Mac and cheese with cream cheese — need a last-minute Thanksgiving side?


This Mac and Cheese with Cream Cheese is the kind of side dish that fits right in on your Thanksgiving table. It’s extra creamy and cheesy, comes together on the stovetop in one pot, and uses ingredients you probably already keep on hand.

It works great next to turkey, ham, or roasted veggies, and it’s one of those sides both kids and adults usually go for first.

The cream cheese is what makes this version different. It doesn’t make the sauce very tangy; it makes it thicker and smoother and helps keep the cheese from turning grainy as it cools. The sauce stays creamy on the table and still works when you reheat leftovers the next day.

If you’ve had mac and cheese turn gluey or separate, this version is set up to avoid that so you get a smooth, creamy cheese sauce instead. You whisk the milk in slowly so the sauce comes together evenly, then use a little pasta water at the end if it feels too thick.

It’s not fussy and doesn’t need perfect measuring, which is helpful when the kitchen is busy and you have a lot of other dishes going.

Pin this recipe on Pinterest for later


More Thanksgiving Recipes For You:

Real Balanced — Sara Nelson

Enjoy easy & balanced recipes — ranging from 30-minute weeknight dinners to holiday appetizers and everything in between. My goal is to make sure you can cook a successful and memorable dish every single time.

Read more from Real Balanced — Sara Nelson
A grilled cheese sandwich cut in half with melted cheese stretching, served with bacon, carrot sticks, and potato chips on brown parchment paper.

This easy Turkey Melt recipe shows you how to make a hot grilled turkey and cheese sandwich on sourdough with Swiss, provolone, bacon, and tomato. It’s ready in about 15 minutes and works for a quick lunch or weeknight dinner. This turkey melt recipe focuses on texture: crisp toasted bread, plenty of melted cheese, and enough turkey so each bite feels hearty. The cheese sits under and over the meat so it melts evenly and holds the sandwich together in the pan. You can keep it plain for picky...

A hand holding a cracker with jalapeño cranberry dip.

Hi, friends! If you’re still piecing together your Christmas menu (or you just want a few fun extras that don’t take all day), I pulled together a handful of last-minute holiday recipes for breakfast, appetizers, dinner, and dessert. If you want a “wow, who made this?” moment, pick one of these. Biscuits and Gravy Casserole This recipe takes everything people love about a classic Southern breakfast and turns it into one simple bake. FIND RECIPE Sweet Potato Bread with Brown Butter Cream...

A loaf of cinnamon pull-apart bread with icing drizzled on top, with one piece partially pulled away; two bottles of milk are in the background.

This Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread bakes up soft, buttery, and filled with layers of warm cinnamon sugar in every bite. Each fluffy section pulls apart easily, topped with sweet icing drizzle that melts into the loaf as it cools. It’s perfect for Christmas morning, brunch, or anytime people are hanging around the kitchen looking for something sweet. You don’t need plates or knives because the pieces pull right off, already covered in cinnamon sugar and icing. Even if you’re not usually a baker,...