Creamy Baked Four Cheese Mac and Cheese
Creamy Baked Four Cheese Mac and Cheese is a staple recipe many households enjoy year-round. It’s the one recipe every cook should have, perfect for any gathering, and the quintessential Southern comfort food.
Here are a few more mac and cheese recipes you might enjoy: Beef Bacon Mac and Cheese, Chicken Meatball Mac & Cheese, and Brisket Mac and Cheese
Macaroni and cheese recipes can become the topic of “healthy” discussion when people talk about how they’re made. Many versions exist that we’ve all grown to know and love, so there are multiple ways to make it.
Some prefer to make it on the stovetop, while others bake it; some use eggs, and some don’t. The cheese you use will also vary, as will the techniqueāand that’s where the real difference lies.
The mac and cheese I grew up on is very different from what I make for my family now. Growing up, the foundation was always a baked mixture of cooked macaroni, milk (whole, evaporated, heavy cream, or half-and-half), cheddar cheese, and sometimes eggs. This is what I call traditional Southern baked macaroni and cheese, AKA Soul Food mac and cheese.
My version uses a BĆ©chamel sauce (technically a Mornay sauce), which gives my recipe distinct creaminess and makes for very rich mac and cheese. However, I still bake it, so it still has some traditional components. It uses a combination of cheeses for both the creamy cheese sauce and the topping, making for the ultimate baked mac and cheese.
This is a family favorite and is requested multiple times throughout the year. It goes without saying it takes the top spot among all side dishes during the holidays.
You know I wasn’t going to toot my own horn here, but this is some of the best baked mac and cheese I have ever made.
Which cheeses should I use to make four-cheese mac and cheese?
I chose four different cheeses. I think this is a great combination for this easy baked mac and cheese recipe:
- Sharp or medium cheddar is tangy, with more complex, deeper flavors. Because it’s aged longer, it has a sharper, more pronounced cheddar flavor.
- White cheddar is a New York-style cheddar with a sharp, buttery flavor, but tends to be milder than the sharp cheddar above.
- Gouda has a rich, nutty, caramel-like flavor and a smooth, creamy texture. It’s a household favorite that I use in many recipes.
- Mozzarella has a distinct but mild, somewhat salty flavor and does a great job picking up flavors from other ingredients. I can eat mozzarella on anything you can put cheese over.
Ingredients you’ll need to make Creamy Baked Four Cheese Mac and Cheese:
- The most popular pasta for mac and cheese is elbow or macaroni. I prefer large elbow pasta because the wider tubes hold a little more creamy cheese sauce.
- I discussed the cheese in detail a little earlier. I chose cheddar, Gouda, white cheddar, and mozzarella.
- I use low-sodium chicken stock to make my cheese sauce. It adds the needed flavor without over-salting the dish.
- I make my roux with butter and all-purpose flour, then add heavy whipping cream to make the bƩchamel.
- For my seasonings and herbs, I added garlic, oregano, thyme, and sea salt.
How to make Creamy Baked Four Cheese Mac and Cheese:
Boil the pasta. Boil the macaroni as instructed, drain it, and transfer it to a large bowl. (Make sure your pasta is cooked “al dente” and is not overcooked or mushy. Since the pasta will continue to cook in the oven, start with “al dente” pasta to account for the extra baking time.)
Prepare the bƩchamel sauce. While the pasta cooks, work on the sauce. Start by adding the butter, garlic, and flour to the pan, stirring until the butter melts. Add the chicken stock and heavy whipping cream, then stir until it begins to bind. Next, add all the seasonings.
Add the cheese to the sauce. Add the shredded sharp cheddar, Gouda, and white cheddar cheeses to the pan. Stir until well blended, creamy, and smooth.
Combine the cheese sauce with the pasta. Chop the mozzarella block into chunks and set aside. Pour the sauce over the cooked pasta and add the cheese blocks. Now fold everything together.
Add to a casserole dish (paid link) and bake. Pour all ingredients into a 9×13 casserole dish (paid link), then top with shredded medium cheddar. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes; remove from the oven and serve.
Baked Mac & Cheese FAQs
- What is a bĆ©chamel or mornay sauce? Five core sauces are used in most French cuisine (AKA the five mother French sauces): hollandaise, veloutĆ©, tomato, espagnole, andbĆ©chamel. BĆ©chamel is a white sauce made from a roux (flour and butter) plus milk. It can add an amazingly creamy and rich texture to almost any dish and becomes the base for many other sauces, like Mornay. Mornay is made by adding cheese like GruyĆØre, Parmesan, or cheddar to bĆ©chamel sauce.
- How much mac and cheese does this recipe make? Perfect for the holidays, this recipe prepares a large casserole for a small gathering of 8-10. Feel free to cut the recipe in half if only needed for a smaller gathering of 4.
