We have a saying in our house- “All of the Cheese Please”.
And when we say all of the cheese, we mean it. There’s never too much of it.
If you agree, you should definitely try out this 5-Cheese Baked Mac & Cheese. It’s the ooiest-gooiest blend of sharp cheddar, white cheddar, mozzarella, Asiago, and Parmesan.
- Servings– 4 (Makes 8 x 8 baking dish)
- Total Time– 45 minutes
Baked Mac & Cheese Ingredients:
- Pasta– short cut pastas with grooves such as macaroni, cellentini, or rotini pasta work best to catch all of the cheesy sauce.
- Butter– either salted or unsalted.
- Flour– just general all-purpose. This is used to make a light roux and thicken your cheese sauce.
- Milk/Cream– Either half & half or whole milk. I tend to use half & half. It’s creamier and has a better flavor than whole milk, but less fat than heavy cream.
- Seasonings & Herbs– fresh thyme, ground nutmeg, kosher salt, and fresh cracked pepper.
- Cheese– You can’t have mac & cheese without cheese. I used a blend of sharp cheddar, white cheddar, mozzarella, Asiago, and Parmesan. This blend of cheeses works so well. They balance and compliment each other. Do you have to use this blend? No! Feel free to mix it up and get creative.
Equipment Needed:
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How to Make Baked Mac & Cheese:
- Prepare Noodles– bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add short-cut pasta and cook according to the directions on the package. Drain pasta and set aside.
- Make Cheese Sauce–
- Grate all cheeses and mix together in a medium mixing bowl, set aside. In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat.
- Add minced garlic and fresh thyme leaves, cook 1-2 minutes stirring often. Sprinkle flour over garlic butter mixture and stir until well incorporated and a light paste forms.
- Slowly whisk in 1 cup of cream until smooth. Whisk in remaining cream, ground nutmeg, kosher salt, and fresh cracked pepper.
- Continue whisking for a few minutes until the mixture has thickened slightly to the consistency of a thin-medium gravy. Mixture should be smooth and light in color.
- Remove pot from heat and fold in 2 cups of grated cheese.
- Mix & Bake– preheat oven to 375F. Fold cooked pasta into cheese sauce. Pour half of pasta into a buttered 8×8 baking dish, and top with 1/2 cup remaining shredded cheese. Repeat with the remaining pasta and shredded cheese. Bake mac and cheese uncovered for 25-30 minutes until melted and bubbly.
Tips & Recipe Notes:
- Feel free to get creative with the cheese blend. I’ve made this before with Gouda cheese and the smokey flavor was fantastic.
- Other short-cut pastas that work well for this recipe: Rotini, Radiatori, Fusilli, or Cavatappi.
- For a crunchy topping, add crumbled ritz crackers mixed with a bit of melted butter!
Recipes You Will Also Love:
- Asiago, Mozzarella, and Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes
- Easy Cheese Stuffed Garlic-Butter Crescent Rolls
- Cheesy Baked Pesto Chicken Pasta
5-Cheese Baked Mac & Cheese
5-Cheese Baked Mac & Cheese, the ooiest-gooiest blend of sharp cheddar, white cheddar, mozzarella, Asiago, and Parmesan.
Equipment
- Large Pot
- Strainer
- Medium Mixing Bowl
- 8×8 Baking Dish
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb short cut pasta such as cellentani, macaroni, or rotini
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1.5 cups cream whole milk or half & half
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- Fresh cracked pepper
- 3 cups shredded cheese see notes below
Instructions
- Prepare Noodles– Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add short-cut pasta and cook according to the directions on the package. Drain pasta and set aside.
- Make Cheese Sauce– Grate all cheeses and mix together in a medium bowl, set aside. In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add minced garlic and fresh thyme leaves-cook 1-2 minutes stirring often. Sprinkle flour over garlic butter mixture and stir until well incorporated and a light paste forms. Slowly whisk in 1 cup of cream until smooth. Whisk in remaining cream, ground nutmeg, kosher salt, and fresh cracked pepper. Continue whisking for a few minutes until the mixture has thickened slightly to the consistency of a thin-medium gravy. Mixture should be smooth and light in color. Remove pot from heat and fold in 2 cups of grated cheese.
- Mix & Bake– Preheat oven to 375F. Fold cooked pasta into cheese sauce. Pour half of pasta into a buttered 8×8 baking dish, and top with 1/2 cup remaining shredded cheese. Repeat with the remaing pasta and shredded cheese. Bake mac and cheese uncovered for 25-30 minutes until melted and bubbly.
Notes
Shredded Cheese Blend:
1 cup sharp cheddar
1/2 cup white cheddar
1/2 cup mozzarella
1/2 cup Asiago
1/2 cup Parmesan
For a pre-shredded mix, 1.5 cups of Triple Cheddar Blend and 1.5 cups of Italian Blend can be used.
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