Last week I took a survey of what recipes everyone wanted to see, either desserts or easy pantry meals. Well, considering we’re all stuck in quarantine the answer was pretty unanimous, so here is the first of many easy staple ingredient recipes. If you have noodles, cheese, and milk, you can make this classic and it stays good in the fridge for up to 5 days!
Recipe Tips:
- Cheese: I use two different types of cheese in this recipe: white cheddar and cream cheese. When I make this for myself, I use all sharp white cheddar or half sharp half mild. If I’m making this for kids, or people who prefer mild cheese, I use all mild. I love that bite that sharp white cheddar, but I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea! The cream cheese gives this recipe a zing of flavor and adds to the creaminess.
- Noodles: I love using classic shells when making macaroni because they hold all the sauce in the grooves and holes. I’ve also made this using Cavatappi, macaroni noodles, and even penne in a pinch.
- Room Temperature: When making the cheese sauce, or bechamel, use all room temperature ingredients. If you add cold milk into hot butter and flour, the sauce will seize up. In order for your cream cheese to melt evenly, add at room temperature. This will ensure your sauce is creamy and there aren’t any lumps.
To Reheat:
Reheating mac and cheese is always a gamble. I hate it when the first day is delicious, and the second day the dish is dry and cheese-less. This recipe was designed to stay cheesy, but my grandpa who owned a catering company for years taught me a trick! When you go to reheat your mac and cheese, add 1 tablespoon of milk over the top. Cook in the microwave, and stir when it’s done. It will ensure the cheese sauce coats all of the noodles without losing any of the flavors.
I hope you like this recipe, let me know your thoughts in the comments below 🙂
White Cheddar Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 1 lb. bag of pasta shells
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ cup milk, room temperature You can use whatever milk you prefer! I typically use 1 cup of whole milk and 1 ½ cups of skim milk, but you can use all whole or skim milk!
- 1 tsp ground mustard
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 4 oz cream cheese, cubed
- 8 oz white cheddar, shredded Do not use pre-shredded cheese or the texture will end up grainy! Also, per my note above, I sometimes use 4 oz sharp white cheddar, 4 oz mild to add more flavor, but you can use all mild or sharp, whatever you prefer!
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Boil pasta according to instructions. Do not rinse with water when the pasta is drained.
- While the pasta is cooking, make the cheese sauce. In a large pot melt butter over medium heat. Add in the flour and stir for 1 minute. While constantly whisking, slowly pour in the room temperature milk. Add in the ground mustard, garlic powder, black pepper, and onion powder. Bring the sauce to a light boil.
- Turn to low heat and stir in the cubes of cream cheese. Once melted, slowly add in the shredded white cheddar. Continue stirring on low heat until all of the cheese is melted. I always wait to add the salt until the end so stir in pasta, salt to taste, and serve!
Notes
- To reheat, add 1 tablespoon of milk before microwaving.
Rachel
I made this Mac n cheese tonight as a side dish to bbq chicken and coleslaw. It is a delicious take on Mac n cheese! We loved the white cheddar. And super easy (yet sophisticated) to whip up! 5 stars!
Emily
I’m glad to hear it turned out yummy 🙂
Charlie Bartari
My oh my. I just found my go to forever macaroni and cheese recipe. I could barely get it to the table and then once I did it was quickly gone. I added kosher salt at the end, as you suggested, which really popped the flavor. As per our tastes I sprinkled the top lightly with organic cayenne pepper. Great recipe! Definitely going into the rotation! Thanks Emily!
Abby
Wow! This was amazing! This might be my new go to recipe for mac & cheese! It was super creamy and cheesy, just how I like it. I didn’t use shells as I couldn’t find gluten free shells but the dish still worked with other types of pasta! Highly recommend if you are looking to wow anyone with mac & cheese.