Easy mac and cheese with heavy cream

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Easy mac and cheese with heavy cream

Easy mac and cheese with heavy cream

By Shauntel Campbell

from West Valley, UT

This is so popular among my friends. They say it's the best mac n cheese they have ever had. Hope anyone who tries this can make it as great as I do. But warning... You will need a "Magic Bullet" or a similar blender to get the best result.

Ingredients For easy creamy mac n cheese

  • 16 oz

    noodles (cavatappi are best)

  • 1 1/2 lb

    shredded colby jack cheese

  • 1 pt

    heavy whipping cream

  • 4 Tbsp

    butter or margarine

How To Make easy creamy mac n cheese

  • 2

    Add 1 tbsp. of olive/vegetable oil and a dash of salt in water so noodles will cook faster and not stick.

  • 3

    After boiling point add noodles and cook till done then strain.

  • 4

    Put noodles back in pot (not on burner) and add 4 tablespoons of butter/margarine, a dash of salt, pepper and garlic powder till it taste perfectly spiced to your liking.

  • 5

    With a "Magic Bullet" use the taller container and the 4 blade blender top.

  • 6

    Add your cheese till full and then add half the container of the heavy whipping cream.

  • 7

    Microwave for 1-2 minutes or until melted (watch out, every now and again in might flow over if too full).

  • 8

    Once melted blend your cheese sauce and pour over your noodles.

  • 9

    Mix into noodles and add more cheese and whip cream if it is not covered or creamy enough.

  • 11

    You can also add sauteed mushrooms if you love them! It's amazing!

  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!

Everyone needs a go-to homemade mac and cheese recipe in their back pocket, and this one is ours. It’s simple to make, tastes fantastic, and makes super creamy macaroni and cheese. Jump to the Easy Ultra Creamy Mac and Cheese Recipe

Easy mac and cheese with heavy cream

How to Make the Creamiest Macaroni and Cheese

You’re only looking at six ingredients (plus salt and pepper). It can even be made in under 30 minutes (maybe less!).

I love that you can keep this as a quick stovetop mac and cheese or slide it into the oven to get bubbly and browned. I love it both ways.

We’re going to call this our basic mac and cheese — not because it isn’t incredibly delicious, but because it’s the perfect base for other variations. Take a look below for some suggestions.

Easy mac and cheese with heavy cream

To make our go-to macaroni and cheese, you will need the following:

Pasta: The shape and size are entirely up to you. Look for pasta that will hold onto the creamy sauce. Elbow macaroni and shells are great options.

Butter and Flour: It’s the combination of butter and flour that thicken the sauce. We like to use unsalted butter for this and then adjust salt to taste when making the sauce. That said, salted butter will work if that is all that you have.

Cheddar cheese: Whenever we make macaroni and cheese, we reach for sharp white cheddar cheese. It’s flavorful and melts beautifully. For more cheese suggestions see our notes below. Whatever cheese you use, it’s best to grate it yourself. I know it’s extra prep time, but hand-grated cheese melts so much easier into the sauce.

Cream cheese: The mac and cheese would be excellent with just cheddar cheese added, but to make it ultra creamy, we’ll stir in some cream cheese. It adds a lovely silky texture, and since it has a little zinginess, it brightens up the flavor a bit.

Salt and Pepper: Nobody wants an unseasoned cheese sauce! Make sure that you taste the sauce before serving. If it doesn’t pop, add a touch more salt to the pot.

Easy mac and cheese with heavy cream

Macaroni and Cheese Variations

This recipe is easy to adapt to other variations. Here are some of our favorites:

Baked Mac and Cheese: Once the pasta and cheese sauce are combined, add it to a baking dish and bake with a little more cheese and breadcrumbs sprinkled on top. We shared this Baked Macaroni and Cheese a while back.

Garlic Mac and Cheese: Fresh garlic and roasted garlic are excellent in this recipe. Add either to the butter just before adding the flour. For fresh, I’d use 2 to 3 cloves. For roasted garlic, you can increase to 6 cloves or more. See our recipe for making roasted garlic.

Use a Variety of Cheeses: Cheddar isn’t the only cheese to use. Try easy melting Gruyere, Fontina or Monterey Jack. For more flavor, a bit of parmesan or pecorino cheese is lovely, and for a more adult dish, try blue cheese!

Spiced Macaroni and Cheese: Mustard (Dijon or mustard powder), nutmeg, and a pinch of cayenne pepper are classic additions to the cheese sauce. Smoked paprika is also delicious.

Broccoli Mac and Cheese: A kid favorite! Stir roasted broccoli or steamed broccoli into the pot before serving. Here’s how we make roasted broccoli.

