MAKES: 6 servings TESTED by: Sarah B.
056 four-cheese Macaroni & cheese
TASTING COMMENTS:
This can be served straight from the saucepan or with a brown crusty topper. Quick-broiling the buttered bread crumbs rather than baking the whole dish for an extended period of time kept the texture creamy.—SB
prep 30 minutes broil 2 minutes
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 1 16-oz. pkg. dried cavatappi or corkscrew-shape pasta
- 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup finely chopped onion
- 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 2½ cups milk
- 8 oz. Gouda cheese, shredded (2 cups)
- 4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)
- 4 oz. Swiss cheese, shredded (1 cup)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp. unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup panko bread crumbs
- Snipped fresh Italian parsley (optional)
We love panko crumbs as a topping! They have a larger surface area and flakier texture than fine dry bread crumbs, so When they’re tossed with butter and baked, they eat super light and crispy!
1. Preheat broiler. Coat a 2½- or 3-qt. broiler-safe 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.
2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan melt the 3 Tbsp. butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir 3 minutes. Stir in flour, kosher salt, and pepper. Add milk all at once. Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Cook and whisk 2 minutes more; remove from heat.
3. Add Gouda, cheddar, and Swiss cheeses and ¼ cup of the Parmesan cheese, whisking until cheeses are melted and sauce is smooth. Add the cheese sauce to cooked pasta; stir to combine. Transfer to the prepared dish.
4. In a small microwave-safe bowl melt the 1 tsp. butter. Stir in panko and the remaining ¼ cup Parmesan cheese; sprinkle over pasta mixture. Broil 5 to 6 inches from the heat 2 minutes or until top is browned. If desired, top with parsley.
Per serving 739 cal., 34 g fat (20 g sat. fat), 111 mg chol., 858 mg sodium, 72 g carb., 3 g fiber, 9 g sugars, 36 g pro.
TESTING NOTES
Process cheese is often the key to the creamiest mac and cheese, but the four aged cheeses in this recipe provide lots of great flavor with no loss of creaminess.
Shred your cheeses by hand! Packaged shredded cheeses may contain added starches that affect the sauce’s texture.
1. Whisk flour into the melted butter mixture in the saucepan, stirring constantly. The butter will coat the flour molecules, which prevents them from sticking together and forming lumps when milk is added. Stir constantly to keep the mixture from sticking to the pan.
2. Once the flour and butter are combined, gradually add the milk to the flour mixture, whisking constantly. Keep whisking slowly until you have a thickened and bubbly sauce. Continue cooking for 2 minutes to finish cooking the flour. Remove the pan from heat before you add the cheeses. Residual heat and continual whisking will melt the cheese slowly and evenly.
