Today I reached for one of my comfort foods again. I have been feeling under the weather and the thought of cooking anything too elaborate has not been possible. This is why I reached for my trusty Mac n Cheese recipe. However, I had some leftover creme cheese in the fridge that needed to be used and with the addition of some leftover heavy cream, I created this delicious extra creamy mac n’ cheese. The sauce covered the pasta perfectly and there was even enough sauce at the bottom of the pasta bowl to wipe it up with a chunky piece of bread at the end.
This is a quick and easy recipe that will take little time to put together on a busy week night. Or take your time on a weekend night and serve it with a nice glass of wine and homemade bread.
It is a very lush recipe and probably too rich sauce for some, but in the mental state I was in, it hit just the right note.
My best tips when making any mac n’ cheese recipe is to make sure to let the cheese melt slowly into the béchamel sauce. The same with the creme cheese, and make sure you whisk the heavy cream into the sauce, before adding in the pasta of your choice.
Freezable
To freeze this recipe, I have had the best results to avoid a grainy consistency to freeze the sauce before adding the cheese, when it is still a béchamel sauce. Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat on low before adding cheese, cream cheese and whipping cream to let it slowly melt together, stirring frequently.
Substitutes
I used whipping cream, as this is what I had in my fridge, but you can use any kind of cream, as long as it is says on the package it is suitable for cooking, otherwise it might make your sauce grainy if the whipping cream contains too little fat.
I have made this recipe with previously frozen whipping cream and the texture will stay the same. However whenever I have frozen the sauce once it is all cooked through it does not freeze as well, see notes on freezable above for best result.
Do you not have cheddar cheese in the fridge? No problem, use what you have. In Mac n’ Cheese I often use whichever leftover cheese I have in the fridge that needs to be used up. Most cheeses work well together to make this gooey sauce.
Variations
If you feel this recipe is too creamy and too rich, or you are simply looking for something different, there are several other Mac n’ Cheese recipes on the site. You can find them under the favourites tab. I love making up new Mac n’ Cheese recipe. Before I started this site, I hadn’t even thought about how many variations of this simple, comfort dish you could possibly do, now I see no end to the different variations, so keep an eye out for more variations in the coming months.
Or go straight to this taco version for a spicy version of Mac n’ Cheese. Or a tangy version, using blue cheese. If you feel adventurous add some Dijon mustard to this French twist mac n’ cheese. Stay the classic route and try my baked mac n’ cheese with a crispy panko topping. For a fun mac n’ cheese version during Halloween, try my spooky green mac n’ cheese.
Super Creamy Mac n’ Cheese
Ingredients
- 300 g pasta
- 40 grams butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 300 ml milk
- ¼ tsp salt
- A pinch of pepper
- 200 gram medium cheddar cheese
- 100 ml pasta water optional
- 100 gram cream cheese
- 100 ml whipping cream
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package. Save some of the pasta water for the end, if you desire a more saucy sauce.
- Melt butter in a sauce pan.
- Add the flour and stir until grainy and cooked through.
- Peel and mince the garlic and add to the sauce pan, let cook for about a minute, make sure you don’t burn the garlic.
- Add the milk and whisk vigorously to avoid lumps.
- Add salt and pepper and let cook together. Be careful so it doesn’t boil over.
- Cook until sauce has thickened, about five minutes.
- In the mean time, shred the cheese.
- Add the shredded cheese, creme cheese and whipping cream, keep stirring until the cheese is melted.
- If the sauce seems too thick, add some of the pasta water and stir again.
- Serve in a bowl over pasta and sprinkle more shredded cheese on top, if desire.