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A serving spoon scooping up a heaping scoop of baked white cheddar mac and cheese.
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4.72 from 14 votes

Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe

This creamy baked mac and cheese is the perfect grown-up macaroni and cheese. It’s al dente pasta smothered in a creamy cheese sauce made with three different types of cheese. It is the ultimate comfort food that will get you rave reviews!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Main Dish Recipes
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 283kcal
Author: Aileen Clark

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar divided
  • 1/2 cup shredded gruyere cheese
  • 1 8-ounce package cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 16-ounce box elbow macaroni, cooked according to package directions

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish and set aside.
  • Melt butter in a large sauce pan over medium-low heat.
  • Add the flour and whisk until smooth.
  • Slowly add milk, whisking continuously.
  • Add the salt and white pepper and bring to a boil.
  • Stir constantly, until the mixture thickens enough that it coats the back of a spoon.
  • Mix in 1 cup white cheddar, gruyere, cream cheese, and sour cream. Stir until melted.
  • Immediately remove from heat.
  • Pour the cooked elbow macaroni into the cheese sauce and mix to coat evenly.
  • Pour the cheese-coated noodles into the prepared baking dish.
  • Top with remaining 1/2 cup white cheddar cheese.
  • Bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the edges bubble.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Notes

A Note on Cheese

Here is my number one tip for making the best mac and cheese. Do not use pre-shredded cheese! Normally, I am not a stickler about this. I use pre-shredded cheese all the time. 
However, if you want a super smooth creamy cheese sauce,  you are not going to get it with the packaged shredded cheese. Packaged shredded cheese usually has additives to prevent it from clumping. The problem with that is it affects the overall look and texture of the cheese after it's melted. 
If you want to save time when making this casserole, I recommend buying the blacks of cheese and shredding them yourself. Then, you can store them in the fridge or freezer until you're ready to use it. (yes, you can freeze cheese!)

Spicy Mac and Cheese

There are a few things you can add to make this mac and cheese spicier. As mentioned above, swap out some or all of the cheddar for pepper jack.
You can also add in a tablespoon of your favorite hot sauce to the cheese sauce. Finally, you can mix in extra spices such as cayenne pepper.

Freezing Tips

If you are making this recipe as a freezer meal (or doubling so you have one for the freezer), freeze it without baking. 
Follow the recipe to the point of baking it but instead, wrap it in two layers of foil, label, date, and freeze for up to 3 months. When you are ready to bake it, let it defrost overnight in the fridge and bake it as directed the next day.
If you want to freeze leftovers after baking, you can freeze the remainder of the casserole together or divide it up into individual servings. Make sure the mac and cheese is fully cooled and then freeze in air-tight containers for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, simply reheat in the microwave or oven until warmed through.