Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

Creamy and cheesy mac and cheese. The stuff dreams are made of! This isn’t your average boxed mac and cheese (although even I will admit that stuff is goooood).

This dish is baked in the oven with an optional bread crumb topping…I do not add the bread crumb topping but I will try not to judge you if you like it ;)

Read on to find out how to make this with cauliflower if you want to make it lower in carbs.

Recipe for Macaroni and Cheese:

Ingredients Needed:

1 lb macaroni

1/3 cup butter⁣⁣

1/4 cup flour⁣⁣

1 & 3/4 cups whole milk⁣⁣

1/4 cup heavy cream⁣⁣ **you can omit the cream and just use milk⁣⁣ instead

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

10-12 slices of processed cheese⁣⁣ (remove them from the wrapper)

2 cups grated cheese plus more for topping (I usually use a combo of mozzarella/cheddar cheese. Add some pepper jack or taco blend cheese for some added flavor)⁣⁣

1 teaspoon garlic powder⁣⁣

1/2 cup sour cream⁣⁣

2 tablespoons cream cheese⁣⁣ (use jalapeño cream cheese for a little extra!)

Optional - 1/2 teaspoon Vegeta seasoning

Optional - Bread crumb topping: 2-4 tablespoons of bread crumbs⁣⁣, a few teaspoons of cold grated butter ⁣⁣

Servings Made: 6-8 servings

Time to Prep: 10 minutes

Time to Cook: 45-55 minutes

How to Make:
Boil pasta in a large pot of salted water until cooked and drain (time as per box instructions). I like to cook it 1-2 minutes less than the suggested time on the package. Place cooked pasta in a large oven safe dish.

In a medium to large pot on the stove, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour and use a wooden spoon or hand whisk to mix and ensure there are no lumps. Gradually add heavy cream and milk and whisk until it thickens which usually takes about 5-7 minutes.

Add salt, garlic powder and Vegeta (if using) followed by processed cheese slices and grated cheese. Mix well and then add sour cream and cream cheese. Mix until well combined and smooth. Turn off heat.

Pour cheese mixture over cooked pasta and stir to combine well. Top with more grated cheese and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 35-40 minutes. If you are adding bread crumbs, spread those over top of pasta and grate some cold butter to sprinkle over the crumbs. Bake as directed above.

Pro tip - if you want to make this with cauliflower, lightly boil or steam your cauliflower, drain and chop it into small bite sized pieces and then place it into your oven safe dish. Be careful when chopping if it is still hot. Do not cook it completely or it will be really mushy and watery and you don’t want that. It should still be slightly firm. Pour cheese mixture over the cauliflower, stir well, and top with some more grated cheese. Bake as above.

Enjoy!

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