauliflower!
How to make Baked Macaroni and Cheese
- Grate your cheeses. Divide into 3 parts
- Boil your noodles.
- Make your cheese sauce
- Mix your noodles with your cheese sauce. Save some cheese sauce for layering.
- Add half your noodle sauce to a 13×9 Baking Dish, layer some cheese sauce and shredded cheese on top of half the noodles and then add the rest of the noodles on top. Repeat this process, your final dish should have a fully covered shredded cheese top.
- Bake your four cheese Mac & Cheese at 350 degrees until cheese is fully melted. This should be about 20-25 minutes. Broil on high until you have a bubbly golden brown top.
Making Mac and Cheese for Thanksgiving
Make it ahead: Assemble the whole dish (noodles, sauce and the cheese top) up to 2 days before, cover it tightly and refrigerate. Take it out about 30 minutes before baking, and expect it to need a little longer in the oven than the recipe card says since it starts cold. Broil at the end for that golden top.
Feeding a crowd: One batch fills a 13×9 dish and serves 8. For a big Thanksgiving table, double it and bake two 13×9 dishes side by side instead of one deep pan, so it heats evenly and everyone gets some of that cheesy top.
Oven space: Bake it while the turkey rests. It goes in at 350°F, the same oven you just used for the bird.
What to Serve with Mac and Cheese
- Roasted Cajun Butter Turkey and Turkey Gravy from Drippings
- Honey Butter Cornbread or Cornbread Dressing
- Fresh Green Bean Casserole and Southern Fried Cabbage
- Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Crumble
- For Christmas: Orange Glazed Ham or Pernil
FAQ
My Cheese sauce is watery! What should I do?
Add more of your reserved cheese or continue to allow your cheese to melt while stirring. Your sauce will also thicken up over time
Can I make this recipe ahead of time?
Yes! You can make this recipe up to two days before and save the baking part before serving!
Can I make this recipe in the crockpot?
Yes! Use the recipe the same way and add all of your ingredients to the slow cooker on low heat until the top layer of cheese is melted.
How do I reheat leftovers so they stay creamy?
Add a splash of heavy cream or milk, cover with foil and warm at 350°F until hot. In the microwave, stir halfway through.
Why is my cheese sauce gritty?
The heat was too high. Keep the sauce on low while the cheese melts, and grate your own cheese, since pre-shredded cheese has coatings that stop it melting smoothly.
If you love this recipe, check out all my holiday recipes and side dishes!
Please leave a star rating for this recipe if you enjoyed it 🙂
Creamy Mac & Cheese
Equipment
- 1 Cheese Grater
Ingredients
- 1.5 box/lb macaroni noodles 1 box and a half! 24oz of noodles in total!I also love to use cavatappi noodles for this recipe!
- 16 oz sharp cheddar freshly grated
- 16 oz Colby jack cheese
- 8 oz Gouda
- 8 oz mozarella cheese
- 6 cups heavy cream
- 4 tbsps salted butter
- 4 oz cream cheese optional
- 2 tsps salt
- 2 tsp chicken bouillon
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp ground mustard
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp adobo
Instructions
- Grate your cheeses using the large shredder and set them aside. If you come across any small chunks that are too petite to grate, be sure to save them!
- Cook your macaroni noodles following the instructions on the package. Enhance the water with chicken bouillon for added flavor.
- In a spacious sauce pot, melt butter on low heat, and gradually pour in the heavy cream. Whisk the mixture smoothly.
- Start incorporating approximately 50% of your shredded cheeses until well blended. Introduce cream cheese last, allowing the cheese to melt and simmer on low heat. Season with spices and taste to perfection.
- Combine your elbow noodles with the cream sauce, tossing in the small extra chunks of cheese. Aim for a creamy, wet mixture that produces a satisfying sound when mixed.
- Transfer the mixture into a 13×9 baking dish, starting with half of your noodles. Layer with a light coating of cheese sauce and your shredded cheese mix. Add the remaining noodles and finish by topping with a generous layer of shredded cheese. If more cheese is needed for the top, opt for cheddar or Colby jack.
- Bake at 350 degrees until the cheese is melted.
- Broil for 2 minutes at the end for a nice golden brown top
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made this mac and cheese some time ago, and it is still one of my favorite things
This recipe is perfect! I use it as a base and love adding different toppings like chicken or lobster. It tastes amazing with everything!
Loved making this recipe! It’s simple, fast, and also delicious!
My friend recommended this recipe, and I couldn’t believe its easy it was!
Can’t wait to try yours other ones
this was good af, you always have the best recipes!
I tried making this for the first time tonight for dinner, and it came out perfect!
This is my new Mac & Cheese recipe!
truly amazing and delicious
my husband says that i trapped him with this recipe lol
I like using Pepper Jack instead of Colby but everything about this recipe is bomb.
Love this recipe!!
This recipe was a hit in the Wallace household over the weekend!
I’m probably going to make it again soon since it was that gooood.
I give this recipe 5 stars by all means! BUTTTTTT…. I did make a few changes. This will be staple recipe for sure! But I liked it more for being used as a seafood Mac and cheese. My alterations were as follows:
For the salt instead of 2t I added .
.1t regular salt
.1t Cajun
. 1t Cajun All Purpose
. 1/2t Tony’s
Added= 1/2t Smoked paprika
Instead of the 6 cups of cream I used the 32oz and 16oz cartons.
Added 2 eggs
Both layers of noodles after being layered I lightly and Imean very lightly sprinkled each layer.
This was the creamiest and richest I’ve ever made. That heavy cream gives it a whole other level of fancy. I love this recipe. This will only be used in holidays!! Lol! And seafood add in’s! I’m with the other comment about Patti’s. No shade! But this one is Devine. I hate Mac and cheese using Velveeta! Ijs!