Creamy Weeknight Macaroni and Cheese Recipe (2024)

Wouldn't this be better with some dry mustard and paprika?

Heavily salt the pasta water (perhaps a quarter cup of salt), then use one cup half-and-half and a cup of the pasta water instead of two cups milk.

Hey, this is my Mac and Cheese recipe! As in, I'm sure someone else put the same things together at some point, but when I posted it on my blog several years ago, I could find nothing else like it. Well, at least more people will learn that, while old-fashioned cheese sauces are great, easy is okay too.

I suggest adding some worcestershire and a squirt or two of dijon mustard.

I tamed the calorie count by starting with 1 T of cornstarch stirred into 1/4 C milk, then added the rest of the milk followed with just 4oz of cream cheese and 4 oz of cheddar. I left out the butter and instead added about 1/4 cup of grated Parmasean. I also used about half the amount of macaroni and added a sprinkling of paprika, cayenne and black pepper. It turned out creamy, rich and delicious and probably cut the calories in half

The only healthful macaroni and cheeses I've ever had were dreadful. Macaroni and cheese is not the right choice on an evening when you want to watch your fat and calories.

I like to use sour cream or greek yogurt with or instead of the cream cheese. Keeps the tangy factor up, and the calorie content down. Also some onion powder and dry mustard deepen the flavor.

A lot of people are making suggestions to improve it which I do appreciate but I think the point is that it requires only 5 ingredients that are usually in your pantry/refrigerator. I cannot wait to try it tonight because I have all of those ingredients - even the cheese!

Of course it’s delicious. Pasta, salt, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and over 1100 kcal PER SINGLE SERVING!I know I’d love it—and I’d be unable to not want more—and I’d still want to have some other meal at some point that day.

WOW! Can't believe how easy and fool proof this was. Added truffle zest because I was feeling fancy. Hubby loves mac&cheese and I always thought it was such a hassle for a no-big-deal-dish. This is a keeper. Note: The sauce will thicken SIGNIFICANTLY as it cools, so stop cooking sooner than you think.

We used to make a variation of this after late night shenanigans when we were in our 20s. It's fabulous at 2AM.

I really hate stirring milk while waiting for it to boil. Great tip: if you have an instant pot or equivalent device put the milk in the IP, cover it, and set the yogurt setting at boil (not under pressure). When it's at a boil it beeps at you. Take the lid off, set it on the simmer setting on low and proceed with the recipe by adding cheeses and butter. Total time saver.

Were any of your ingredients low or non fat? You have to have the full amount of fat to prevent cheese sauces from separating.

Agree. I so much prefer baked Mac and Cheese in any case, I don't feel I'm missing much. With a casserole, adding secondary ingredients (sausage, bacon, crab, lobster, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, etc) is a cinch. And *always* use cavatappi, if you can get it. Sooo much better at keeping its shape after baking, and not turning to paste.

Made it a second time for a charity thing. Easily doubles. Be careful not to oversalt as cheddar can vary. This time added: sauteed onions (not too much), paprika, dried mustard, some Worcestershire. Turned out great.

far too much cream cheese, that's all it tastes like

This was so tasty. I only had about 4 ounces of a really tangy cheddar, so I combined that with 8 ounces of a milder cheddar and added about an ounce of parmesan for good measure. I used 6 ounces of cream cheese and 2 ounces of plain yogurt for a boost in tanginess. I did add about 1/2 tsp mustard powder and a dash of paprika. I will definitely make this again!

I put in smoked paprika and bacon(personal preference) and it tasted amazing!!!!

My Mac & cheese loving husband approved. I saved a handful of grated cheddar to sprinkle on top and then put it in a hot oven for 15 minutes because that’s how he likes it. And I always season cheddar cheese dishes with mustard, nutmeg, and Worcestershire. Easy and delicious.

I’ve made this recipe several times, once over an open campfire in a disposable aluminum pan. It’s a go-to comfort food recipe that holds up.

Hmm… unsure where I went wrong but the cheese basically congealed. Not smooth at all. I will not be bothering with this one again.

I thought this was a great recipe to use as a base and then modify according to personal taste. I made the recipe but cut it in half. After melting the cheeses, I added about 1.5t of dry mustard, .25t cayenne, about .5t pepper, .5t paprika, a scant T of worcestershire, and 1T of Parm cheese. The end result was delicious!

Tried this compared to my usual off the noggin homemade Mac and cheese. Not a fan of the cream cheese myself

Easy and tasty recipe! I have made it as-is, with paprika, baked with some toasted breadcrumbs and it never disappoints.

This was great. Not as good as my usual recipe but half the time. My kids loved it. Sometimes easy is good. I did add some of my own seasonings to it.

This really does thicken up as it cools so don’t cook till it’s thick.

I found this to be just okay. On the plus side, you can control the flavor of the sauce with the cheese you choose. It came together easy enough for a Monday when I just wanted a good one bowl of macaroni and cheese for dinner. But the sauce texture was slightly grainy and less satisfying than the “real” Mac and cheese.

Pay close attention to the headnote, which requests the "sharpest, tangiest cheddar you can find." Having purchased only the white cheddar listed in the ingredients, this dish tasted like hot cream cheese over noodles.

Excellent recipe just as it's written. I would like to convert it to oven baked small bites, in muffin papers. Any suggestions? Has anyone tried this modification?

Have to say this was terrible. Stodgy and bland, even though I split the Cheddar portion between that and Gruyère. But it never really set up as a sauce. Then my partner ate the leftovers the next day, and her bowels turned to stone for three days.