Creamy Macaroni and Cheese
Updated December 28, 2025
Con Poulos for The New York Times. Food Styling: Simon Andrews.
- Total Time
- 1 hour 40 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup cottage cheese (not low-fat)
2 cups milk (not skim)
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Pinch of ground cayenne
Pinch of ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 pound sharp or extra-sharp Cheddar, grated
½ pound elbow pasta, uncooked
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 to 8 servings)
27 grams carbs; 75 milligrams cholesterol; 426 calories; 7 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 25 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 487 milligrams sodium; 22 grams protein; 5 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 375 degrees and position an oven rack in upper third of oven. Use 1 tablespoon butter to grease a 9-inch round or square baking pan.
- Step 2
In a blender, purée cottage cheese, milk, mustard, cayenne, nutmeg and salt and pepper. Reserve ¼ cup grated Cheddar for topping. In a large bowl, combine remaining grated Cheddar, milk mixture and uncooked pasta. Pour into prepared pan, cover tightly with foil and bake 30 minutes.
- Step 3
Uncover pan, stir gently, sprinkle with reserved cheese and dot with remaining tablespoon butter. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes more, until browned. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.
Private Notes
Comments
This is now my go-to Mac & Cheese, with only one alteration to the recipe as published. Omit the added salt. It was way too salty with it. Here is a helpful hint: if you combine all ingredients in your baking dish in the morning, and let it sit in the fridge during the day, it will cook in half the time.
Today was the second time I made this dish. The first time, it came out dry. My kids loved it, but I was left disappointed because it was not creamy as expected. This second time, I par cooked the pasta and cooled it before adding it to the liquid. I didn't bake it for another 30 min. II baked it for 15 minutes. This time it turned out creamy. I believe that cooking the pasta just a little before combining cut the thirst of the pasta & minimized the amount of liquid it absorbed.
The more aged the cheese, the drier it will be. You need to use a moister (i.e. younger) cheddar for a creamier result.
I wanted to like this so much, but this is not a 5 out of 5 star recipe. Following other commenters, I omitted the salt and dabs of butter. The whole thing was greasy, grainy, and lacking enough noodles. I’m glad I tried it, but I won’t be making this again.
Well this was a disappointment. I followed the recipe closely, including weighing all ingredients, and the mac and cheese came out dry and crumbly. Nothing like the photo for the recipe. But if you watch the tutorial video included, the consistency of the dish in their final shot is much closer to what you actually get.
I'm not sure why the recipe as written is so well rated. I didn't enjoy the graininess at all. I have intentions of trying it again with tweaks (replacing some of the sharp cheddar with American/Velveeta for more emulsifying power with a ATK recipe I use, or as Vaugn did on YT with more of a medium cheddar).