Creamy Baked Cheese Mac and Cheese
This Baked Cream Cheese Mac and Cheese is easily the BEST I’ve ever eaten! Pasta is tossed with a velvety cheese sauce made three types of shredded cheese plus cream cheese for maximum creaminess. Give it a try — you won’t be disappointed!
“This is probably one of the best mac & cheese recipes I’ve EVER had. It’s so easy to put together, and I love that you don’t have to worry about making a roux or fussing with a fancy breadcrumb topping. It’s very simple and straightforward, but has SO much flavor.” – Megan, So Much Food reader
Table of contents
My Secret to Super Creamy Mac and Cheese? Cream Cheese!
This four cheese mac and cheese is savory, rich, creamy, and decadent. It’s perfect as a cozy dinner in the fall or as a crowd-favorite side dish at Thanksgiving or Christmas!
Instead of making a roux on the stovetop — which can be time consuming — the cheese sauce comes together in the blender. Cream cheese, half and half, onions, butter, and spices make the sauce base. The cream cheese makes the sauce extra creamy and keeps it from breaking and getting lumpy.
Al dente pasta is layered with three more types of cheese and smothered with sauce and baked to crispy, cheesy perfection. This is the way I like to make my mac and cheese, and hopefully you’ll like it too!
Important Note: Mac and cheese is culturally significant throughout the South, especially for the Black community. This recipe is simply inspired by the soulfulness of serving mac and cheese with a holiday meal. For real-deal soul food Southern mac and cheese, check out this recipe from Quin of Butter be Ready!
Jenny’s Tips for the Ultimate Baked Mac and Cheese
Yep, you’ve got to grate the cheese by hand! Shredded cheeses are coated in celluose, which makes them resistant to melting and creates a grainy cheese sauce.
Don’t overcook the pasta. This is super important! The pasta will continue cooking as it bakes, and if you overcook it you’ll end up with mushy pasta. Cook your pasta until it is al dente (cooked, but firm). I usually achieve this right around 5-6 minutes, tops.
Skip the flour-based roux and make your baked mac and cheese with cream cheese. Full-fat, brick-style cream cheese thickens the cheese sauce without having to make a roux. This saves time and minimizes the dirty dishes, too!
Blend the cheese sauce to make it super smooth. Since this recipe calls for an onion for flavor, blending the sauce is a must to make it velvety smooth.
Tools Needed
The 8 Main Ingredients (+ Substitutions)
You can find the full list of ingredients, quantities & method in the recipe card at the end of the page.
- Pasta. I used classic elbows here, but you could swap in another type of pasta. Shells, cavatappi, rigatoni, or lumache (shellbows) would all be great alternatives.
- Cheese. The most important part! I used a mix of sharp cheddar, gruyere, and freshly grated parmesan. You can swap in some other options like gouda, pepper-jack, white cheddar, etc. Whatever you do, make sure to grate the cheese by hand!
- Cream Cheese. Rather than making a roux, we use cream cheese to thicken our sauce and make it extra creamy. Choose full-fat cream cheese for best results.
- Butter. For greasing the baking dish and for sautéing the onions.
- Onion. I love yellow onion here for its sweetness, but you can swap in whatever you have on hand.
- Half and half. I use half and half for this recipe, but you can use equal parts whole milk and heavy cream. Do NOT just use regular milk or else the cheese sauce won’t thicken properly.
- Spices. Garlic powder, paprika, and a bit of nutmeg give the baked mac and cheese a bit of warmth.
- Dijon. A bit of mustard is classic here and gives the sauce a nice bite.
The 4 Easy Steps to Making This Recipe
- Boil the pasta 2 to 3 minutes shy of what the package instructs. I always salt the pasta water liberally to season the macaroni from the inside out. I also suggest draining the noodles under cold water to remove some of the excess starch and prevent them from clumping together.
- Make the cheese sauce. The onions are sautéed in some butter before the spices, Dijon, and half and half are stirred in. Once hot (but NOT boiling), everything is added to a blender with the cream cheese and blended until smooth.
- Layer the pasta. To ensure your baked mac and cheese is equally creamy and cheesy throughout, alternate layering the cooked pasta with the shredded cheese until the baking dish is full. Pour the cream cheese sauce over top so it can sink into every nook and cranny, then finish with a little more cheese.
- Bake. I suggest placing the baking dish on a baking sheet just in case there’s any overflow.
Ways to Customize Your Mac and Cheese
This is an easy recipe to customize to your tastes! I love this cream cheese baked mac and cheese as is, but here are a few ways to jazz things up:
- Add fresh herbs. You can totally kick things up with some fresh herbs like thyme, chives, rosemary, sage, or parsley.
- Add bacon. Bacon makes everything better right? Stir in some crispy bacon pieces to add a smoky, savory flavor.
- Top with crispy onions. If you have some leftover from your green bean casserole, top this mac and cheese with them too!
- Add veggies. Add some diced fresh jalapeño for a bit of spice. You could also add some sautéed bell peppers or caramelized onions.
- Top with crispy breadcrumbs. For a bit of extra crunch, try toasting bread crumbs in butter and topping your mac and cheese before baking.
Serving Suggestions
Creamy, cheesy mac and cheese is such a versatile side dish that you can enjoy all year long. Some of my favorite recipes to enjoy with it include:
If you do give this recipe a try, I love hearing about it! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram.
More Favorite Mac and Cheese Recipes
- White Cheddar Mac and Cheese
- Southern-Style Baked Mac and Cheese
- Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
- Stovetop Mac and Cheese
- French Onion Mac and Cheese
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Baked Cream Cheese Mac and Cheese Recipe
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 400ºF. Grease a 9×13-inch 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 cheese 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.
Storage Instructions
- 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.
Rate & Review This Recipe
This is probably one of the best mac & cheese recipes I’ve EVER had. It’s so easy to put together, and I love that you don’t have to worry about making a roux or fussing with a fancy breadcrumb topping. It’s very simple and straightforward, but has SO much flavor.