Four Cheese Mac and Cheese

A bowl of 4 cheese mac and cheese with ground pepper on top.

5 from 12 votes

Four Cheese Mac and Cheese

This is the ultimate Four Cheese Mac and Cheese recipe. It's made with cream cheese, cheddar, Gouda, and Monterey Jack, for an easy side dish that will impress your family and friends with its restaurant-quality taste.

Prep Time25

Total Time30

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: 4 cheese mac and cheese, 4 cheese mac n cheese, 4 macaroni and cheese recipe, four cheese mac and cheese

Servings:

Calories: 428kcal

Author: Tara Teaspoon

Ingredients

½ pound (8 ounces) curled pasta elbow macaroni, shells, orecchiette
Salt for pasta water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Large pinch cayenne pepper
2 ounces (¼ block) cream cheese softened
1 cup (4 ounces) grated sharp cheddar cheese white or yellow*
½ cup (2 ounces) grated Gouda cheese or Gruyere cheese
½ cup (2 ounces) grated Monterey Jack or havarti cheese
Ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

In a large saucepan or stock pot bring 4 quarts of water to a boil and salt generously. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside.
In the same pan, over medium-high heat, melt butter and flour together. Add milk while whisking continuously so that there are no lumps of flour.
Add cream cheese and stir frequently, bring milk and cream cheese to a simmer. It should start to thicken. When bubbling and thickened, about 7 minutes, add garlic powder, and cayenne.
Remove from heat and stir in cheeses until they are melted. Add drained pasta.
Season to taste with pepper and serve immediately. Cooled mac and cheese can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Video

Notes

*Don’t use pre-shredded cheeses. They have a powder on them that prevents them from melting smoothly.
If you have a food processor, you can save a ton of time by using the shredding disc attachment to grate the cheese.

Nutrition