Lighter Mac and Cheese: Swapping half of the cheese sauce for pureed cauliflower cuts calories and still tastes incredible.

Easy mac and cheese with heavy cream

More Easy Recipes

  • This Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese swaps some of the cheese sauce for pumpkin puree. It’s delicious.
  • Try our Creamy White Chicken Lasagna — Nothing says comfort to us like baked lasagna loaded with creamy sauce, chicken, and cheese.
  • For a lighter take on pasta with cheese, try our Orzo Pasta with Tomatoes, Basil, and Parmesan or these Easy Buttered Noodles!
  • Serve this Homemade Caesar Salad on the side or try our Easy Coleslaw for some crunch.

Easy Ultra Creamy Mac and Cheese

  • PREP 10mins
  • COOK 20mins
  • TOTAL 30mins

This is our quick and easy homemade macaroni and cheese recipe. It’s made on the stovetop and does not require any baking. That’s not to say that you could not bake it. We’ve shared how in the recipe below. Thanks to butter, flour, and milk the sauce is like velvet and super creamy. To the sauce, we add a whole pound of cheddar cheese (the sharper, the better) as well as a bit of cream cheese. The cream cheese is optional, but it does add tanginess and even more creaminess.

Makes 8 servings

Watch Us Make the Recipe

You Will Need

1 pound dried pasta like elbow macaroni, shells or penne

5 tablespoons (70 grams) unsalted butter

5 tablespoons (45 grams) all-purpose flour

5 cups (1180 ml) milk, warmed, whole or 2% reduced fat preferred

1 pound white cheddar cheese, shredded

4 ounces cream cheese, optional

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Directions

    Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, add the pasta then follow package directions, but cook 1 minute less than the package calls for. Drain.

    Meanwhile, make the creamy cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a large high-sided pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter and whisk the butter and flour together and around the pan until they smell toasted and look light brown; 2 to 3 minutes.

    While whisking, pour in the warm milk. Continue to cook, constantly whisking until the sauce begins to simmer and thickens. (The sauce only thickens after it has reached a simmer.)

    Turn the heat to low then stir in the cheddar and cream cheeses, salt, and black pepper. When the sauce is smooth and velvety, stir in the cooked pasta. If the sauce looks wet/thin, don’t worry, the pasta absorbs some the extra moisture as it cools. Turn the heat off, and then cover with a lid. Leave for 5 minutes, stir once more, and then serve.

    • Baked Mac and Cheese
    • After adding the pasta to the cheese sauce, spoon into a large baking dish, scatter breadcrumbs (optional), and more shredded cheese on top. Bake, uncovered, in a 375-degree Fahrenheit oven until bubbling and browned on top; 25 to 30 minutes.

Adam and Joanne's Tips

  • Storing: Keep covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days. To freeze, transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze up to 2 months. Bake, covered, in a 350-degree F oven for about an hour. Or, thaw overnight and reheat on the stove (if it seems dry, add a tablespoon or two of extra milk).
  • Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.

If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #inspiredtaste — We love to see your creations on Instagram and Facebook! Find us: @inspiredtaste

Nutrition Per Serving: Serving Size 1/8 of the recipe / Calories 571 / Total Fat 31.9g / Saturated Fat 18.2g / Cholesterol 89.6mg / Sodium 564.7mg / Carbohydrate 48.7g / Dietary Fiber 2g / Total Sugars 2.3g / Protein 21.8g

Can I use heavy cream instead of milk in mac and cheese?

Heavy whipping cream (or half and half) is the perfect substitute for milk in mac and cheese. This is actually a great option! The thicker consistency will produce a dreamy, creamy sauce that everyone will love. The flavor is bolder and richer, too, and you may enjoy it more than the original.

Can you use heavy cream instead of butter in mac and cheese?

You should know substituting the milk and butter ingredients with heavy whipping cream when making Kraft Macaroni & Cheese makes for a creamier and, in my opinion, tastier cheese sauce.

Is heavy cream the same as heavy whipping cream for mac and cheese?

Yes! Since they are the same product, you can use heavy whipping cream and heavy cream interchangeably. Both are a versatile, all-purpose product for adding thick, creamy elements to sauces to soups to desserts, so it's worth keeping one on hand in your fridge.

How do you keep mac and cheese creamy?

Undercook your pasta—cook one minute less than the package directions to avoid a mushy mac and cheese. Swap rich cream for all or half of the milk in the recipe. Cook your pasta in salted water. Season every layer of your sauce: the roux, after the milk is added and after the cheese is melted in.