Four-Cheese Macaroni and Cheese Recipe (2024)

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Cooking Notes

faye49

This was fantastic, it elevated plain macaroni and cheese to a company dinner, I must admit, although it was fantastic on it's own, I did add lobster meat when I served it to my friends. (I shelled the lobster and added it raw when I stirred in the pasta).

TLG

Based on the other comments about the dish being too dry, I only used 12 oz of dried pasta, I reduced the eggs to just two and instead added about an 1/8 cup of cream (I tried to approximate the volume of the egg I was leaving out). I also added sriacha to the egg/ cheese mixture and topped the dish before baking with pano bread crumbs and extra Parmesan. Dish came out great with these changes. If I make it again, I will only use one egg and replace with even more cream.

Sarah

I have to agree with most of the other comments, the eggs really throw this dish off. I was a bit confused when I saw 3 eggs listed but decided to proceed anyway. Wish I had listened to my gut because the amount of eggs plus the recommended cooking time results in a bizarre pasta cheese frittata. I think the eggs were meant to serve as a binding agent for the sauce so you don't have cheese soup but three is a too much and the heat is too high for too long.

cvb

Hazel, maybe replacing the brie with 6 oz of cream cheese, plus a couple tbs of butter would have worked? It could be that using only 2 oz of extra cream cheese caused the dryness.

Mary Beth

You guys can't possibly have tested this. I was suspicious when I saw 3 eggs in the recipe & I was right. This is dry and, frankly, boring. Far from the best mac & cheese I've ever had. Sorry, Melissa, but this one is a dud.

John

I made this yesterday. I changed nothing and it came out really dry. I guess I was expecting it to have a creamy texture considering the ingredients.

phyllis

The most bland and dry mac and cheese I've ever eaten. The eggs in the recipe ruin it.

Russ

This turned out well for us--a nice winter supper. I see how some note writers had a dryness problem. I was generous with the cheeses and probably used a quarter to half again as much as the recipe called for. It all came together well. Next time I will spice it up a bit more.

jake

This was awful. Heavy, flavorless, dry.

Joanna

I think the temp is too high -- I would try 20 minutes at 350 degrees next time.

Susan

I did a little looking around + there are other mac + cheese recipes on the NY Times that call for absolutely NO eggs. I would use heavy cream + more cheese.

CWN

After reading the comments, I took out the eggs and baked it covered with buttered foil for 15 minutes at 350. It came out nicely. I don't actually think it needs to be baked though. It could just get stirred together and served.

Sue

After reading the comments I left out the eggs and added butter and milk and fresh spinach. Was pretty good but not worth the expense of the Brie and mascarpone.

lilli

I would give this 5 stars if you leave out the egg and don’t bake it in the oven. It made it VERY dry. I used extra cream cheese, only bake in the oven to get warm and melt extra cheese on top. Otherwise VERY delicious and will make again.

Hazel

I made this yesterday, using ingredients that were more likely to be in my pantry. I don't like Brie, so I replaced that with 2 more ounces of good cream cheese (locally made without stabilizers, etc). I replaced the mascarpone with whole milk yogurt. It looked dry after 20 minutes in the oven so I splashed in some more whole milk. This was not a success -- still very dry. If I try this again, I'll add about 1 cup whole milk in the egg mixture and see how it goes. Small elbow macaroni.

GZ

Read the comments, made the following changes- used 6oz of cream cheese with the full lb of pasta- generous with the brie cheese block- added 2/3 c whole milk with only 2 eggs- doubled the nutmeg, added some red pepper flakes - added an herby/garlic bread crumb top.The dish was still on the dry side and was missing that ooey goey component that I craved. I agree with the comments that for the cost of the fancy cheese, it’s missing delivery. Run from it, hide from it: use Velveeta

John

I should have read the comments first since the consistency was more souffle like. I added shrimp which was delicious. Future attempts will include more seasoning, adding cream, and reducing the eggs.

NDN

Fantastic. Used sour cream in place of mascarpone because I didn’t want to buy (since I hadn’t other uses planned for it). Will make again for sure.

audrey

My pasta cooled down too much after I drained it, so made a makeshift double boiler (used a metal bowl to mix cheese and pasta after straining) and that seemed to work! Just thought I’d leave a note in case anyone encounters the same problem :)

Lori

Cooked per directions. Way too dry. Sauce was like wet scrambled eggs with cheese.

Chef Dylan

I made this today, very skeptical about the eggs in it and it did come out like a frittata, dry I bet, it doesn’t show like the picture at all lol I even cooked it with way less time and at a lower temperature. Maybe if you were to do it like a carbonara it might be creamier, just saying

David

Do no over-bake. Eggs scrambled.

Jennaveev53

So here is a lower-fat (not low, stovetop version. We were cooking for two, weeknight-style. We used 1.5 c. tiny elbow macaroni, about 5 oz.triple cream Brie, 1/4 cup low-far sour cream. Mixed. Brie melted without any added heat (or butter). We sauteed some sirloin in small pces and some baby Portobello mushrooms, plus pepper, salt. Simple. Warming. No need for four cheeses! The Brie was easy, strong (had aged for a month) and delightful as the solo cheese flavor.

