When you’re looking for the ultimate comfort food, look no further than this four-cheese macaroni and cheese. It’s one of our most popular recipes. Since it’s made with 4 cheeses (Gouda, sharp cheddar, Swiss, and Parmesan), the flavor and texture of this baked pasta is hard to beat. And you won’t get tired of this homemade mac and cheese recipe because we give you six recipe variations to try. You'll love how easy it is to create the creamy white sauce that gets topped with a crispy panko bread crumbs mixture.
How to Make Creamy Four Cheese Mac and Cheese without Baking
If you're craving extra-creamy mac and cheese (or if you're short on time), skip the oven. Omit the baking dish and crumb mixture in Step 5; dive in after stirring everything together.
Four-Cheese Mac and Cheese Ingredients
- Pasta: This recipe calls for pasta shapes that capture and hold the sauce making every bite extra cheesy. Cavatappi pasta is a spiral-shaped noodle with ridges and is ideal for mac and cheese but corkscrew, penne, or traditional elbow macaroni would work as well.
- White Sauce: Combine the butter, flour, and milk to make a bechamel sauce, one of the French mother sauces. This is the rich and creamy base for the cheese sauce. Use a ratio of 1:1 butter to flour to make the roux. A roux made with 3 tablespoons butter and flour each will thicken 2 1/2 cups of milk to reach the desired consistency.
- Panko: Japanese bread crumbs make a crispy topper. If you prefer, you can use other pantry items (like cracker crumbs or cereal) for a crunchy topper.
- Cheese: When it comes to making a cheese sauce; macaroni and cheese; a cheesy casserole, or pizza, get out the shredder and reach for one of these types of cheese that shred and melt well: American, cheddar, Colby, Comté, Gouda, Gruyère, Jarlsberg, Monterey Jack, mozzarella, American Muenster, provolone, and Swiss.
We chose the following:
- Gouda: When young, this cow's milk cheese has a semisoft, creamy texture and slightly nutty flavor. It's a great melting cheese. With its earthy and more pronounced caramel-like flavor, a semi-firm aged Gouda is great for a cheese board.
- Cheddar: Age determines whether this semi-firm cow's milk cheese has a mild or sharp flavor, and its color ranges from cream to pumpkin orange. We think it's one of the best cheese options for macaroni and cheese, We used a sharp cheddar for the best flavor.
- Swiss: Made in the U.S., this cow's milk cheese was originally patterned after the Alpine cheeses of Switzerland. It has a mild, slightly nutty flavor and small holes. It's a good choice in sandwiches and one of the best cheese types for fondue—especially if you prefer a milder flavor than the bold Alpine cheeses (including Gruyère or Comté) typically included in fondue.
- Parmesan: Though not a top melter, we used just a bit of Parmesan for its rich, sharp flavor.
Ingredients
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Nonstick cooking spray
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1 16-ounce package dried cavatappi or corkscrew-shape pasta
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3 tablespoons unsalted butter
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⅓ cup finely chopped onion (1 small)
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3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
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½ teaspoon kosher salt
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¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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2 ½ cups milk
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8 ounces Gouda cheese, shredded* (2 cups)
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4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded* (1 cup)
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4 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded* (1 cup)
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½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
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1 tablespoon butter, melted
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½ cup panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
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Snipped fresh parsley (optional)
Directions
Preheat broiler. Coat a 2 1/2- to 3-quart broiler-safe au gratin or baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
Test Kitchen Tip: If you don't have a broiler-safe baking dish, preheat oven to 450°F.
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Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boiling. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain and return to the warm pot.
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Meanwhile, in a large saucepan melt the 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir for 3 minutes. Stir in flour, kosher salt, and pepper.
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Add milk all at once. Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Cook and whisk for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat.
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Add Gouda cheese, cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, whisking until cheeses are melted and sauce is smooth.
Test Kitchen Tip: To ensure a smooth, creamy dish, buy chunks of cheese and shred the cheese just before using. Preshredded cheese doesn't melt as smoothly because of added starches.
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Add the cheese sauce to cooked pasta; stir to coat. Transfer mixture to prepared dish.
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In a small microwave-safe bowl melt the 1 teaspoon butter. Stir in panko and the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle panko mixture over pasta mixture. Broil in a baking dish that is 5 to 6 inches from the heat for about 2 minutes or until the top is browned. If desired, garnish with parsley.
Test Kitchen Tip: If you don't have a broiler-safe baking dish, after sprinkling pasta mixture with panko mixture, bake at 450°F about 10 minutes or until panko mixture is golden brown.
Mac and Cheese Recipe Variations
Here's how to make a few of our favorite twists on the classic macaroni and cheese recipe.
