Four cheese baked mac and cheese is the ultimate side dish or main entree! Made with four different kinds of cheese and elbow macaroni in under 50 minutes!
I can’t believe this was the first recipe I ever shared with the universe. Four Cheese Baked Mac and Cheese will forever be one of my favorite meals. My mom thought I would get over it once I grew up, but no. Still not over it.
Now I’ve transitioned over to Loaded Mac and Cheese and Lobster Mac and Cheese. What I love most about this recipe is the fact that it’s classic cheesy mac and cheese. No meats, veggies, nothing fancy, just lots of cheese.
This creamy and cheesy four-cheese baked mac and cheese is super versatile! Throw in some spinach, bacon, etc. You can even add some buttered breadcrumbs on top but for this mac and cheese, I prefer a super cheesy topping.
Although a delicious buttery breadcrumb topping is delicious as well. I just can’t make up my mind. You definitely don’t need an iron skillet for this four-cheese mac and cheese recipe, any oven-safe baking dish works for this recipe.
How to Make Four Cheese Baked Mac and Cheese:
The hardest part about this recipe is making the bechamel sauce, which isn’t hard at all. Here’s all you have to do to make this delicious four-cheese mac and cheese:
- Cook the pasta to packaging instructions.
- Grate the cheeses and leave some behind for the topping.
- In a large skillet, melt some butter over medium-high heat. Stir in some flour and cook for an additional minute.
- Pour in the milk and whisk well. Let the sauce thicken for 15-20 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and add the muenster, pecorino, cheddar, and gruyere cheese. Season with salt, pepper, and dry mustard.
- Add the cooked macaroni to the sauce and mix well.
- Top the macaroni with the remaining cheese and then bake for 20 minutes.
The Four Kinds of Cheese You’ll Need for Four Cheese Baked Mac and Cheese:
Sharp Cheddar – The most popular cheese for mac and cheese. I find this cheese to have a smooth texture with a slightly acidic taste.
Muenster – Made from cow’s milk, semi-soft and perfect for mac and cheese.
Pecorino – Sharp with a salty flavor and hard texture.
Gruyere – Sweet but slightly salty. Did you know that Gruyere cheese is named after the town of Gruyeres?
Top Tips:
Don’t feel like using four kinds of different cheese? Absolutely no worries, feel free to use only cheddar cheese or your favorite kinds of cheese.
However, I highly recommend using blocks of cheese instead of packaged shredded cheese. Cheese that you shred yourself always melts better than packaged shredded cheese.
More Delicious Recipes You’ll Enjoy:
4 Cheese Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 Box Macaroni 16 oz
- 3 Cup Cheddar Cheese
- 1 Cup Muenster
- 1 Cup Gruyere
- 1/4 Pecorino
- 1/2 Stick of Butter
- 1/4 Cup of Flour
- 4 1/2 Cup of Milk
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp Dry Mustard
- Pinch of Cayenne Pepper optional
- Optional: 2 tbsp truffle oil and some buttered breadcrumbs for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt generously.
- While the water comes up to a boil, melt the butter in a skillet and then add the all-purpose flour.
- Whisk the all-purpose flour and melted butter over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes.
- Add the milk and whisk to remove any lumps.
- Cook over medium-high heat until the sauce thickens.
- While the sauce is thickening cook the macaroni according to packaging instructions.
- Once the sauce thickens, stir in 3/4's of the 4 different kinds of cheese, leaving some behind for later.
- Season the cheese sauce with salt and granulated garlic.
- Add the dry mustard.
- When the pasta is almost done cooking, drain it and add it to the cheese sauce.
- Place the macaroni and cheese sauce in a greased casserole dish and top it off with the remaining 4 kinds of cheese.
- Add truffle oil and buttered breadcrumbs if desired.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes.
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