Macaroni and cheese made with both cheddar AND cream cheese. Imagine that! This is such a wonderful, creamy dish that is different from the traditional cheddar-only casserole. The cream cheese adds great flavour and the cubed cheddar, instead of shredded, makes a big difference too. My family has loved this for years. I sometimes add cubed ham or kielbasa when I add the cheddar. Yum!
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook macaroni just until al dente; drain well when done.
While the pasta is boiling, melt the 1/4-cup butter in a large pot over medium heat, then whisk in the flour — whisk until smooth, about a minute. Whisk in milk, then cream cheese (it’s easier if you cube it up first, trust me), then the salt, pepper, mustard and cayenne. A few shakes of hot sauce can be substituted for the cayenne, but please do either — it doesn’t make it hot or spicy, but does add flavour.
Keep cooking and whisking until sauce is thickened — about three or four minutes. You don’t have to be anal about the whisking but do do it frequently. Turn off burner; if using an electric stove, make sure you move the pot off the hot burner.
Cut the block of cheddar into half-inch cubes, then stir in the cheddar and drained macaroni to the sauce and combine well. If adding ham or kielbasa, stir in now. Pour pasta mixture into a casserole sprayed with Pam.
In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and sprinkle over top. Dust with paprika if desired. It’s pretty!
Bake for only 15-20 minutes, or until top is golden brown and casserole is heated through. Enjoy!
Prep: Cook:
Serves: 8 Level: Easy
by Kendall Smith in
Main Courses
Prep: Cook:
Serves: 4 Level: Easy
by Beth Pierce in
Main Courses
Prep: Cook:
Serves: 8 Level: Easy
Prep: Cook:
Serves: 8 Level: Easy
by Chanda | My Farmhouse Table in
Main Courses
Prep: Cook:
Serves: 4 Level: Easy
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melindab on 11.17.2009
Very very yummy! My hubby who normally doesn’t really care Mac’n’cheese even really liked it. It is very rich though – perhaps best as a side. We added some kielbasa to ours and it tasted great. Just the two of us ate it for dinner and then I had leftovers for 2 lunches – so it makes a plenty and reheats fine. I wish I had cubed my cheddar into smaller pieces though so it was more even throughout. We will definitely be making it again!
laur on 8.15.2009
Pretty good! Definitely very rich. I liked the balance of the Dijon and the cheese; the mustard was definitely present but not overbearing like some of the mac and cheeses I have tried. The servings were a bit off I think. I can see this serving 4 people instead of 6 (unless my man and I are greedy people! Hahaha). It would only serve 6 as a side I would think.
jsavage on 8.13.2009
I made this recipe last night…it was delicious!! This is by far the best mac & cheese recipe I have tried yet!! The only modification I did was I shredded some sharp cheddar cheese and spread it on top of the macaroni before I put the bread crumbs on top…YUM!!