Creamy Baked Macaroni and Cheese
This five cheese creamy baked macaroni and cheese is the BEST macaroni cheese you'll ever have. It's easy to make and comes together in under an hour. If you love a cheesy, easy, and incredibly flavorful macaroni and cheese, this recipe is for you!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Chicken Bouillon Paste , (optional but highly recommended)
- 16 oz Macaroni/Elbow Pasta
- 16 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese, (shredded)
- 8 oz Mozzarella, (shredded)
- 8 oz Colby Jack, (shredded)
- 4 oz Asiago Cheese or Parmesan Cheese, (shredded)
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 1 1/4 cup Whole Milk
- 1/4 cup Sour Cream
- 1 tbsp Fresh Thyme (stems removed) , (if using dried thyme, only use a 1/2 tsp)
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Ground Mustard
- 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper, (optional)
- 1/8 tsp Nutmeg
- 8 oz Cream cheese (cut into chunks), (room temperature)
- Salt and Pepper, as desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bring large pot of water to a boil and add chicken bouillon paste. Stir together (carefully) to dissolve the paste in the water. Boil pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain pasta and set aside. (do not rinse the pasta!!)
- Shred all of the cheeses, leaving some of the cheese in chunks so that you get pockets of melted cheese while it cooks in the oven. Mix together all of the cheeses in a mixing bowl.
- In a large bowl, pour in heavy cream, sour cream, and milk and then add thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, ground mustard, cayenne, black pepper, salt, and nutmeg and stir together. Add half of the shredded cheese to the bowl, toss together, then add the macaroni and stir together until all of the macaroni is coated.
- Add half of the macaroni to a 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle half of the reserved cheese on top. Add cream cheese chunks on top of the sprinkled cheese, then add the remainder of the macaroni on top. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the macaroni and sprinkle a little salt, pepper, and paprika on top (optional).
- Bake for 35 minutes. For a browned top, broil for 2-3 minutes for the crunchy top.
Video
Notes
Tips for Making the Best Macaroni and Cheese
- Grate your own cheese! Use block cheese and shred the cheese with a grater. Pre-shredded cheese is drier and tend to have additives to prevent the cheese from clumping. This may seem like a minuscule step but it makes the world of a difference!
- Don't overcook your pasta! Only cook pasta until it's al dente. If you cook the pasta as per normal, it'll be too soggy when you bake it in the oven!
- If you want a crispy top, broil the macaroni and cheese for about 2-3 minutes once it's done baking in the oven. The crispy top give it a really nice crust!
- When boiling pasta, add salt to your water. This enhances the flavor of the pasta! Also, do not rinse your pasta while draining. You want to keep all of the flavor in!
- Adjust the amount of salt as per your preference. Taste as your go and add salt as needed. Cheese is naturally salty so be mindful of this!
Nutrition
Calories: 623kcal, Carbohydrates: 34g, Protein: 29g, Fat: 42g, Saturated Fat: 24g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 124mg, Sodium: 708mg, Potassium: 257mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 1439IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 678mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @BritneyBreaksBread or tag #BritneyBreaksBread!