macaroni and cheese recipes with cream cheese

#Macaroni and cheese recipes with cream cheese full#
#Macaroni and cheese recipes with cream cheese mac#

You can also use whole grain pasta here if you prefer.

Frozen peas stirred into the sauce would also work very well – just experiment and see what you like! I’d recommend peppers and tomatoes – and olives, if you like them. You can also add some veggies to your simple macaroni cheese. You may not need the same amount of cheddar as you would mozzarella, so it’s best to just judge it by eye. I’d recommend using freshly grated mature cheddar in place of the mozzarella, and potentially a stronger cheese such as gruyere in place of the parmesan. There are several options here, and while some are easier than others, they’re all absolutely delicious!įor the first option, you can edit which types of cheese you use.

#Macaroni and cheese recipes with cream cheese full#

Top with the mozzarella and the rest of the parmesan.įor full instructions, please scroll down to the recipe card below.

Mix together until the macaroni is coated in sauce.

Add the cooked macaroni to the baking dish (ensure that you add a little of the pasta water – 2 tbsp should be plenty).

In the baking dish, mix together the cream cheese with garlic powder, half of the parmesan, and season to taste.

Preheat the oven and cook macaroni as per the packet instructions.

The method here is super simple! Just a handful of steps:

How do I make baked cream cheese macaroni? So, that’s 3 types of cheese, macaroni, and garlic powder! See? I told you it was simple! For measurements, please scroll down to the recipe card below. After all, cheese is integral for a proper macaroni cheese, so you may as well use a good quality cheese! ball mozzarella – you could use another cheese here (or use pre-grated mozzarella), but I’m a sucker for nice, fresh ball mozzarella.Try not to use pre-grated if you can help it as it contains anti-clumping agents so will not melt as well. parmesan – you could also use another Italian hard cheese here such as grana padano (my favourite!).garlic powder – this is optional, but it does add flavour, so I’d definitely recommend using at least a little.However, it doesn’t matter whether you use a name-brand cream cheese such as philadelphia or a store’s own brand. cream cheese – do not use low fat here or the sauce will become watery as low-fat cream cheese contains more water.macaroni pasta – you could use another small pasta shape such as fusilli or bowties, but I definitely prefer macaroni here.The ingredients list for macaroni cheese is generally very short, though this one is definitely shorter than most: What ingredients do I need to make this recipe? It’s brilliant! This also means that it’s a brilliant recipe for children or inexperienced cooks to try. My favourite thing about this cream cheese macaroni, though, isn’t that there’s minimal washing up – it’s that it’s practically impossible to mess up! I’ve made this recipe at least 30 times already, and not once has the sauce turned grainy or has there been a lack of flavour. To be honest, if you have a pan that can be used both on the stovetop and then in the oven then you could just use that for everything! This means that you only need to properly wash up the dish you bake the pasta in.

#Macaroni and cheese recipes with cream cheese mac#

I also prefer to minimise washing up, which I do in this recipe by boiling the macaroni in one pan (it’s only had pasta water in it’ll only need a quick rinse, right?) and then using the tray I bake the mac and cheese in to mix together the cream cheese (and rest of the sauce ingredients) with the pasta, which I then top with mozzarella, cheddar or a crispy breadcrumb topping. So, I was looking for a way to make macaroni cheese without always having to make a roux (or use a jarred cheese sauce – they always lack flavour!). Plus, you can customise the flavours to your heart’s content. This cream cheese macaroni pasta bake is the simplest, creamiest mac and cheese ever – and it’s ridiculously easy! There’s no need for a roux that could split, and you can choose whether to top the bake with breadcrumbs or melty cheese.