The way to anyone's heart is through their stomach, and with macaroni and cheese, you can't go wrong. This dish, in its basic form, is simple and economical. Yet, with a little creativity and the right combination of ingredients, it can be transformed into something extraordinary. One popular variation is "four cheese macaroni and cheese". The name itself suggests a richness and depth of flavor that is sure to tantalize the taste buds. In this article, we will explore some of the best recipes for four cheese macaroni and cheese, each offering its unique take on this classic comfort food.
Let's cook with our recipes!
GOURMET FOUR CHEESE MACARONI AND CHEESE
When a recipe is SO good that it haunts your memory for over 40 years, you know it had to be good! As a young bride, I made this macaroni and cheese dish from a requested recipe from Bon Appetit magazine. Sadly, if I saved the recipe, it was lost along the years of moving. After the Internet, I searched, in vain, for this recipe for years, until I discovered 3/4's of it in a women's magazine. With the help of many Zaar members that helped me find the missing cheese that was needed, I now have the long lost recipe and the ability to make it again and again for an entire new generation of friends and family! This is NOT meant to be an everyday mac & cheese. It's great comfort food when you want to celebrate something special: a good grade, a birthday, or an "I love you!" kinda day. Don't skimp on the cheeses; they will be slightly costly. But, the end result is Oh So Good ! You will not be disappointed in the complex flavours of this simple dish, with a twist.
Provided by The_Swedish_Chef
Categories Cheese
Time 1h
Yield 8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- PLEASE NOTE: This is a BAKED macaroni and cheese, therefore, it will NOT turn out with a lot of extra cheesy sauce asis absorbed into the pasta while baking. If you require an extra saucy mac & cheese, just reduce the amount of pasta you place into the dish or make more sauce so it is creamier. Thanks so much for making this dish; I hope you enjoy it! :).
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 3 quart rectangular baking dish with non-stick spray. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boiling.
- Toss all the shredded cheeses together in a large bowl, set aside.
- Melt butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth and slightly bubbly.
- In a thin stream, whisk in the milk. Stir in the onion powder, salt, nutmeg, dried mustard and cayenne.
- Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in 2 1/2 cups of the cheese mixture and stir until smooth. Cover to retain the heat.
- Once water boils, add pasta. Cook until your desired doneness, then drain. In the pasta container, stir together the cooked pasta and cheese sauce.
- Pour half of the mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle with a generous cup of the reserved cheese. Spoon remaining cheese-covered pasta into the dish and top with the remaining cheese.
- Add 1 cup of Japanese Panko Bread crumbs to the top of mixture.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the Panko crumbs are lightly browned and the cheese is bubbly. Cool slightly before serving.
FOUR CHEESE MACARONI AND CHEESE
This is a layered four cheese recipe that my very good friend gave me. She knew I didn't like to cook and this was pretty simple to do. Now I make this dish every Thanksgiving.
Provided by Susan G.
Categories Main Dish Recipes Pasta Macaroni and Cheese Recipes Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipes
Time 40m
Yield 9
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Place macaroni in the saucepan and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8x8 inch baking dish.
- Spread the Cheddar cheese over the bottom of the baking dish. Top with a thin layer of macaroni. Top macaroni with Provolone cheese, another layer of macaroni, a layer of mozzarella and a third layer of macaroni. Top with a layer of Colby-Monterey Jack cheese. Pour the egg over all, followed by the milk.
- Bake in the preheated oven 20 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 259.7 calories, Carbohydrate 11.9 g, Cholesterol 68.7 mg, Fat 16.2 g, Fiber 0.4 g, Protein 16.5 g, SaturatedFat 10.4 g, Sodium 419.9 mg, Sugar 1.9 g
FOUR-CHEESE MACARONI AND CHEESE
Mascarpone, Brie, cream cheese and Parmesan yield the most velvety macaroni and cheese imaginable. This is perfect for a wintry dinner, with a green salad on the side, or as a partner to a golden roast chicken.
Provided by Melissa Clark
Categories dinner, easy, pastas, main course
Time 45m
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 2-quart gratin dish.
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook pasta to al dente; drain well.
- Transfer hot pasta to a large bowl and toss immediately with Brie and cream cheese until melted and smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, mascarpone and parmigiano. Stir egg mixture into pasta. Season with pepper and nutmeg.
