Mac and Cheese with Cream Cheese

Check out this ridiculously creamy homemade mac and cheese recipe with cream cheese, Cheddar, and Monterey Jack cheese and a buttery breadcrumb crust.

The not-so-secret ingredient is the cream cheese (I mean, it's in the title, right?). It acts as a binder to hold the cheese sauce together so it won't separate when reheated.

How to prevent Mac and Cheese from separating?

If you have ever made mac and cheese from scratch you know the biggest downfall of all: It separates into a gritty oily goo when reheated. It no longer tastes like homemade mac and cheese; it tastes like gritty buttered noodles.

The problem is when it is reheated the cheese melts at too high of a temperature causing the oil to separate. Some people recommend reheating slowly in the oven or on low in the microwave, however, this only provides marginal results at best. I have tried multiple reheating methods and though they do minimize ‘some’ of the oil, the mac and cheese never resumes its once creamy goodness.

To prevent homemade mac and cheese from separating, you need a secret ingredient: Cream cheese or Velveeta {Collective GASPS} both work well at binding together all of the real cheeses into a deliciously creamy cheese sauce that doesn't break when reheated.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Elbow macaroni - Any similar-sized small pasta shape will work,
• Butter
• All-purpose flour
• Milk - Whole milk will make the creamiest mac, but any milk is fine.
• Heavy cream - Half and half or additional milk can be substituted.
• Shredded sharp cheddar cheese - Any cheddar cheese can be substituted.
• Shredded Monterey Jack cheese - You can substitute your favorite creamy & mild cheese, such as provolone.
• Cream cheese - Substituting Velveeta works just as well as a binder.
• Ground mustard - Yellow mustard can also be used.
• Ground pepper - White pepper is ideal if you want it to blend into the sauce, otherwise, black pepper is great.
• Shredded Parmesan Cheese
• Plain breadcrumbs

How to make it

To make this mac and cheese with cream cheese recipe, begin by boiling your noodles in a large pot of salted water until al dente. Then set the cooked pasta aside.

Set the pot over medium low heat, melt 6 tablespoons of butter, and stir in the flour to form a roux. Continue to stir the mixture for four minutes.

Slowly add all of the milk and cream, while continuing to stir. Once all of the liquid has been added, add the cheeses in handfuls. Then the seasonings can be added along with the cooked noodles.

In a separate skillet or large saucepan set over medium heat, melt the remaining two tablespoons of butter and add the bread crumbs. Stir the mixture together and cook until the bread crumbs begin to turn golden brown. Then remove from heat and mix in the Parmesan cheese.

Place macaroni and cheese in an oven-safe pot or dish and sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the top. Place it in the oven under the broiler until the breadcrumbs turn a deep golden brown. Then remove from the oven and serve the homemade macaroni.

Reheating Leftovers

To properly reheat leftover mac and cheese, scoop out individual servings and place each in the microwave for ~1 minute, or until starting to get warm, and then take it out and stir a splash of milk into it (I use roughly 2 tablespoons of milk per bowl).

As the mac and cheese cools it soaks up a lot of the moisture that was in the cheese sauce. As a result, when you reheat it the sauce will still taste good but there will not be enough moisture in it to be creamy again. Adding milk will return its creamy texture.

Just remember, the key when adding the milk is to add a little bit at a time as you stir it in. You can always add more if needed. Once it is creamy as you desire put it back in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until it is heated through.

If you know you are going to be reheating it, feel free to keep breadcrumbs on the side until it has been reheated.

This post was originally published here on November 29, 2014.

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