- Can I make this recipe ahead of time? Follow all instructions except the final baking step. Once assembled, cover your casserole dish (paid link) with foil and place it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When you are ready to bake your mac and cheese, allow it to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then bake according to the instructions.
- Can I store this mac and cheese? What I love about this recipe is it is great days after making it. It’s almost as if the cheese melts all over again. And that’s because of the base bĆ©chamel/mornay sauce. You can place any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
If this is your first time making homemade mac and cheese, this easy recipe will have you cooking like a pro in no time!
This crowd-pleasing, creamy mac and cheese recipe is a family favorite any day, any time of year. If you want to make a great impression, try this recipe, and you will not regret it. It’s a good one!
Print
Creamy Baked Four Cheese Mac and Cheese
Made with four cheeses, this Creamy Baked Four Cheese Mac and Cheese recipe gets its creaminess from mornay sauce (made from bƩchamel).
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 10 1x
Ingredients
- 5 cups large macaroni pasta, dry/uncooked
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp ground thyme
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 16 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 8 oz gouda cheese, shredded
- 8 oz white cheddar cheese, shredded
- 16 oz mozzarella cheese block, cubed
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- Cook macaroni pasta as instructed. Drain (do not rinse) and add to a large bowl. Set to the side.
- While your pasta cooks, add the butter and minced garlic to a large pan over medium-low heat. Once the butter melts, add the flour and whisk (paid link). Stir consistently until combined.
- Pour the chicken stock and heavy whipping cream into the cooking pan, then stir until well combined.
- Add oregano, ground thyme, garlic powder, sea salt, 8 oz. sharp cheddar, Gouda, and white cheddar to the pan. Stir until smooth and creamy. Using a whisk (paid link) may help with this step.
- Pour the cheese sauce over the cooked macaroni. Add the mozzarella cubes to the same bowl. Fold the ingredients together.
- Pour the ingredients into a 9×13 casserole dish (paid link) and top with the remaining sharp cheddar. Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Allow to cool, then serve.
Notes
How much mac and cheese does this recipe make? Perfect for the holidays, this recipe prepares a large casserole for a small gathering of 8-10. Feel free to cut the recipe in half if you only need it for a smaller gathering of 4.
Can I make this recipe ahead of time? Follow all instructions except the final baking step. Once assembled, cover the casserole dish (paid link) with foil and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When you are ready to bake your mac and cheese, allow it to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then bake according to the instructions.
Can I store this mac and cheese? What I love about this recipe is it is great days after making it. It’s almost as if the cheese melts all over again. And that’s because of the base bĆ©chamel/mornay sauce. You can place any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Comfort Food, Pasta
- Method: Baked, Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 660
- Sugar: 3.6g
- Sodium: 780mg
- Fat: 38.8g
- Carbohydrates: 40.4g
- Fiber: 1.9g
- Protein: 36.4g
- Cholesterol: 118mg
Recipe looks and sounds fantastic, lots of specific details carefully explained but not once do i see a dish size mentioned, the link you provided leads to a pair of casserole dishes but I dont see a reference to which specific size is used in this recipe and in the pictures youāre using a different dish entirely, can you please clarify which dish size is required for this recipe? I have a regular 9×13ā ceramic casserole dish but I canāt decide if itās going to be large enough or not. Cant wait to try this!
Hello, Corey. You’ll need a 9×13 casserole dish for this recipe. I’ve added this to the post as well. Let me know if you have other questions. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Really really good macaroni recipe, unfortunately the mozzarella wouldnāt melt so I had to toss it, even without it was delicious. Maybe a different cheese next time.
OK. Thanks for your feedback, Jonathan. Sorry about the cheese issue; maybe next time try cutting the mozzarella into smaller pieces and possibly using a moist mozzarella vs a low moisture to see if that helps? Thanks again!
I made this for my grandsons birthday. It was a hit! BUT, I made it the day before, followed instructions and let sit at room temperature. Then baked, but it came out of oven with ALOT of oil on top! Why? Is it the cheeses I used? It was very good, I just did not care for all the oil!
Hi, Donna! So glad it was a hit! You can’t go wrong with mac and cheese. š
In regards to the oil, it is true that different cheese types have different fat percentages which results in varying levels of the “milk fat” you see. As cheese continues to melt, it releases more fat. You could try covering your baking dish with foil to ensure the cheese doesn’t continue to brown and therefore release more oil? Also, aged cheeses, like cheddar, have a higher fat content. You can try topping your mac and cheese with a skim or lower fat cheese.
This recipe is a 5 out of 5 but what I don’t like is that after it’s cooled down, the fat/grease separation is nasty and it’s like the cheese slips off the noodles, all creaminess is lost. Unsure if there’s a way to revive it all after it’s been refrigerated and reheated. I will make again but will not make much more than I need since leftovers aren’t so great.
