Cream Cheese Mac and Cheese

This Cream Cheese Mac and Cheese is a creative yet yummy way to enjoy macaroni and cheese. It’s a quick and easy recipe to make on the stovetop for dinner.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Calories: 1739kcal

Author: Karin and Ken

Ingredients

1 16oz box uncooked macaroni pasta
¼ cup salted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk at room temperature
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 8oz block of cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

In a large pot or Dutch oven, prepare the pasta according to package instructions. Drain (don’t rinse) and set it aside.
In the same large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, sprinkle in the flour and whisk together until smooth. It'll be slightly thick. Keep whisking and heating over medium heat for about 3 minutes or until very smooth and the flour taste has dissipated.
Slowly whisk in the room-temperature milk. Once well combined, flavor with mustard, pepper, and salt. Cook on medium-high, until almost simmering, while whisking occasionally for about 2 minutes or until the milk is hot and almost simmering.
Break the cream cheese up into pieces and drop them into the sauce, followed by the mozzarella and the cheddar cheese. Stir until completely melted and very smooth. At this point, the sauce should be slightly thickened but not chunky or stringy.
Remove from the heat and add the pasta. Stir until all the pasta is covered in sauce. Serve warm.

Notes

Watch the heat after you add the milk to ensure that it doesn’t get too hot and curdle.
Allow the roux a few minutes to cook, so you don’t get the taste of raw flour.
Add a splash of milk or cream when reheating leftover mac and cheese with cream cheese if it seems dry.

Nutrition