The ultimate mac and cheese recipe for the holidays: Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese! Pasta is tossed into a velvety, rich cheese sauce made with warm fall spices & 3 types of cheese, finished with cheese on top, and baked until bubbly & perfect. Let’s be honest, Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese is the side we all reach for first!

To me, it’s not a holiday or Thanksgiving table until there’s a dish of hot, bubbly, and gooey mac and cheese. It’s taken me a lot of time to perfect this recipe so that the end result is ultra creamy and full of flavor. Baked mac and cheese is tricky to get right, but this recipe is truly fool proof! There’s no messing around with roux and the sauce gets made in the blender. I know you’re probably thinking I sound crazy, but give it a shot and you won’t be disappointed!

Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese: The Best Side Dish

This homemade Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese is savory, rich, creamy & decadent. Perfect for the best cozy dinner this fall, or to serve as a festive side dish at Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving! While this recipe is a great side dish, it’s also a rich and cozy main dish that you can enjoy all year long.

Baked mac and cheese.  It’s nearly the universal comfort food, and there are SO many variations!  In fact, I almost didn’t post this recipe, as there are SOOOO many mac and cheese recipes available. Of course, there’s no “right” way or “wrong” way, so I’m here sharing the way I like to make my mac and cheese and hopefully you’ll like it too!

Instead of making a roux on the stovetop which can be time consuming, the sauce for this Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese comes together in the blender. Cream cheese, half and half, onions, butter, and spices make the sauce base. Cream cheese makes the sauce extra creamy and keeps it from breaking and getting lumpy. Al dente pasta is layered with 3 types of cheese and smothered with sauce and baked to crispy, cheesy perfection. If you’re looking for an even easier mac and cheese recipe, try my 5-ingredient Stovetop Mac and Cheese!

A QUICK, IMPORTANT NOTE:

Something important to acknowledge before we jump into the details of this recipe is the cultural significance of mac & cheese throughout the South, & especially for the Black community. While this creamy baked mac and cheese recipe is inspired by the soulfulness of serving mac and cheese with a holiday meal, this recipe is by no means an attempt at being an authentic soul food dish.

For real-deal soul food Southern mac and cheese, check out this recipe from Quin of Butter be Ready! Quin’s recipe calls for four kinds of cheese, yielding the most perfectly ooey-gooey baked mac and cheese with a browned crust.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

Delicious – Like I said, this recipe is fantastic! This incredible cheesy pasta is the perfect holiday side dish or a comforting main dish. It’s loaded with savory flavors and will be your new go-to mac and cheese recipe!

Family and crowd favorite – Any Mac and Cheese is a family favorite, especially during this time of year! The secret is getting your hands on the best recipe! This recipe can become a tradition and food-proof recipe to pull out anytime.

Easy vegetarian side dish – With Thanksgiving and Christmas being sort of meat-heavy holidays, I love having a couple of vegetarian sides for my guests. This Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese recipe is so, so good!

How to Make Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese

This is an easy side dish recipe that you’ll turn to over and over again!

Tools Needed

• Blender
• Cheese Grater
• Saucepan
• 9×13 Baking Dish

Ingredients and Substitutions

• 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 options.
• Cheese. The most important part! I used a mix of sharp cheddar, gruyere, and freshly grated parmesan. But 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.
• Butter. Butter for greasing the baking dish, and for sautéing the onions.
• Onion. I love yellow onion here for 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.
• 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 Process

1. Boil the pasta. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta to 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.
2. Grate the cheese. Use a box grater to grate the cheeses. Don’t use pre-shredded cheese.
3. Make the sauce. Melt 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!
4. 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.
5. Layer the pasta. Grease the baking dish well with the remaining butter. Layer in the pasta and cheese, alternating between the two so so that everything is well-mixed. Leave some cheese for topping the mac and cheese. Pour the sauce over the pasta and cheese and stir lightly to combine. Top with the remaining cheese.
6. Bake. Place the baking dish on a baking sheet to prevent spillage and bake at 400 F uncovered for 35 minutes.

Tips & Tricks for the Best Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese

1. Grate your own cheese. I know it’s an additional step but so worth it. It makes a huge difference to shred the blocks of cheese yourself using a food processor or boxed grater. Pre-shredded bags of cheese contain a white powdery substance called cellulose. That anti-caking agent prevents the cheese from having that ultra creaminess level.
2. 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.
3. Salt your pasta water. This is the only opportunity you have to season the pasta itself! You don’t want bland mac and cheese, so make sure to season your pasta water well.
4. Mix your cheeses. There are a lot of options for cheeses, but choose your cheeses wisely! A mix of great melting cheeses and flavor cheeses are necessary. This recipe calls for sharp cheddar, Gruyere, and Parmesan for the optimal flavor combination.

Customizing Baked Mac and Cheese

This is an easy recipe to customize to your tastes! I love this Baked Mac and Cheese recipe as is, but here are a few ways to jazz things up:

1. Add fresh herbs. You can totally kick things up with some fresh herbs like thyme, chives, rosemary, sage, or parsley.
2. Swap the pasta. Elbows are classic here, but you could use cavatappi, shells, or even lumache which is like a shellbow combination!
3. Add bacon. Bacon makes everything better right? Stir in some crispy bacon pieces to add a smoky, savory flavor.
4. Top with crispy onions. Tis the season of crispy fried onions! If you find you have some leftover from your green bean casserole, top this Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese with crispy onion bits!
5. Add veggies. Add some diced fresh jalapeño for a bit of spice! You could also add some sautéed bell peppers, or caramelized onions.
6. Top with crispy bread crumbs. For a bit of extra crunch, try toasting bread crumbs in butter and topping your mac and cheese before baking.

What to Pair with Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese

Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese is such a versatile side dish! This is a dish you can enjoy all year long. Some of my favorite recipes to enjoy with it:

• REVERSE-SEARED PRIME RIB
• HERB ROASTED CHICKEN
• DRY-BRINED TURKEY
• APPLE-CIDER BRAISED PORK SHOULDER
• ROAST CHICKEN PICCATA
• RED WINE BRAISED BEEF
• PORK CHOPS FLORENTINE
• Bourbon Glazed Ham

Storage Instructions

Any leftovers need to be refrigerated and covered tightly.  Mac and cheese can be stored this way for 3-4 days. Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese will lose a little bit of creaminess from being refrigerated.  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.

More Side Dish Recipes

CARAMELIZED ONION POTATOES AU GRATIN
SAUSAGE AND FENNEL STUFFING
Parmesan Creamed Corn
HONEY PUMPKIN ROLLS
Homemade Green Bean Casserole

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