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Creamy Holiday Mac & Cheese

By Matt Price

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Nov 11, 2026

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This Creamy Holiday Mac & Cheese brings a creamy center, a golden cheese topping, and plenty of flavor without a roux or eggs. Deli American cheese and cream cheese help build the smooth sauce, while Colby Jack, mild cheddar, smoked Gouda, and whole milk mozzarella make this a serious six-cheese side.

This is the kind of mac you can put next to a Sunday dinner or bring straight to the holiday table. The sauce starts on the stove, then everything goes into a baking dish for that browned, bubbly finish.

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Why cream cheese and American cheese work

Cream cheese adds body and a little tang. American cheese from the deli counter melts smoothly and helps the other cheeses blend into the sauce. Together with heavy cream, they make a rich base without cooking flour into a roux or using eggs to set the casserole.

Smoked Gouda brings a gentle smoky note, Colby Jack and mild cheddar build the cheese flavor, and the mozzarella gets mixed into the noodles and sauce right in the baking dish for extra stretch.

Ingredients and cheese tips

The recipe uses 1 pound of elbow macaroni, 4 cups of heavy cream, half a stick of butter, an 8-ounce block of cream cheese, 8 ounces of deli American, 16 ounces each of Colby Jack and mild cheddar, 4 ounces of smoked Gouda, and 4 ounces of shredded whole milk mozzarella. AP seasoning, chicken bouillon, and paprika season the sauce.

• Get the American cheese from the deli counter. Slice or tear it into smaller pieces so it melts easily.
• Shred the Colby Jack, cheddar, and Gouda from blocks when possible. Freshly shredded cheese usually blends into a smoother sauce.
• Reserve some Colby Jack and cheddar for the top. Those cheeses are included in the listed totals, so you do not need extra cheese beyond the recipe.
• Season gradually. Cheese, bouillon, and AP seasoning all contribute salt. Taste the sauce before adding more.

How to make Creamy Holiday Mac & Cheese

1. Cook the pasta. Heat the oven to 350°F. Boil the elbows in salted water until just shy of al dente. Reserve a little pasta water, then drain. The noodles will finish cooking in the oven.

2. Build a smooth sauce. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-low heat, then add the heavy cream. Warm gently without a hard boil. Add the cubed cream cheese and American cheese, stirring until smooth. Season with AP seasoning, chicken bouillon, and paprika to taste.

3. Add the shredded cheeses. Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the smoked Gouda and the Colby Jack and mild cheddar you are using in the sauce, a handful at a time. Keep the reserved topping cheese aside. If the sauce needs loosening, add a small splash of reserved pasta water.

4. Assemble. Fold the drained macaroni into the sauce. Transfer to a large baking dish with enough room for bubbling, or divide between dishes. Mix the 4 ounces of shredded whole milk mozzarella into the cheese and noodles in the dish. Scatter the reserved Colby Jack and cheddar over the top.

5. Bake. Bake uncovered at 350°F for 30–40 minutes, until hot and bubbling with a golden cheese topping. Let it settle briefly before serving so the creamy sauce has a chance to thicken.

Keep the sauce creamy

• Use gentle heat. A hard boil can make the cheese sauce separate or turn grainy.
• Add cheese gradually. Let each handful melt before adding more.
• Do not overcook the pasta. It will soften more during baking.
• Stop baking once it is hot and bubbling. Leaving the dish in the oven too long can dry out the edges.

What to serve with it

Pair this mac with my Smothered Turkey Wings for a comfort-food dinner. Greens, green beans, or a crisp salad balance the rich cheese sauce. It also fits right into a Southern Thanksgiving menu.

Storage and reheating

Refrigerate leftovers in shallow, airtight containers within 2 hours and use within 3–4 days. Reheat covered with a small splash of cream or water to loosen the sauce, until the center reaches 165°F.

Frequently asked questions

Does this mac and cheese have eggs or flour?
No. The sauce gets its body from cream cheese, American cheese, heavy cream, and the other cheeses. There is no roux and there are no eggs.

Can I use pre-shredded cheese?
Yes, but freshly shredded Colby Jack, cheddar, and Gouda generally melt more smoothly. Use shredded whole milk mozzarella in the baking dish as directed.

Why mix the mozzarella into the baking dish?
It adds pockets of melted cheese throughout the noodles instead of disappearing entirely into the stovetop sauce.

Creamy Holiday Mac & Cheese

Matt Price

Creamy baked mac and cheese made with cream cheese, deli American and a blend of Colby Jack, mild cheddar, smoked Gouda and whole milk mozzarella. No roux and no eggs.

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 lb elbow macaroni
• ▢ 8 oz American cheese from the deli counter
• ▢ 16 oz Colby Jack cheese shredded and divided between sauce and topping
• ▢ 8 oz cream cheese 1 block, cubed
• ▢ 4 oz smoked Gouda shredded
• ▢ 16 oz mild cheddar cheese shredded and divided between sauce and topping
• ▢ 4 oz whole milk mozzarella shredded, to mix into the baking dish
• ▢ 4 cups heavy cream
• ▢ ½ stick butter
• ▢ AP seasoning to taste
• ▢ Chicken bouillon to taste
• ▢ Paprika to taste
• ▢ Salted pasta water reserved as needed to loosen the sauce

Instructions

 

• Heat the oven to 350°F. Shred the Colby Jack, mild cheddar and smoked Gouda. Reserve some Colby Jack and mild cheddar for the topping; the remaining Colby Jack and cheddar will go into the sauce.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the elbow macaroni until just shy of al dente, reserve some pasta water, then drain.
• Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the heavy cream and warm gently without a hard boil. Add the cubed cream cheese and deli American cheese in pieces, stirring until melted and smooth.
• Season with AP seasoning, chicken bouillon and paprika to taste. Reduce the heat to low and gradually stir in the smoked Gouda and the Colby Jack and mild cheddar reserved for the sauce. Let each addition melt before adding the next. Loosen with a splash of reserved pasta water if needed.
• Fold the cooked macaroni into the sauce. Transfer to a large baking dish with room for bubbling, or divide between dishes. Mix the 4 ounces of shredded whole milk mozzarella into the cheese and noodles in the baking dish.
• Top with the reserved Colby Jack and mild cheddar. Bake uncovered at 350°F for 30–40 minutes, until hot and bubbling with a golden topping.
• Let the mac and cheese settle briefly before serving.

Notes

Baking time: 30–40 minutes at 350°F. Allow additional time to boil the pasta and make the sauce.

The 16 ounces each of Colby Jack and mild cheddar include both the sauce and the topping. Set some aside before making the sauce. Mix the 4 ounces of whole milk mozzarella into the noodles and cheese in the baking dish.

Use an 8-ounce block of cream cheese and deli-counter American cheese. Half a standard US stick of butter equals 4 tablespoons. Season with AP seasoning, chicken bouillon and paprika to taste.

Keep the heat gentle when melting the cheeses. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and use within 3–4 days. Reheat covered with a little cream or water until the center reaches 165°F.

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