Easy Creamy Baked Macaroni and Cheese

By
Jennifer Meier
Jennifer Meier
Jennifer Meier
Food writer, cookbook author, and recipe developer Jennifer Meier specializes in creating healthy and diet-specific recipes.
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Updated on 09/26/20
Baked macaroni and cheese

Burwell and Burwell Photography / E+ / Getty Images

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Total: 60 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
580 Calories
33g Fat
33g Carbs
36g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 580
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 33g 43%
Saturated Fat 16g 78%
Cholesterol 233mg 78%
Sodium 1160mg 50%
Total Carbohydrate 33g 12%
Dietary Fiber 4g 14%
Protein 36g
Calcium 781mg 60%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This mac and cheese is easy to make, has a rich flavor, and a smooth and creamy texture that isn't overly heavy and gooey. The secret? A blend of mascarpone, cottage cheese, and gruyere cheese.

The mascarpone and cottage cheese melt completely into the noodles, giving the macaroni and cheese a creamy texture without having to deal with a flour and butter-based sauce. No one will ever guess mascarpone and cottage cheese are the secret ingredients. The gruyere brings bold, sharp flavor to the dish and keeps the texture smooth, not grainy.

Use Large Elbow Macaroni

Large elbow macaroni is larger and there is more room for the cheese to get inside and flavor the noodles. Every noodle is filled with cheesy goodness. The inside of small elbow macaroni noodles don't fill up with cheese, it remains on the outside, and the result is a dish with inferior flavor and texture.

Ingredients

  • 2 3/4 cups uncooked large elbow macaroni
  • 1 1/2 cups full-fat cottage cheese (ideally small curd)
  • 1/2 cup mascarpone
  • 3 cups grated gruyere cheese
  • 2 eggs (whisked)
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt (split)
  • 1 cup panko
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Steps to Make It

  1. Oil or butter an 8x8 (2 quart) baking pan.

  2. Preheat the oven to 375 F.

  3. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook for six minutes (or about 3 minutes less than the regular cooking time. The noodles shouldn't be cooked all the way because they will continue to soften in the oven)

  4. Drain the noodle and rinse well; leaving too much starch on the noodles can make the finished baked macaroni and cheese taste bland.

  5. In a large bowl, mix the cottage cheese, mascarpone, gruyere, eggs and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt.

  6. Add the noodles to the bowl, mixing well, so the noodles are evenly and completely covered with the cheese and egg mixture.

  7. Spread the noodles evenly into the baking pan.

  8. In a small bowl, mix the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt with the panko and olive oil until the breadcrumbs are evenly coated in the oil.

  9. Sprinkle the panko on top of the noodles.

  10. Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes. If the panko topping is not brown and crispy, put the broiler on for the last few minutes of cooking time to make the top brown and crispy.

  11. Once out of the oven, let the baked macaroni and cheese rest for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting into it.

Glass Bakeware Warning

Do not use glass bakeware when broiling or when a recipe calls to add liquid to a hot pan, as glass may explode. Even if it states oven-safe or heat resistant, tempered glass products can, and do, break occasionally.