What makes a great mac and cheese? For me, it’s one that’s creamy, cheesy and full of flavor. I’d never been able to find a recipe that checks all the boxes and unfortunately mac and cheese had fallen down on my list of favorite foods.
Until now! I was determined to create a recipe that encompassed all of my favorites. It had to be:
Creamy – In my experience a baked mac and cheese can lend to a dry mac and cheese and nobody wants that!
Cheesy – Along with creaminess, it needed to be cheesy. It’s obviously essential.
Flavor – And last but most certainly not least, flavor. This was one of the most important factors to me. Even if it was the creamiest, cheesiest dish I’d ever had, if it wasn’t flavorful it was a no go.
So I set forth to create a macaroni and cheese that was all of those things and I think I succeeded! The extra cherry on top is the baked aspect of this dish. Creamy on the inside with a slight crust of baked cheese on top. Yum!
This creamy baked macaroni and cheese is a perfect side for your next holiday dinner as well as for dinner on any night of the week.
Ingredients:
- Elbow Macaroni (or you can use small shells if you prefer)
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- Gouda Cheese
- Velveeta Cheese
- Whole Milk
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Olive Oil (drizzle)
- Butter
- All-Purpose Flour
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Paprika
How to Make Creamy Baked Mac & Cheese:
Preheat your oven to 350º.
Boil a (salted) pot of water for your elbow macaroni. Once boiling, cook til al dente (a minute less than the box instructions.) When done, drain, and transfer to a large bowl. Drizzle pasta with olive oil and stir to coat to ensure noodles don’t stick together. Set aside.
Shred both 8 oz. blocks of cheese and cube 8 oz. of Velveeta cheese. Combine the shredded cheeses but keep the cubed cheese separate.
Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat.
Once melted, add in flour and whisk until thick, golden, and bubbly.
Gradually, whisk in the heavy cream and milk. Whisk until thickened and bubbles have formed on the surface.
Once thickened, add in the seasonings – salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika and whisk.
Add in half of the cubed Velveeta and 1.5 cups of the shredded cheese. Whisk until melted and smooth.
Add in remaining cubed cheese and another 1.5 cups of the shredded cheese. Whisk until melted and smooth.
Turn heat to low.
Stir in your cooked elbow macaroni and stir to fully incorporate.
Pour your macaroni and cheese into a greased baking or casserole dish. I used a 9×13 baking dish.
Top with remaining shredded cheese, distributing evenly.
Bake until melted and bubbly, approximately 30 minutes.
Once bubbly, turn your oven to broil. Broil for 1-3 minutes, or until the top has formed a nice golden color. Check starting at one minute to ensure it doesn’t burn.
Remove from oven and enjoy!
Creamy Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 16 oz. elbow macaroni
- olive oil drizzle
- 8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese block
- 8 oz. Gouda cheese block
- 8 oz. Velveeta cheese
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 3 cups whole milk
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup butter 1 stick
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º.
- Boil a (salted) pot of water for your elbow macaroni. Once boiling, cook til al dente (one minute less than the box instructions.) When done, drain, and transfer to a large bowl. Drizzle pasta with olive oil and stir to coat to ensure noodles don’t stick together. Set aside.
- Shred both 8 oz. blocks of cheese and cube 8 oz. of Velveeta cheese. Combine the shredded cheeses but keep the cubed cheese separate.
- Melt butter in a large pot on the stove over medium heat.
- Once melted, add in flour and whisk until thick, golden, and bubbly.
- Gradually, whisk in the heavy cream and milk. Whisk until thickened and bubbles have formed on the surface.
- Once thickened, add in the seasonings – salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika and whisk.
- Add in half of the cubed Velveeta and 1.5 cups of the shredded cheese. Whisk until melted and smooth.
- Add in remaining cubed cheese and another 1.5 cups of shredded cheese. Whisk until melted and smooth.
- Turn heat to low.
- Stir in your cooked elbow macaroni and stir to fully incorporate.
- Pour your macaroni and cheese into a greased baking or casserole dish. I used a 9×13 baking dish.
- Top with remaining shredded cheese, distributing evenly.
- Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until melted and bubbly.
- Once done, turn your oven to broil. Broil for 1-3 minutes, or until the top has formed a nice golden color. Check starting at one minute to ensure it doesn’t burn.
- Remove from oven and enjoy!
