Best Four-Cheese Macaroni and Cheese

By sandiB2010

A smooth and creamy sauce combined with Gouda, cheddar, Swiss, and Parmesan cheeses make this bubbly dish extra indulgent.

This mac and cheese uses two tricks for ultimate creaminess—a silky white sauce and hand-shredded cheeses. Preshredded cheeses are often coasted in starches that don't allow the cheese to melt as well.

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 16 ounce package dried cavatappi or corkscrew-shape pasta
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup finely chopped onion (1 small)
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 8 ounces Gouda cheese, shredded* (2 cups)
• 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded* (1 cup)
• 4 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded* (1 cup)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
• Snipped fresh parsley (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

Directions

Preheat broiler. Coat a 2 1/2- to 3-quart broiler-safe au gratin or baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.** Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boiling. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain and return to the warm pot.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan melt the 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir for 3 minutes. Stir in flour, kosher salt, and pepper. Add milk all at once. Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Cook and whisk for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat.

Add Gouda cheese, cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, whisking until cheeses are melted and sauce is smooth. Add the cheese sauce to cooked pasta; stir to coat. Transfer mixture to prepared dish.

In a small microwave-safe bowl melt the 1 teaspoon butter. Stir in panko and the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle panko mixture over pasta mixture. Broil 5 to 6 inches from the heat about 2 minutes or until top is browned. If desired, garnish with parsley.



*Tip:
To ensure a smooth, creamy dish, our Test Kitchen recommends buying chunks of cheese and shredding the cheese just before using. Using preshredded cheese did not work as well.


**Tip:
Baked Four-Cheese Macaroni and Cheese: If you don't have a broiler-safe baking dish, preheat oven to 450 degrees F. After sprinkling pasta mixture with panko mixture, bake about 10 minutes or until panko mixture is golden brown.