Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe
A blend of cream cheese, half and half, and 3 types of cheese make this the creamiest baked mac and cheese EVER.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Makes: 10 - 12 servings
Ingredients
- 16 oz elbow pasta (uncooked)
- 8 oz gruyere, grated by hand
- 8 oz sharp cheddar, grated by hand
- 4 oz fontina, grated by hand
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 cups half and half
- 8 oz full-fat cream cheese (brick-style)
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- kosher salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 400 F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with 2 tablespoons of the softened butter. Place the baking dish on a baking sheet and set aside.
- Boil the pasta. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta to just shy of al dente. The pasta should still have some bite to it. This process is usually 2-3 minutes shy of the package instructions. Drain and rinse your pasta with cold water. If you do this step in advance, toss the pasta with a little oil to keep it from sticking.
- Grate the cheese. Use a box grater to grate the cheeses. Don't use pre-shredded cheese.
- Make the sauce. Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan and once the butter is hot, add the onions. Cook until the onion is soft. Add the spices and dijon and the half and half and warm until it's steaming. Do not let it come to boil!
- Blend. Pour the contents of the saucepan while still hot into a blender with the cream cheese and blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Layer the pasta. Set aside 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese. Layer in the pasta and cheese in the prepared baking dish, alternating between the two so so that everything is well-mixed. Pour the sauce over the pasta and cheese and stir lightly to combine. Top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake. Place the baking dish and baking sheet in the oven and bake at 425 F uncovered for 15-18 minutes, until hot and bubbly and the cheese is browned on top. If the cheese hasn't browned, use the broiler set to high to finish browning the top.
Notes
To store: Let leftovers cool before covering tightly and storing in the fridge. Mac and cheese will last up to 4 days, noting that it will lose some of its creaminess over time. I do not recommend freezing this dish.
To reheat: Stir in a little bit of milk or cream and microwave partially covered with plastic wrap. Stir often as it reheats. You can also reheat it on the stovetop with a bit of cream or milk.