- Turn pasta into prepared pan. Bake until golden brown and bubbling, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 600, UnsaturatedFat 11 grams, Carbohydrate 45 grams, Fat 35 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 26 grams, SaturatedFat 20 grams, Sodium 603 milligrams, Sugar 3 grams, TransFat 0 grams
SAGE BUTTER MACARONI AND FOUR CHEESE
Provided by Aida Mollenkamp
Categories main-dish
Time 17m
Yield 10 to 12 servings
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Heat oven to broil and arrange rack in top. Butter a flameproof 9 by 9-inch baking dish and set aside. Melt 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter and mix in a medium bowl with 1 cup of the Parmigiano and all the bread crumbs until thoroughly moistened; set aside.
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for half the time indicated on package.
- Meanwhile, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. When it starts to foam, add sage and cook until crisp and butter begins to turn golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside until pasta is ready. Reserve 1 cup pasta water and drain pasta.
- Return pasta to pot and place over low heat. Stir in sage butter, reserved pasta water, remaining 3 cups Parmigiano, Gruyere, Cheddar, mascarpone, and salt, and season with freshly ground black pepper. Stir constantly until cheeses are evenly melted and the pasta looks well coated. Turn pasta into baking dish and evenly top with bread crumb mixture. Place under broiler until mixture bubbles and top is browned, about 1 to 2 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.
FOUR CHEESE MACARONI AND CHEESE
Steps:
- 1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. 2. Cook macaroni as directed on package, drain and set aside. 3. Melt butter over medium-low heat in a large saucepan. Add flour a little bit at a time, stirring constantly and cook for 3 minutes. Whisk milk in slowly. Stir in onion powder and paprika. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently and then remove from heat. 4. Combine the blue cheese with about two-thirds of both types of cheddar cheese in the saucepan and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in macaroni. Pour half of the macaroni mixture into your casserole dish and top with remaining cheddar cheeses. Pour in the other half of the macaroni mixture and sprinkle Parmesan cheese and panko crumbs over the top. 5. Bake for 30 minutes. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving. Yields 9 servings. WW P+: 8 per serving
FOUR-CHEESE TRUFFLED MACARONI AND CHEESE
This is one of my favorite things to make once the weather gets a chill in the air. It's great for cheese-lovers (like myself) and works great as leftovers or at dinner parties! Truffle oil has by far been one of the best culinary purchases I have made. One little bottle has lasted me a year, and can be used with so many things, like this recipe. Top with a pinch of truffle salt!
Provided by Hilary van Santen
Categories Main Dish Recipes Pasta Macaroni and Cheese Recipes Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipes
Time 1h
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook cavatappi in boiling water, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain.
- Melt butter in a large pot over medium-low heat. Whisk flour into butter until mixture has a thick, paste-like consistency, about 30 seconds. Slowly whisk 2 cups milk into butter-flour mixture until smooth. Stir in remaining milk, increase heat to medium high, and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is thick and almost boiling, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Stir Gouda cheese, Cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, and 1 cup Parmesan cheese into milk mixture until cheese melts and cheese sauce is smooth. Fold cavatappi into cheese sauce; pour mixture into prepared baking dish.
- Stir remaining Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs together in a small bowl. Sprinkle bread crumbs mixture over cavatappi mixture and drizzle truffle oil over the top.
- Bake in the preheated oven until golden and bubbling, about 30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 565.1 calories, Carbohydrate 42.8 g, Cholesterol 98.1 mg, Fat 31.2 g, Fiber 1.7 g, Protein 29.1 g, SaturatedFat 18.7 g, Sodium 646.1 mg, Sugar 6.5 g
Tips:
- To achieve the creamiest, most flavorful macaroni and cheese, use a combination of different types of cheese. A good starting point is to use equal parts cheddar, mozzarella, Parmesan, and Gruyère.
- Use a high-quality pasta. The type of pasta you use will also affect the final texture of your macaroni and cheese. A good choice is a short, sturdy pasta like elbow macaroni or penne.
- Cook the pasta al dente. This means cooking it until it is just tender, but still has a slight bite to it. Overcooked pasta will become mushy and ruin the texture of your macaroni and cheese.
- Make a roux. A roux is a mixture of butter and flour that is used to thicken sauces. It will help to create a creamy, smooth sauce for your macaroni and cheese.
- Use fresh vegetables. Fresh vegetables will add flavor and texture to your macaroni and cheese. Some good choices include broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots.
- Don't overcook the macaroni and cheese. Once you've added the cheese to the pasta, cook it just until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Overcooked macaroni and cheese will become dry and rubbery.
Conclusion:
Macaroni and cheese is a classic comfort food that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. It's a versatile dish that can be customized to your own taste preferences. Whether you like it simple or loaded with toppings, there's a macaroni and cheese recipe out there for everyone. So next time you're looking for a quick and easy meal, give macaroni and cheese a try. You won't be disappointed!
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