Description
This Five Cheese Baked Mac & Cheese is a rich and creamy comfort food classic featuring a blend of sharp cheddar, mozzarella, Gruyère, fontina, and Parmesan cheeses. Creamy macaroni pasta is smothered in a velvety cheese sauce, topped with buttery panko breadcrumbs, and baked until golden and bubbly. Perfect as a hearty main course or a crowd-pleasing side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
Cheese Sauce
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder (optional)
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
- 1 cup shredded fontina cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Topping
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or melted butter (for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat and prep: Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Cook macaroni: Cook the elbow macaroni according to the package directions until al dente, then drain and set aside.
- Make roux: In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1–2 minutes to form a roux, which will thicken the sauce.
- Add liquids: Slowly add the milk and heavy cream to the roux while whisking constantly until smooth. Cook for 3–5 minutes until the mixture thickens slightly.
- Season sauce: Stir in garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and optional mustard powder. Reduce heat to low.
- Melt cheeses: Add the shredded cheddar, mozzarella, Gruyère, fontina, and grated Parmesan cheeses to the sauce, stirring continuously until melted and smooth.
- Combine pasta and sauce: Add the cooked macaroni to the cheese sauce and stir to coat evenly.
- Assemble: Pour the mac and cheese mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Add topping: In a small bowl, toss panko breadcrumbs with olive oil or melted butter. Sprinkle evenly over the mac and cheese.
- Bake: Bake for 20–25 minutes until bubbly and golden on top.
- Rest and serve: Let sit for 5 minutes before serving to set the sauce.
Notes
- Feel free to mix and match cheeses based on availability—aim for a balance between flavor and meltability.
- For a spicy twist, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or diced jalapeños to the cheese sauce.
