Best Baked Mac and Cheese with Cream Cheese

Finding a mac and cheese recipe that actually lives up to your comfort food cravings can be harder than you’d think. After all, the boxed stuff from your childhood doesn’t quite hit the same way as an adult, and most homemade versions either turn out too dry or way too complicated for a busy weeknight dinner.

Luckily, this baked mac and cheese with cream cheese checks all the boxes: it’s creamy and rich without being heavy, simple enough for any night of the week, and uses ingredients you probably already have in your fridge.

What Kind of Cheese Should I Use?

The beauty of baked mac and cheese is that you can mix and match different cheeses to create your perfect flavor combination. For the cheddar, I recommend using a sharp or extra sharp variety since it gives you that classic mac and cheese taste that really stands out against the creamy base. Medium cheddar works too, but you might find the flavor a bit mild. As for the mozzarella, you can easily swap it out for Monterey Jack if that’s what you have on hand – both melt beautifully and add that stretchy, gooey texture we all love. Just make sure to buy block cheese and shred it yourself rather than using pre-shredded, as it melts much more smoothly and won’t leave you with a grainy sauce.

Options for Substitutions

This creamy mac and cheese is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps:

• Elbow macaroni: Any short pasta works great here – try shells, cavatappi, or penne. Just stick with pasta shapes that have nooks and crannies to hold onto all that cheese sauce.
• Cream cheese: If you don’t have cream cheese, you can use an equal amount of sour cream or Greek yogurt, but add it at the very end after removing from heat to prevent curdling.
• Cheese varieties: Feel free to mix and match your favorite cheeses! Gruyere, fontina, or sharp white cheddar all work well. Just keep the total amount around 4 cups and make sure at least half melts easily.
• Panko breadcrumbs: Regular breadcrumbs work fine, or you can make your own by crushing up crackers or even cornflakes for extra crunch.
• Milk: Heavy cream makes it richer, while half-and-half is a nice middle ground. You can even use whole milk with a splash of cream if that’s what you have.
• Hot sauce and Dijon: These add great flavor depth, but if you’re cooking for kids or prefer milder flavors, you can reduce the amounts or skip them entirely.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making baked mac and cheese is adding cold cream cheese to your hot roux, which creates lumps that are nearly impossible to smooth out – always bring your cream cheese to room temperature first and whisk it in gradually. Another common error is overcooking your pasta during the initial boil, since it will continue cooking in the oven, so aim for just shy of al dente to prevent mushy noodles. Your cheese sauce can easily break if the heat is too high, so keep your burner on medium-low and stir constantly while adding the milk to create a smooth base. For the perfect golden top, toss your panko breadcrumbs with olive oil before sprinkling them over the casserole, and if the top browns too quickly, simply cover with foil for the remaining baking time.

What to Serve With Baked Mac and Cheese?

This rich and creamy mac and cheese is perfect as a side dish for barbecue favorites like pulled pork, grilled chicken, or smoky ribs. If you’re serving it as the main event, I love pairing it with something fresh and crisp like a simple green salad or some roasted vegetables to balance out all that cheesy goodness. Steamed broccoli or green beans work really well too, and kids actually don’t mind eating their veggies when there’s mac and cheese on the plate! For a complete comfort food spread, add some garlic bread or dinner rolls on the side for extra carbs that everyone will devour.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate: This creamy mac and cheese keeps really well in the fridge for up to 4 days in a covered container. The cream cheese helps it stay nice and smooth even after storing. I actually think it tastes even better the next day when all those cheesy flavors have had time to meld together!

Freeze: You can freeze portions of this mac and cheese for up to 3 months in freezer-safe containers. I like to freeze it in individual serving sizes so I can grab just what I need. Just know that the texture might be slightly different after freezing, but it’s still delicious comfort food.

Reheat: To warm it back up, cover with foil and bake at 350°F for about 20-25 minutes until heated through. You can also microwave individual portions, but add a splash of milk to keep it creamy. If the top needs more crunch, pop it under the broiler for a minute or two.

Preparation Time	15-25 minutes
Cooking Time	20-30 minutes
Total Time	35-55 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 3900-4200
• Protein: 110-130 g
• Fat: 210-230 g
• Carbohydrates: 360-390 g

Ingredients

For the pasta:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb elbow macaroni

For the cheese sauce:

• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (sharp cheddar works best)
• 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp black pepper (freshly ground preferred)
• 1 tbsp hot sauce (like Frank’s RedHot)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella
• 3 cups milk (whole milk recommended for richness)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 8 tbsp butter (I like Kerrygold unsalted butter for this)
• 8 oz cream cheese (softened to room temperature)

For the breadcrumb topping:

• 1 cup panko bread crumbs (for extra crunch)
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Step 1: Prepare the Cheese and Ingredients

• 2 cups shredded mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup loosely packed chopped parsley

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Shred the mozzarella and cheddar cheese, setting them aside for later use.

Also, loosely chop the parsley and set aside.

Preparing all your ingredients ahead of time makes the rest of the process much smoother!

Step 2: Cook the Pasta

• 1 lb elbow macaroni
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Bring a large stock pot of heavily salted water to a boil.

Cook the elbow macaroni according to the package directions until al dente.

Drain the pasta well and toss with olive oil to prevent sticking.

Next, transfer the macaroni to a 13×9” casserole dish or a 12″ cast iron pan that’s been coated with cooking spray.

Set the cooked pasta aside.

Step 3: Make the Cheese Sauce

• 8 tbsp butter
• 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 3 cups milk
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp hot sauce
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• shredded mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese (from Step 1)
• shredded cheddar cheese (from Step 1)

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat.

Whisk in the flour and cook for about a minute to form a roux.

Gradually add the milk, whisking thoroughly to avoid lumps.

Stir in the Dijon mustard, hot sauce, kosher salt, and black pepper.

Lower the heat and let the sauce simmer for 4 minutes, allowing it to thicken.

Then, add the cream cheese, stirring until fully melted and combined.

Add the shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, stirring until the sauce is smooth and creamy.

I like to taste the sauce at this point and adjust the seasoning if needed—for an extra kick, add a bit more hot sauce!

Step 4: Combine Pasta and Cheese Sauce

• cooked pasta (from Step 2)
• cheese sauce (from Step 3)

Pour the smooth cheese sauce over the cooked pasta in the casserole dish or pan.

Stir gently but thoroughly to coat every piece of macaroni with the luscious sauce, ensuring an even distribution throughout.

Step 5: Add Breadcrumb Topping and Bake

• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• chopped parsley (from Step 1)

Evenly top the macaroni and cheese mixture with the panko breadcrumbs, making sure to cover the surface well.

Bake, uncovered, in the preheated 350°F oven for about 20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling.

For even more flavor and crunch, I sometimes mix a little melted butter and chopped parsley into the breadcrumbs before topping.

Step 6: Serve the Mac and Cheese

Remove the dish from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before serving.

This will help everything set and make serving easier.

Dish up generous portions, and enjoy this creamy, cheesy delight!