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large pan full of creamy mac and cheese with spoon scooping out heaping portion, melty cheese

Creamy Mac and Cheese (No-Fail and Break-Proof)

This is truly a no-fail creamy, baked mac and cheese recipe. You can make it ahead to feed a crowd.
5 from 2 votes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound uncooked elbow macaroni noodles Barilla brand
  • cups whole milk warmed
  • 12 ounces evaporated milk warmed
  • 1 oz or ¼ cup of shredded gouda
  • 3 oz or 3/4 cup of shredded Gruyere
  • 4 oz or 1 cup of shredded Jarlsberg cheese
  • 8 oz or 2 cups shredded white or sharp cheddar cheese divided
  • 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
  • 3 ounces American or Velveeta I like the queso Velveeta
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon dry mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • Dash of cayenne pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup butter cubed
  • Panko optional
  • ¼ cup Parmesan Reggiano Cheese optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 325° F.
  • Spray 9 x 13 casserole dish with non-stick spray.
  • On the stovetop boil a large pot of salted water and cook the pasta until just done, as instructed on the macaroni package.
  • Drain pasta and add the pasta back to the pot. Stir the milks, 6 ounces of the cheddar cheese, other cheeses, salt, pepper, mustard, garlic and cayenne pepper.
  • Once thoroughly mixed, add the mixture to the sprayed casserole dish, making sure macaroni is submerged in liquid as much as possible.
  • Top with the 2 ounces of remaining cheddar, and dot with cubed butter.
  • Cook mac and cheese in the oven at 325 degrees F for about 1 hour or until heated through, or refrigerate until you are ready to cook it. It should last in the fridge for 3 days.
  • Keep the lid or aluminum foil over the baking dish until the last 10 minutes. When done, pasta will be tender, and the liquid will be thick and creamy. The sauce will thicken even more after lid is removed and the mac and cheese sits for a few minutes.
  • Optional topping layer: Mix Panko breadcrumbs, butter, and parmesan together for an added crunch as a topping. Sprinkle on after removing the lid.
  • Remove the lid or foil the last 10 minutes of cooking to brown the cheese.
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