Hello, CP! Cheddar cheese, in particular, does have a tendency to “oil off” as the fat separates from the cheese. It also depends on the type of cheese used. To reheat, I suggest adding a little milk to the mac and cheese (about a tablespoon per cup of mac and cheese).
Thanks for the tip!! I’ll try that as I’m making this for turkey day. It’s really an amazing recipe, that was the only downfall. I used Kroger block sharp cheddar cheese for this. If there’s another cheddar cheese that is better happy to know what that is. Thank you!!
I’m a native Texan living in Switzerland and was looking for a mac n cheese recipe for Thanksgiving (for a bunch of half-American kids who haven’t really grown up with mac n cheese in Switzerland). I had to really improvise with the cheese as the only cheddar available is white English-style and mozzarella only comes in soft form. I used a mix of white cheddar, gouda and Gruyere. In the end it was more like fondue and noodles, but we love our fondue around here so no one complained. It made the perfect amount for our group of 14.
Hi Rebecca! Using soft cheeses (that contain more milk) will certainly change the consistency of the sauce. Adjusting the amount of heavy cream may have helped. Glad it came out great anyway!
I made this for a potluck dinner. Rave reviews and it was the first dish that was all gobbled up. š
Nice! It’s hard to pass up a creamy mac and cheese. So glad it was a hit!
Family and friends loved it more than any other they have had – now i am asked to bring it for family get togethers. Have also had kids moms call and ask for the recipe.
Modifications tried
* Used Veg stock for those vegetarians in the family
* Added cracker crumb topping from other similar recipes
* Have added a buffet of add ons as sides for the non-vegetarian folks (BBQ, Buffalo Chicken, Lobster)
Struggled a little with the dry noddle amounts at the beginning.
Have had a request to try and add Blue Cheese – waiting to try that next time
This is awesome JK! Thanks so much for sharing and really glad everyone is enjoying it!!
This turned out perfect, i used smoked gouda with bacon and 1 ounce of cream cheese beause I didn’t have enough mozzarella haha. But it came out delicious thank you for sharing!
Thanks for sharing, Alexa! Glad it was a hit!
Planning on making for Thanksgiving but I have a lot of extra sides to make as well. Could I stop at step 4 to get it prepped and then bake the following day? Or do you think the noodles would soak up too much of the sauce and it not be as creamy once baked?
Hi Catrina! I think the noodles would expand and soak up a lot of the sauce. I would keep the sauce separate until you are ready to bake it. So, you can make the sauce in advance, refrigerate the sauce, add the noodles and cheese blocks to your dish, and store both. Then the day you want to bake it, fold in the cheese, and bake.
HOLY CRAP THIS IS FANTASTIC. NEVER USING MY OLD RECIPE AGAIN. DEFINITELY BEST ADDITION TO SUNDAY DINNER
Hahaha! Thanks, Yolanda! Glad you enjoyed it.
I followed the recipe exactly and WOW! My family and I loved it! There was not a bite left after dinner was over. This will definitely be my go-to Mac and cheese recipe!
So glad your family enjoyed it, Lilly!
Oh my goodness! This macaroni recipe was a HUGE hit at a BBQ I attended for my daughter’s volleyball banquet! It was beyond delicious. It will be my go-to from now on!
That is great to hear!
This is real mac & cheese! The texture and flavor–everything–was on point and it reheated perfectly. Thank you!
Yum, yum, yum! This 4 cheese mac was splendid. Adding chicken stock took this meal to next to level. I think this is the secret ingredient. Thanks for sharing:)
I’m always looking for new mac and cheese recipes to try and this one is by far my favorite one that I’ve come across! Thanks so much for sharing, we loved it!
Four cheeses and a roux made with heavy whipping cream resulted in the richest mac and cheese I have ever experienced.
This Mac & cheese is similar to how I make mine and I’m a fan! I have to consider adding minced garlic the next time I fix it.
So creamy and delicious! I made a half recipe for Sunday dinner and I will definitely be making it again soon!
This is literally the perfect macaroni and cheese. It’s creamy and rich and super cheesy! We all loved this recipe!
This was the gooiest mac and cheese I’ve had in a while. The gouda sets it off. Thanks for sahring.
We love gouda and use it in everything — especially this recipe!
Hello, this recipe looks delicious. Iām just a bit confused because you talk about your cheese choices in detail and you say itās ā4 cheeseā mac, yet in the actual recipe you have 5 cheeses. And 9-10 cups of cheese paired with only 5 cups of cooked pasta seems excessive and trust me, I love cheese! Is this correct? Thank you! Iād love to make this soon.
Hi Jaimee! There are four types of cheese. The “fifth” cheese is used as the topping but is the same kind of cheese used inside the cheese sauce. For the pasta, the measurement is for dry/uncooked pasta. Your pasta will double in size (approx.) so you would end up with almost 10 cups of cooked pasta. Hope this helps. FYI…this makes a large serving of mac and cheese so feel free to cut the recipe in half. Hope you enjoy it!