“What should I make for dinner?” Take the Quiz!

foodiecrush

real good real food for real people

Search
Home › Recipes
22 Comments

Obsessed With Cheese Mac and Cheese Recipe

Heidi Larsenby Updated: Aug 16, 2023

Jump to Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure & privacy policy.
This baked mac and cheese with breadcrumbs is the ultimate (and as the name implies, you will be totally obsessed). It features FIVE different types of cheese, salty bacon, and a buttery, crispy Panko topping for a totally luxurious, best baked mac and cheese recipe.
 
Obsessed With Cheese Mac n Cheese foodiecrush.com
 
I’ve made so many different versions of mac and cheese for my blog over the years, including this Instant Pot mac and cheese, this one with lobster, another with gobs of cheese and bacon, and yet another loaded with veggies and such, and I’ve deemed each of them a wonder in their own right. I have a classic baked mac and cheese recipe that I love as well, but this one here comes from food blogger friend Jessica, from How Sweet It Is, and is featured in her cookbook, Seriously Delish: 150 Recipes for People Who Totally Love Food. What makes it so special is it is exceptionally cheesy since it’s made with FIVE (yes, you read that correctly) different types of cheese. It also has salty nubs of bacon studded throughout and is topped with a buttery, crispy Panko breadcrumb topping for an irresistible toasty crunch. Like most mac and cheese recipes, this one starts with a roux on the stove, but after assembling the cheesy sauce, you bake it in the oven so it gets a toasty top and edges. It’s insanely good.
 
Obsessed With Cheese Mac n Cheese foodiecrush.com
 

What’s in This Mac and Cheese Recipe

We all know the secret to a stellar mac and cheese is using a combo of cheeses. Typically you see two or three different cheeses in most recipes, but what makes this one so special is the fact that it has not two, not three, but FIVE different types of cheese! Each one lends unique flavor and creamy, melty texture to this dish. Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Elbow noodles
  • Butter
  • Garlic
  • Flour
  • Milk (we use whole milk here for a richer cheese sauce)
  • Mascarpone cheese
  • Gruyere cheese
  • Sharp cheddar cheese
  • Fontina cheese
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Nutmeg
  • Panko breadcrumbs
  • Bacon (thick-cut)
 
Obsessed With Cheese Mac n Cheese foodiecrush.com
 
 

How to Make This Baked Mac and Cheese

This mac and cheese takes about an hour from start to finish (but most of that is just the time it takes to bake). It comes together easily on the stove, then gets baked for the ultimate crispy crust on top. 

Here’s how to make this baked mac and chees recipe:

Cook your pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and prepare the pasta according to the directions, shaving 1 to 2 minutes off the cooking time. Drain the pasta once it’s finished and set aside.
 
Make your roux. Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once it is sizzling, add the garlic and cook for 15 seconds, then whisk in the flour to create a roux. Stir the roux until it is golden in color and fragrant.
 
Tip: As long as your milk is cold, you can dump it all in at once and you won’t have any clumping. Cook, whisking often until it thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
 
Make the cheesy sauce. Slowly pour in the milk and stir constantly until the liquid is slightly thickened, another 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the mascarpone, Gruyere, 6 ounces of cheddar, 6 ounces of Fontina, and Parmesan cheese. Stir the sauce constantly with a heatproof spatula until the cheese is melted, then add the pepper, salt, and nutmeg. Stir to combine.
 
Assemble and bake. Add the pasta to your prepped 9×13 baking dish and pour the cheese sauce over the top. Mix to combine and disperse the sauce throughout the noodles. Cover the top with the remaining cheddar and Fontina cheeses, breadcrumbs, and bacon. Bake until golden and bubbly on top, about 30 minutes.
 
 

Obsessed With Cheese Mac n Cheese foodiecrush.com

What Kind of Cheese is Good in Baked Mac and Cheese

What I love about this recipe is all of the distinctly different cheeses in it—each one serves a purpose, working together to impart the best, cheesiest flavor and texture. Mascarpone is sweet and creamy, Parmesan lends a salty bite, Fontina has great meltability, Gruyere delivers a slight nuttiness and delicious sharpness. But regardless of what combo of cheeses you use, for the best flavor, you should buy a block of cheese and shred it yourself. The pre-shredded cheese that comes in bags is often coated in cornstarch to prevent the cheese from sticking to itself. That added cornstarch can make the cheese sauce grainy, which you definitely don’t want.

Is it Better to Bake Mac and Cheese Covered or Uncovered

In this recipe, it’s best to bake the mac and cheese uncovered (that ensures the Panko breadcrumb topping will get nice and golden brown and crispy.

Why is My Baked Mac and Cheese Dry

As long as you don’t overbake your mac and cheese, it should not be dry at all.

Obsessed With Cheese Mac n Cheese foodiecrush.com

Can I Prep Mac and Cheese Advance?