Bacon and Blue Cheese Mac and Cheese
Prepare Four-Cheese Macaroni and Cheese as directed, except stir 3 slices crisp-cooked, drained, and crumbled bacon and 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (1 ounce) into panko mixture before sprinkling over pasta mixture.
Nutrition analysis per serving: 781 calories, 39 g protein, 72 g carbohydrate, 37 g total fat (22 g sat. fat), 120 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 9 g total sugar, 21% Vitamin A, 2% Vitamin C, 1029 mg sodium, 80% calcium, 18% iron
Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese
Prepare Four-Cheese Macaroni and Cheese as directed, except preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place 1 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes, in the prepared baking pan. Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil over squash pieces; toss to coat. Roast, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir cooked squash into pasta with the cheese sauce.
Nutrition analysis per serving: 822 calories, 37 g protein, 83 g carbohydrate, 38 g total fat (21 g sat. fat), 111 mg cholesterol, 5 g fiber, 11 g total sugar, 213% Vitamin A, 30% Vitamin C, 862 mg sodium, 81% calcium, 21% iron
Cajun Mac and Cheese
Prepare as directed, except use dried rigatoni or ziti for the pasta, omit salt in the white sauce, and omit Parmesan cheese in the cheese sauce and in the crumb topper. In a 6-inch skillet heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil over medium. Add 1/2 cup each chopped red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and celery; cook and stir 5 minutes or until softened. Remove from skillet. Add 8 ounces sliced, cooked andouille sausage to skillet; cook and stir over medium heat until browned. Whisk 8 ounces shredded Gouda cheese, 4 ounces shredded Swiss cheese, 2 ounces each shredded sharp cheddar and torn American cheeses, and 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning into White Sauce. Stir pepper mixture, sausage, and 8 ounces peeled and deveined, small fresh shrimp into pasta mixture. Continue as directed.
Makes 6 (1 2/3-cup) servings. Per serving: 849 calories, 46 g protein, 71 g carbohydrate, 42 g total fat (23 g sat. fat), 188 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 10 g total sugar, 36% Vitamin A, 29% Vitamin C, 1107 mg sodium, 59% calcium, 20% iron
Jalapeno Popper Mac and Cheese
Prepare as directed, except omit cheddar, Swiss, and Parmesan cheeses. Whisk 8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers, 4 ounces shredded Gouda cheese, and 4 ounces cut-up cream cheese into white sauce. Stir 3 to 4 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and thinly sliced or chopped, and 6 slices crumbled, crisp-cooked bacon into pasta mixture. Continue as directed. If desired, top with 2 slices additional crumbled, crisp-cooked bacon before serving. Makes 6 to 8 (1 1/2-cup) servings.
Per serving: 753 calories, 31 g protein, 70 g carbohydrate, 39 g total fat (22 g sat. fat), 115 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 9 g total sugar, 26% Vitamin A, 10% Vitamin C, 925 mg sodium, 43% calcium, 16 g iron
Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese
Prepare Four-Cheese Macaroni and Cheese as directed, except substitute white cheddar cheese for the sharp cheddar cheese and fontina cheese for the Swiss cheese. Stir one 15-ounce can pumpkin and 1 tablespoon snipped fresh sage into cheese sauce before adding to pasta.
Nutrition analysis per serving: 765 calories, 37 g protein, 77 g carbohydrate, 34 g total fat (21 g sat. fat), 116 mg cholesterol, 5 g fiber, 11 g total sugar, 242% Vitamin A, 8% Vitamin C, 977 mg sodium, 74% calcium, 23% iron
Truffle Mac and Cheese
Prepare Four-Cheese Macaroni and Cheese as directed, except drizzle crumb topping with 1 to 2 tablespoons truffle oil before broiling.
Nutrition analysis per serving: 759 calories, 36 g protein, 72 g carbohydrate, 36 g total fat (20 g sat. fat), 111 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 9 g total sugar, 20% Vitamin A, 2% Vitamin C, 858 mg sodium, 77% calcium, 17% iron
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
| 739 | Calories |
| 34g | Fat |
| 72g | Carbs |
| 36g | Protein |
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings Per Recipe 6 | |
| Calories 739 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 34g | 44% |
| Saturated Fat 20g | 100% |
| Cholesterol 111mg | 37% |
| Sodium 858mg | 37% |
| Total Carbohydrate 72g | 26% |
| Total Sugars 9g | |
| Protein 36g | 72% |
| Vitamin C 1.1mg | 1% |
| Calcium 767mg | 59% |
| Iron 3.1mg | 17% |
| Potassium 418mg | 9% |
| Folate, total 206.5mcg | |
| Vitamin B-12 2.1mcg | |
| Vitamin B-6 0.2mg | |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
