Creamy Weeknight Macaroni and Cheese

By Alison Roman

Updated Feb. 28, 2024

Creamy Weeknight Macaroni and Cheese
Karsten Moran for The New York Times
Total Time
25 minutes
Rating
4(2,891)
Comments
Read comments

Just as quick as the boxed variety, this creamy macaroni and cheese skirts the traditional butter and flour roux with assistance from cream cheese. While the cream cheese adds an important lusciousness, it doesn’t do the macaroni and cheese any favors when it comes to its flavor, so it’s important to use the sharpest, tangiest Cheddar you can get your hands on. For perfectly coated noodles, make sure to cook the pasta in the sauce for a minute or two.

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

    or to print this recipe.

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1pound elbows, shells, cavatappi, farfalle, fusilli or other short, tube-shaped pasta
  • Kosher salt
  • 2cups whole milk
  • 8ounces cream cheese, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 12ounces sharp or white Cheddar, grated
  • 3tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Freshly ground pepper
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

1116 calories; 62 grams fat; 36 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 17 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 97 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 12 grams sugars; 42 grams protein; 905 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water until just barely al dente; drain.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, bring milk up to a simmer in a large pot. (The pot should be large enough to hold all the pasta when cooked.) Reduce heat to low, add cream cheese, and whisk until it’s completely blended and no lumps remain. Add Cheddar cheese and butter, whisking until everything is completely melted. Season with salt and a generous amount of pepper.

  3. Step 3

    Add cooked pasta and stir to coat. Continue to cook over medium-low heat until the sauce has thickened and is coating each piece of pasta nicely, 2 to 3 minutes; sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. Season again with more salt and pepper before serving.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

4 out of 5
2,891 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

Suzan

Wouldn't this be better with some dry mustard and paprika?

George Hicks

Heavily salt the pasta water (perhaps a quarter cup of salt), then use one cup half-and-half and a cup of the pasta water instead of two cups milk.

Ozark

Hey, this is my Mac and Cheese recipe! As in, I'm sure someone else put the same things together at some point, but when I posted it on my blog several years ago, I could find nothing else like it. Well, at least more people will learn that, while old-fashioned cheese sauces are great, easy is okay too.

Kaoru

Followed the recipe to the T. It’s delicious, but a bit grainy. Any tips to fix this?

GreenSageSJ

This is amazing, made even more so by the NYT Cooking community. I used a high protein, chickpea cavatelli, 1½ 2% milk + ½ cup ½&½. I had ¾ pack of lite cream cheese, so used that & added roasted broccoli florets. Added garlic & mustard powder and a topping of TJ French fried onions. Maybe I made a lighter version? Doubt it b/c it tasted incredibly. Finished by baking at 350º for 15 mins. Wife said it was a flavor bomb.

ni

Easy to whip on a weeknight as promised. Minimal ingredients most of which I always keep on hand. I had ditalini only so used that, I think penne rigate would be a good option as is elbow macaroni I added frozen edamame at the last minute of pasta boil to add some protein and fiber + handful of spinach when I added pasta to the sauce. I used hint of Dijon mustard, garlic and onion powder for flavor. It was hit and will be part of my rotation

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.