There is NO better macaroni and cheese than my 4-Cheese Mac and Cheese. This sublime blend of four melty cheeses will quickly become your new favorite mac and cheese dish.
Perhaps it is the addition of Gouda, or perhaps it is the cream cheese, but man, this four-cheese mac and cheese is my best creation so far. The extra steps are worth it, see, because I added paprika, garlic, onion powder, and nutmeg—plus the inclusion of delicious, decadent heavy cream like my grandmother’s recipe. I combined the cream with the four cheeses because I knew it would best complement these flavors and spices. It created the best mac and cheese recipe you’ll ever feature at your dinner table.
Make this for all your mac and cheese lovers. They will thank you for your hard work and for graciously feeding them.
How to Make the Ultimate Four Cheese Mac and Cheese
My secret to this recipe is knowing which dry spices to add (and when). For the garlic powder, stir it into your cheese sauce while it’s on the stove so it will be fully incorporated throughout the mac and cheese. It’s a resilient spice and can be cooked a bit without growing bitter.
Although you can add the nutmeg with the other spices, I always like to add it at the end of the cooking of the sauce—after you remove it from the heat.
Also, I never use that powdered nutmeg that sits on the store shelves all year long, waiting for buyers to buy it at Thanksgiving when they’re making pumpkin lattes and pumpkin pie. Some specialty baking or food store near you will probably stock whole nutmeg if you live in a decent-sized city. Use a long stick grating tool to shave the nutmeg onto a paper plate, fold up the corners of the plate, and put it in an old spice container to keep it airtight and sealed. Fresh nutmeg is very strong and pungent; just a pinch is all you need to activate this luscious heavy cream sauce.
After you remove your cheese sauce from the heat and let it cool for a moment, add in your pinch of fresh nutmeg and stir. Now, pour the entire mixture into your bowl of cooked macaroni. Mix the noodles all around to get them cloaked with your delicious cream and cheese sauce. Pour into a serving dish worthy of your hard work and creativity, and bake it in the oven until golden brown and bubbly.
How To Make Ahead And Store
Macaroni and cheese is a very forgiving dish to store and freeze. You can keep the refrigerated leftovers for 3 days in an airtight container or freeze the whole batch for 3 months.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this dish with these delicious Sloppy Joe Burgers, which my kids love, and hot pickles on the side. You can also serve a good green vegetable, like a Classic Pea Salad. To drink: try Sweet Citrus-Mint Iced Tea and my Fresh Peach Cheesecake for dessert. What a sublime and beautiful spread!
4-Cheese Baked Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
- 8 ounces smoked Gouda cheese
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese
- 16 ounces elbow macaroni or pasta shape of choice
- 1 stick salted butter
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 4 cups half and half
- 4 ounces cream cheese
Instructions
- Prep cheese: Shred the cheddar, Gouda, and mozzarella cheese. Divide in half and set aside.
- Cook pasta: Boil salted water and cook pasta slightly less than al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Make roux: Melt butter, add garlic, then flour, and cook until smooth. Stir in seasonings.
- Create sauce: Gradually add half and half to roux, stirring until thick. Blend in cream cheese and half of the shredded cheeses until melted.
- Preheat oven to 400°F and grease a 9×13 baking dish.
- Assemble dish: Combine cooked pasta with cheese sauce in the baking dish.
- Bake: Place in oven for 15 minutes, then broil for 5 minutes, watching carefully.
- Cool: Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes to thicken before serving.
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