I’ve found mac and cheese tastes best when it is baked fresh rather than baked and reheated so the cheese doesn’t break and get greasy. If you want to make this baked mac and cheese ahead of time, assemble it all but DO NOT BAKE, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. You can also freeze it (wrapped well!) for up to 1 month. Then, pull out of the refrigerator or freezer and bake. Allow extra baking time if it’s coming straight from the fridge or freezer.

Obsessed With Cheese Mac n Cheese foodiecrush.com

 

How to Reheat Mac and Cheese

If you wind up with leftover baked mac and cheese, I recommend reheating it, covered, in the oven. You can also reheat mac and cheese on the stove with a little milk to prevent it from drying out. You’ll want to use a heavy-bottomed saucepan for this and should reheat the homemade mac and cheese over low heat.

How to Freeze Mac and Cheese

You can either freeze it after it’s baked and reheat it when it’s time to eat or prepare your mac and cheese and freeze it before baking which will come out creamier and less grainy after cooking since it hasn’t been heated twice.

How to cook frozen macaroni and cheese: Do not thaw the frozen macaroni and cheese before baking. Cover the frozen macaroni and cheese with aluminum foil and bake in a 375°F oven for 60-75 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for an additional 15 minutes or until bubbly.

Obsessed With Cheese Mac n Cheese foodiecrush.com

What to Serve with This Baked Mac and Cheese

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.



5 from 1 vote

Obsessed With Cheese Mac and Cheese Recipe

This baked mac and cheese recipe features FIVE different cheeses, bacon, and a crispy breadcrumb topping for a truly exceptional and comforting mac and cheese.
Print
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword baked mac and cheese
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 6
Calories 1078kcal

Ingredients 

  • 1 pound elbow noodles
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter , (½ stick)
  • 2 garlic cloves , minced
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • ½ cup mascarpone cheese
  • 8 ounces Gruyere cheese , freshly grated
  • 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese , freshly grated
  • 8 ounces Fontina cheese , freshly grated
  • 2 ounces Parmesan cheese , freshly grated
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ⅓ cup panko bread crumbs
  • 2 slices thick-cut bacon , cooked and crumbled

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 275°F. Spray a 9 X 13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and prepare the pasta according to the directions, shaving 1 to 2 minutes off the cooking time. Drain the pasta once it's finished and set aside.
  • For the cheese sauce, heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once it is sizzling, add the garlic and cook for 15 seconds, then whisk in the flour to create a roux. Stir the roux until it is golden in color and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour the milk in slowly and stir constantly until the liquid is slightly thickened, another 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the mascarpone, Gruyere, 6 ounces of cheddar, 6 ounces of the Fontina, and Parmesan cheese. Stir the sauce constantly with a heatproof spatula until the cheese is melted, then add the pepper, salt, and nutmeg. Stir to combine.
  • Add the pasta to the baking dish and pour the cheese sauce over the top. Mix to combine and disperse the sauce throughout the noodles. Cover the top with the remaining cheddar and Fontina cheeses, breadcrumbs, and bacon. Bake until golden and bubbly on top, about 30 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 1078kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 50g | Fat: 64g | Saturated Fat: 37g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 186mg | Sodium: 1219mg | Potassium: 433mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1789IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 1124mg | Iron: 2mg

More Mac and Cheese Recipes to Try

 

We send good emails. Subscribe to FoodieCrush and have each post plus exclusive content only for our subscribers delivered straight to your e-mail box.

Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest for more FoodieCrush inspiration.

As always, thank you for reading and supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. There may be affiliate links in this post of which I receive a small commission. All opinions are always my own.

Share this!

Heidi of FoodieCrush

Hi! I’m Heidi and I cook real good, real food I hope you’ll love to make, too.

Contact · Start Here! · Subscribe

“What should I make for dinner?”

If this is a question you often ask, take our brief quiz and we’ll recommend a recipe favorite you'll love.

Take the Quiz!

Reader Interactions

Comments

    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

    Rate & Comment

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




  15. Jeffrey

    The cookbook looks awesome, would love to add it to my shelf!

    I like my Mac with a Le Gruyere/Manchego/Havarti blend. It has to be a Cavatappi noodle, I love the extra twists. I used to go with a breadcrumb topping, now I just roll with it smooth and creamy. The leftovers (hardly ever happens) are great breaded and fried or cooked on a pizza dough.

    Reply

  16. Sara @ Cake Over Steak

    I LOVE Jessica’s book!! I was lucky enough to meet her at her signing in Philly, and she is just as sweet as I imagined. Sweeter, actually! And her husband Eddie is also adorable and seemed so proud of her, as he should be. Thanks for featuring her on here – she’s the best!

    Reply

  20. Scarlett Gaus

    love your post! got a crush on jessica, too. ah, and her book… i want to hold it in my arms! haha.

    btw. my favorite mac and cheese is älplermaggronen – the swiss version, which is being eaten with apple sauce on the side. classic!

    xx
    scarlett

    Reply

Trending