Secret Ingredient Creamy Macaroni & Cheese Recipe Is Chef Approved (30 Minutes) by Chef Gigi
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Love macaroni and cheese? Yes, my family has a secret macaroni and cheese recipe, but I'm sharing it with you. Cook once, eat twice! This is a fantastic mac and cheese recipe to serve for dinner as a side dish with your favorite proteins or as a vegetarian lunch or dinner.
This easy macaroni and cheese recipe has two secret ingredients that make it off-the-charts-good: Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper flakes. Trust me, you won't be able to stop eating this macaroni and cheese side dish recipe.
To make this creamy high-protein macaroni and cheese you will need just a few simple ingredients. Here is your shopping list for this creamy stovetop macaroni and cheese recipe: elbow macaroni, olive oil, butter, flour, broth (chicken or vegetable), heavy cream or nut milk, cheddar cheese, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese (read about the health benefits of Parmesan cheese), cayenne pepper, nutmeg, salt and crushed red pepper flakes. The mac and cheese is ready for dinner in about 30 minutes.
This easy high-protein macaroni and cheese is delicious with chicken, pork, turkey, seafood, beef or lamb. Or ladle it into a bowl and grab a spoon for a delicious vegetarian dinner.
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 16 ounces elbow macaroni
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth or vegetable stock
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream or nut milk
- 4 ounces cheddar cheese
- 4 ounces white cheese (I like cream cheese)
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional, but recommended)
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Here's how you make it:
- Cook macaroni to package directions. Drain and toss with olive oil. Set aside. (You could use any short pasta for this recipe.)
- In a large saucepan on low heat, melt the butter and flour together to make a roux. Mix and cook flour, but don’t brown. This will thicken your sauce.
- Combine cream with the stock. When roux is thick, pour to combine liquids in a steady steam while whisking out the lumps. Add more liquid as you stir to smooth out to a mac ‘n cheese-like consistency. The key is to work fast over low heat. The sauce will get tight and you’ll think you’ve made a mistake. Keep going! Keep consistently whisking at a steady pace. It’s OK to take the pan off the heat if you think it’s cooking too fast.
- Add cheese, salt and spices. Combine well. Adjust liquid if necessary. You will know it’s ready when it coats the back of a spoon and you can run your finger through it and it says clean.
- If you’re using the secret ingredients (crushed red pepper flakes and Parmesan) add them now. (Add as much crushed red pepper flakes as you like. You can't beat the flavor!)
- Add the cooked elbow macaroni. Stir to combine. Serve warm. Store the macaroni and cheese covered in the fridge and reheat in the microwave.
Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. Any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.
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Love your assertive, earthy, and complex, with a side of nuttiness thrown in comment. Fits someone I know very well, says she, looking in the mirror. But...I didn't wait to age to acquire those traits. They were pretty much in evidence by the time I hit my mid teens 😱. If my parents would have had ANY idea, I'd probably STILL be grounded, 50 years later 🤯, may they RIP.
Happy Thanksgiving! And thanks for the recipe, AND the chuckle!
Lemme know how it goes! I LOVED hearing from you! Happy Holiday Terry!!