Baked Mac and Cheese (4 Cheese Mac and Cheese)

This creamy baked mac and cheese has 4 cheeses and a delicious toasted breadcrumb topping — it’ll be a star side dish at your next family gathering.

Looking for more Thanksgiving side dishes? Here you go:

Baked Mac and Cheese Ingredients

Here’s everything you need for this 4 cheese mac and cheese:

Macaroni: I use elbow macaroni.

Cheeses: I’m using a combination of extra sharp cheddar, mild cheddar, montery jack, and mozzarella — all freshly shredded. *Please don’t buy the pre-shredded cheeses for this. Freshly shredded melts beautifully into the sauce here.

Milk: Warmed.

Butter: Unsalted.

Flour: For the roux — helps to ensure the cheese sauce thickens and allows the cheese to melt nicely.

Spices: Garlic powder, paprika, ground mustard, onion powder, kosher salt, and black pepper

Panko breadcrumbs: For the topping. We’ll toast it beforehand so that we don’t overbake the mac and cheese trying to develop color.

How to Make Baked Mac and Cheese

Here’s how to make this dish:

Step 1: Prep your ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

I like to start be shredding all of my cheese and setting it aside.

In the meantime, cook your pasta about 2 minutes shy of al dente (it’ll continue cooking in the oven). When done, run under cold water, pop 1 tbs of unsalted butter into it, mix around and set aside to cool completely.

Step 2: Toast your breadcrumbs.

I toast the panko before baking because I found that when I added it as is, I would over bake my mac and cheese trying to get the topping to brown. So to fix this, I began toasting the breadcrumbs to get the color I want first.

Add the 2 tbs of butter and your panko to a skillet and toast until browned. Make sure to stir often so that it doesn’t burn. Set aside.

Step 3: Make the bechemel sauce.

To a cast iron skillet set of medium-low heat, add the butter. Once melted, add the flour and whisk until it forms a paste (this is your roux).

Now, lower the heat slightly and begin SLOWLY adding your milk while whisking. I like to had some melt, whisk until fully incorporated, and then add more milk. I continue this until all of the milk is added and there are no lump.

Next, add the spices and whisk to combine. Turn the heat up slightly and let cook for about 8 minutes, whisking to make sure the bottom doesn’t burn or stick to the pan.

You’ll know the sauce is ready when it coats the back of a spoon and you can make a clean line with your finger, like this:

Step 4: Add the cheese.

Now remove the sauce from the heat. Slowly begin added the cheese a little bit at a time, stirring as you go.

Step 5: Add the cheese sauce to the macaroni.

Now pour the cheese sauce into the pot with the cooled macaroni. Stir to combine (just one or 2 stirs), then pour that BACK into the cast iron.

*Note: If you’re not baking in a cast iron, you can always just have the cooled macaroni already in a baking dish and just pour the cheese directly in there.

Now add the breadcrumb topping evenly over the mac and cheese and bake in the preheated oven for 18–20 minutes or until bubbling slightly on the sides (please don’t over bake or you’ll lose your sauce!!). Once done, remove and serve!

Baked 4 Cheese Mac and Cheese

This creamy baked mac and cheese has 4 cheeses and a delicious toasted breadcrumb topping — it'll be a side dish star at your next gathering.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword baked mac and cheese, mac and cheese

Prep Time 11

Cook Time 30

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

8 oz dried macaroni
3 cups warmed milk
4 tbs unsalted butter
¼ cup flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon ground mustard
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
3.5 cups freshly grated cheese I use 1 cup extra sharp cheddar, 1 cup mozzarella, 1 cup montery jack, and ½ cup mild chedder

Toasted Breadcrumb Topping

⅔ cup seasoned panko
2 tbs unsalted butter

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Make the toasted panko by adding the butter over medium heat. Once melted, add the panko and a pinch of salt. Cook until toasted, stirring often so you don't burn the breadcrumb, until light-medium brown, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
In the meantime, cook the macaroni 2 minutes shy of the recommended directions. Once done, drain and run under cold water. Return to the pot with one tbs of butter, stir, and set aside. (Note: If you're baking the mac and cheese in a baking dish instead of the cast iron, you can add it right in there now.)
To a cast iron skillet set of medium-low heat, add the butter. Once melted, add the flour and whisk until it forms a paste (this is your roux).
Now, lower the heat slightly and begin SLOWLY adding your milk while whisking. I like to had some melt, whisk until fully incorporated, and then add more milk. I continue this until all of the milk is added and there are no lump.
Next, add the spices and whisk to combine. Turn the heat up slightly and let cook for about 8 minutes, whisking to make sure the bottom doesn't burn or stick to the pan.
You'll know the sauce is ready when it coats the back of a spoon and you can make a clean line with your finger.
Remove the pan from the heat. Slowly begin adding the cheese a little at a time, stirring it in. When all of the cheese in added, pour it directly over the macaroni (whether in the pot or a baking dish). Stir to combine.
If baking in the cast iron, pour the macaroni and cheese back in where you cooked the cheese sauce. Add the toasted panko in an even layer.
Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until it begins to bubble. DO NOT over bake or you risk losing the sauce. Remove and serve.