Angela

This came out so disappointingly dry. Should have read comments first.

Elise

I found the recipe very bland and tasteless compared to my normal recipe that uses sharp cheddar, especially when considering how much more expensive these ingredients are. I would not make this recipe again.

jimd

The different cheeses worked well, but this was much too dry for my taste. After tasting the finished dish I poured in 3 or 4cups of half-and-half and gave it another 6 minutes at 400 degrees F.

Alexis

everyone loved this- all crunchy mac and cheese fans i think (also added 3/4 cup shredded provolone because we had it and i couldnt resist)

CWN

After reading the comments, I took out the eggs and baked it covered with buttered foil for 15 minutes at 350. It came out nicely. I don't actually think it needs to be baked though. It could just get stirred together and served.

Stephen Schwab

Just made this. Over all not too bad. Can skip the mascarpone and use the entire block of cream cheese. It was dry and I thought it was because I used a metal pan. Use glass. Add cream. Still taste the flavors of the cheeses.I served it with a salad but also had a plate of chopped red onions and tomatoes to sprinkle on top (like my momma did). And plenty of red pepper flakes. (como hizo mi mama!)

Bay

I adjusted the recipe as suggested - 12 oz pasta, 1 egg, 350F for 20 mins. It was super tasty and my kids loved it.

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Four-Cheese Macaroni and Cheese Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the 3 best cheeses for mac and cheese? ›

Cheddar, Gruyère, Monterey Jack, mozzarella, Fontina, and Gouda cheese are good options.

How do you keep homemade mac and cheese creamy? ›

Add more milk if you haven't already. More milk leads to less dry mac and cheese. If that doesn't work and you've already tried, use a different type of cheese. Velveeta works well.

How do you make mac and cheese taste better? ›

8 Ways to Elevate Your Macaroni and Cheese Dinners
  1. Add extra cheese to your dish.
  2. Mix in some hot sauce and chicken to make buffalo chicken mac n' cheese.
  3. Add in vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and spinach.
  4. Sprinkle some bacon bits or breadcrumbs on the top of your dish.
  5. Add spices and fresh herbs to your dish.
May 21, 2022

What is the most perfect cheese to use on Mac & cheese? ›

For a mac and cheese recipe, consider the combination of sharper cheddar cheeses and a flavorful Parmesan. This cheese adds a boost of fruity, nutty notes to your favorite macaroni recipes. Parmesan is also ideal for grating on top of mac and cheese before you bake it to add golden color.

What keeps mac and cheese moist? ›

It's all about the sauce. Put plenty of milk in that sauce and even add a little sour cream. The pasta will absorb some of the liquid, but not all of it and your sauce will be moist and cheesy.

Why do you add flour to homemade mac and cheese? ›

You can thicken cheese sauce further by adding more flour or even using a couple of teaspoons of cornstarch. In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch or flour with a cup of water. The cold water will create a slurry. Stir the slurry into the cheese sauce over medium heat, and let the sauce boil and thicken.

Why does my homemade mac and cheese taste bland? ›

Try adding a little more salt first, because that might fix it. If the problem was the cheese you use doesn't have much flavor, then try adding some other flavors, such has mustard or hot sauce.

What brings out the flavor of cheese? ›

Cheese flavor is influenced by many factors including milk source, milk thermal treatment, type and dose of lactic starter culture, process conditions, and time and temperature of ripening.

What enhances the taste of cheese? ›

Adding yeast extract to cheese products can enhance the overall richness and aftertaste thanks to the flavor components; and can intensify the Old Cheese flavor by using certain yeast extract products containing characteristic peptides.

How does Gordon Ramsay make the best mac and cheese? ›

Preparation
  1. In a large pot over medium heat, combine the pasta and milk. ...
  2. Once the pasta is cooked, remove the pan from the heat and add the butter, cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper. ...
  3. Divide between serving bowls and top with the bread crumbs.
  4. Enjoy!
  5. All your favorite recipes, stored in one place.
May 4, 2023

Can you use sour cream instead of milk for mac and cheese? ›

I think sour cream is a great substitute! However, it may change the flavor just slightly. For sour cream, mix it in just like I outlined in the cream cheese example, but with far less or no extra liquid. Sour cream is slightly sour (duh), so this may impact the final flavor a bit.

Why do you put eggs in mac and cheese? ›

If you add eggs, it will change the taste and add protein.

What 3 cheeses are in 3 cheese blend? ›

Ingredients. Romano Cheese (Pasteurized Cows' Milk, Culture, Salt and Enzymes), Parmesan Cheese (Pasteurized Part-Skim Cows' Milk, Culture, Salt and Enzymes), and Asiago Cheese (Cows' Milk, Culture, Salt and Enzymes), Starch and Powdered Cellulose to Prevent Caking. Contains Milk.

What kind of milk is best for mac and cheese? ›

The remaining ingredients are simple: butter and flour (which makes the sauce thicken), milk, spices, salt, and pepper. For the milk, I prefer whole milk since it makes a creamier sauce, but I've used reduced fat milk plenty of times without complaint.

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