When I think of comfort food, I think of mac and cheese. However, this 4 cheese mac and cheese takes it up to the next lever!
4 Cheese Mac and Cheese Recipe
This recipe is a lovely spin on the classic Mac and Cheese, which is usually made with only one cheese- cheddar.
First, I cooked the pasta, made the bechamel sauce, added the 4 cheeses, and mixed the cooked pasta with the cheese sauce.
Then, I transferred the mixture into a baking dish, sprinkled panko on top, and let the oven do its magic. Ta-dh!
You'll Need
- Dried cavatappi shape pasta: It's totally fine to use elbow-shaped pasta instead.
- Butter: I use unsalted.
- Onion: Essential to the flavour.
- All-purpose flour
- Milk: I use full-fat milk.
- Cheese: I use 4 kinds of cheese Gouda, sharp cheddar cheese, Mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.
- Panko Breadcrumbs: I use these as a topping.
- Fresh parsley: to garnish the dish.
“See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.”
How To Make The Recipe
One: To begin, we'll grease a baking dish with oil and set it aside for later.
Two: We're also going to grate or chop any of the ingredients beforehand. You can grate the cheeses or chop them into chunks for your convenience. Don't forget to peel and dice the onion beforehand as well.
Three: Now, let's cook the pasta. You can follow the instructions mentioned on the package or follow this standard procedure:
- Put a pot of water on the stove, add salt, and a spoonful of oil of your choice to it and let it boil.
- Add the pasta to the boiling water and let it cook until al dente. Al dente translates to 'to the tooth' in Italian, meaning that it should have a bite to it. It should neither be too mushy nor uncooked and hard.
- Once al dente, drain the warm water.
Whilst you're waiting for the pasta to boil, it's a good idea to start making the cream sauce for the pasta:
Four: Take out a large saucepan and melt butter over medium heat. Now add the diced onion and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes until they turn slightly transparent and the edges have turned brown (photo 1).
Five: Now, stir in flour, salt, and black pepper, and then add milk. Go slow with adding these ingredients while continuously whisking them together. Once this mixture is thick, remove the saucepan from the heat (photo 2).
Six: It's time to add the four kinds of cheese to the saucepan. Add the mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, Gouda cheese and half of Parmesan cheese until a creamy sauce is prepared. Make sure the cheese melts and blends well together (photo 3 & 4).
Pro Tip: When taking the saucepan off the heat to add the cheese, go slow with the process. Add the one cheese and let it dissolve into the sauce before adding the next. It's also a good idea to cut them into chunks to melt faster.
Seven: As your pasta has probably come to a boil and is ready to go, pour the saucepan mixture all over the pasta. Coat the pasta with the cheesy sauce, stirring it a few times (photo 5 & 6).
Eight: Finally, we're going to transfer this mixture to the baking dish (photo 8).
For that extra gourmet touch, we're going to top the pasta with a layer of panko and parmesan cheese which will give us that extra crunch.
Nine: For this, in a microwave-safe bowl, melt 1 teaspoon of butter. Mix the panko and the remaining second half of the parmesan cheese into this butter. Lastly, sprinkle this mixture, creating a top layer over the pasta and place it into the oven (photo 7 & 9).
Ten: Bake for 5-10 minutes or until the top is beautifully golden brown. garnish with fresh parsley and serve. Voila!
Serve It With
Pair it with some Roasted Green Beans and Carrots or Buttered Peas, Tomato And Onion Salad, Japanese Seaweed Salad, or Summer Coleslaw Salad on the side, and you've got yourself a fancy meal!
This macaroni and cheese, however, also makes for an excellent side! Whether it's Lamb Seekh Kebab, Cajun Fried Shrimp, Boom Boom Shrimp, Savoury Mince or Baked Chicken Poppers. Happy Munching!
More Mac And Cheese Recipes
- Greek Yogurt Mac And Cheese
- Beef Mac And Cheese (One-Pot Recipe)
- Creamy Mac And Cheese
- Old Fashioned Baked Macaroni And Cheese
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4 Cheese Mac And Cheese
Ingredients
- 400 g dried cavatappi shape pasta
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 small onion , finely chopped
- 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 ½ cups milk
- 1 cup Gouda cheese , shredded
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese , shredded
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese , shredded
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese , grated
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- ¾ cup panko
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Grease a baking dish with oil. Cook the pasta in lightly salted boiling water according to package instructions. Drain and return to the warm pot.
- In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, add onion and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Now, stir in flour, salt, and black pepper, and add milk (whisking constantly) until thickened. Then remove from heat.
- Add mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, Gouda cheese, and half of the Parmesan cheese, whisking until cheeses are melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Now, pour the cheese sauce over the cooked pasta; stir to coat. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the 1 teaspoon butter, then stir in panko and the remaining Parmesan cheese and sprinkle the mixture over the pasta.
- Bake for 5-10 minutes or until the top is browned. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Beatrix says
Delicious and super easy to make, I didn't have Panko, so I only topped it with parmesan cheese, and it was so good.
Melissa says
So delicious and creamy, I loved it so much.