Macaroni and cheese is maybe the ultimate comfort food. What’s not to love? It’s an excuse to eat tons of carbs and cheese. While there are countless delicious, ooey, gooey macaroni and cheese recipes, most of them are omitting one ingredient that’s a total game-changer: cream cheese.
Yes, you’ve heard of mac and cheese with lobster, mac and cheese with smoked gouda, mac and cheese with hot sauce and even macaroni and cheese with Cheez-It crackers crumbled on top. But the best-ever mac and cheese includes cream cheese. Why? Cream cheese adds a silky smoothness, resulting in a luxurious texture you need to truly try to believe.
Mac and cheese made with this game-changing ingredient also has a sweet note to it, which adds a much-needed balance to all of the salty cheese.
Cream Cheese and Macaroni
Serves: 1216 ounces macaroni noodles
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
1 ½ cups milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
Seasoned salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons butter
16 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.Cook macaroni to al dente, according to package directions. Drain and set aside.Add softened cream cheese, evaporated milk, milk, eggs and seasonings in medium bowl. Mix together using whisk or hand mixer on low speed until combined. If there are chunks of cream cheese, that’s OK. Set aside.Grease 9x13 casserole dish with butter.Mix together 8 ounces shredded cheddar and 8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese.Alternately layer macaroni noodles and the cheddar/Monterey Jack mixture into casserole dish.Top the casserole with final 8 ounces of shredded cheddar.Pour the egg, cream cheese and milk mixture over the macaroni and cheese.Bake in oven 35-45 minutes.Serve warm.
