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.
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?
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.
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.
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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