Creamiest Mac and Cheese
Description
Boxed or frozen mac and cheese dishes don’t even begin to compare to this comforting, from-scratch, ultra-creamy homemade mac and cheese that’s both easy and affordable.
Ingredients
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cooking spray
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1 (16 ounce) package elbow macaroni
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4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
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2 (8 ounce) packages sharp Cheddar cheese
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6 tablespoons butter
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1/3 cup all-purpose flour
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1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
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3 1/2 cups whole milk, or more to taste
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3 ounces cream cheese, softened
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1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
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1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions
1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add macaroni and 2 ½ teaspoons salt and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 6 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3
Shred Cheddar cheese by hand or in a food processor; set aside.
4
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, until smooth, 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk in mustard powder, then 3 ½ cups milk. Whisk occasionally until mixture comes to a simmer, then let simmer for 5 minutes.
5
Add cream cheese and cook, stirring often, until thick, creamy, and smooth, about 5 minutes. Add remaining 1 ½ teaspoon salt, pepper, and cayenne.
6
Stir in 2 cups shredded Cheddar. Turn off the heat and let cheese melt. Stir in cooked macaroni. Add up to ¼ cup milk if you feel like the mixture is too thick.
7
Layer ½ of the pasta mixture in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with 1 ½ cups Cheddar. Spread remaining pasta mixture over top and sprinkle with remaining Cheddar.
8
Bake in the preheated oven until golden and bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes.