Creamy Baked Four Cheese Mac and Cheese

Gooey, cheesy, and topped with a golden bubbling crust — this baked four cheese mac and cheese is rich comfort food made completely from scratch with cheddar, mozzarella, and cream cheese.

The Best Macaroni and Cheese is so cheesy with three types of cheese! How to make homemade mac n cheese at home. Tips and tricks for making creamy macaroni and cheese.

There’s baked mac and cheese, and then there’s this — a rich, four cheese version built on a from-scratch cheese sauce that’s genuinely creamy all the way through, not just on top. Medium cheddar, sharp cheddar, mozzarella, and cream cheese melt together into a velvety sauce, tossed with tender elbow pasta, then finished in the oven with even more cheese on top. It’s the kind of mac and cheese that disappears fast at potlucks, holidays, and family dinners alike.

What makes this recipe especially versatile is the finishing method. Depending on how you like your mac and cheese, you can either broil it for just a few minutes for an ultra creamy, saucy texture, or bake it longer at a lower temperature for a firmer, more traditional casserole-style mac and cheese with a golden top. Same base recipe, two completely different textures — so you can make it exactly the way your family likes it.

If you’re looking for something quicker with fewer steps, my easy mac and cheese is a great weeknight option, and if you want a little heat, my creamy jalapeño mac and cheese is always a hit too. But when you want a rich, four cheese, from-scratch version worth pulling out for a special occasion, this is the one.

Macaroni and Cheese Ingredients:

Elbow Macaroni Pasta
Butter
Garlic
Flour
Half-n-Half
Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Medium Cheddar Cheese
Mozzarella Cheese
Cream Cheese (or American Cheese)
Spices

We love a rich, creamy macaroni and cheese with a velvet cheese sauce. To accomplish that, you will need to use specific types of cheeses.

This creamy macaroni and cheese recipe calls for cream cheese, which helps to create a creamy, smooth texture. You can swap it out for American cheese, as it helps to keep the sauce extra creamy. It melts so beautifully that it creates a silky smooth cheese sauce.

I like to buy my American cheese from the deli. Boar’s Head makes the best American cheese.

How to make the Best Mac n Cheese:

Start by making your homemade cheese sauce. This is done by first creating a roux or bechamel, which is a flour-thickened milk-based sauce. It starts off by melting butter and adding flour, garlic, and half-n-half. You can substitute half whole milk and half heavy cream for the half-n-half.
Slow add in the cheese! You want to freshly grate the cheese to make sure it properly melts. I like to add 1/2 cup at a time, and allow it to completely melt before adding in more cheese. You can use a mix of cheeses.
Let the sauce thicken and season it with spices, salt, and pepper. There are several choices for seasoning the mac n cheese. Some like to add hot sauce or Frank’s red sauce. You can add paprika, ground mustard, or onion powder. Fold in the pasta.
Pour into a large baking dish and top with extra grated cheese and parsley. Place under a broil for several minutes to allow the cheese to become bubbly. If you want a baked macaroni and cheese, I suggest baking it at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

What type of cheese should I use in Macaroni and Cheese?

There are so many cheese choices out there and determining what types of cheeses to put in your mac and cheese recipe can be overwhelming. You want to look for cheeses that have a melting factor and also good flavor. Moist cheeses (think mozzarella) tend to melt a lot better than older, drier cheeses (think Parmesan).

American Cheese is known for its melting ability and that is because it is emulsifiers added to it to allow it to heat without breaking and becoming curdled.

I like to do a mix of different cheeses. I prefer a little sharp cheddar cheese because of its flavor profile but it doesn’t melt very well so I only use a small amount. I like to add in medium cheddar cheese because it melts better than sharp cheddar cheese and still has flavor. I like to add in either cream cheese or American cheese to add some creaminess to the mac n cheese. I also prefer to add some mozzarella cheese because it is so creamy and melts so well.

Always freshly grate your cheese! Skip the bagged cheese for this mac n cheese recipe.

How to reheat mac n cheese:

Macaroni and cheese is known for seizing up and curdling when it is refrigerated or comes to room temperature. The pasta absorbs the water in the sauce and it changes the texture of the cheese sauce.

To reheat it, add a little bit of milk to the macaroni and cheese and heat it as normal.

If you love Panera mac n cheese, check out my PANERA MACARONI AND CHEESE RECIPE

Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

By: Modern Honey® – www.modernhoney.com The Best Macaroni and Cheese is so cheesy with three types of cheese! How to make homemade mac n cheese at home. Tips and tricks for making creamy macaroni and cheese.Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
Servings: 6

Equipment

emile henry 9 x 13 baking dish
spatula set
measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients

1 lb Elbow Pasta
4 Tablespoons Salted Butter
2 Tablespoons Flour
2 Garlic Cloves (minced)
4 cups Half-n-Half
1 lb. Medium Cheddar Cheese
8 ounces (1/2 lb.) Sharp Cheddar Cheese
4 to 8 ounces Mozzarella Cheese
2 ounces Cream Cheese (or American Cheese)
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Dried Mustard Powder, Paprika

Topping:

8 ounces Cheddar Cheese or Colby Jack (grated)
1 teaspoon Parsley

Instructions

Fill a large pot with water and heat over high heat until boiling. Generously salt the water. Once the water is boiling, cook the elbow pasta according to package instructions.
Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce. Start by using a large skillet or pot and place over medium low heat. Add butter and let melt and then add flour and stir together. Add garlic and stir and add half-n-half. Have the half-n-half ready to go so the garlic doesn't burn.
Let the mixture begin to thicken, about 5-7 minutes.
Start to add the freshly grated cheese, 1/2 cup at a time. Use a whisk to stir well and allow the cheese to fully melt before adding more cheese. Repeat until all the cheese is added. Let it start to thicken.
Add salt, pepper, and spices.
Drain pasta and pour into pot and fold the cheese sauce into the pasta. Taste for seasonings.
Pour into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Top with 8 ounces of grated cheese and sprinkle with parsley.
If you want to just melt the top cheese and keep it very creamy, just set the oven to broil and place the baking dish onto the top rack. Let it cook on broil for about 3-6 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted. *This mac n cheese will be very creamy.If you want a firmer mac n cheese, you can bake it at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. You can place it under the broil for several minutes to toast the cheese.

Notes

I strongly suggest FRESHLY GRATING CHEESE from a block and not using pre-packaged shredded cheese. The bagged shredded cheese has a coating on it to keep it from sticking together and it makes it more difficult to melt. This creamy macaroni and cheese recipe calls for cream cheese, which helps to create a creamy, smooth texture. You can swap it out for American cheese, as it helps to keep the sauce extra creamy. It melts so beautifully that it creates a silky smooth cheese sauce. I like to buy my American cheese from the deli. Boar’s Head makes the best American cheese.

How to reheat mac n cheese:

Macaroni and cheese is known for seizing up and curdling when it is refrigerated or comes to room temperature. The pasta absorbs the water in the sauce and it changes the texture of the cheese sauce. To reheat it, add a little bit of milk to the macaroni and cheese and heat it as normal.

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.