Jazz up your mac and cheese with this four cheese gourmet version that’s both creamy and rich. Whether you use it as a main dish or super side, it’s the perfect comfort food for the cold days ahead.
Days are cooling down now (well, at least a little bit in Florida – I can dream can’t I) and, due to my northern roots, I start to think about casseroles as soon as October nears no matter what the weather.
So my first thought was what comfort food haven’t I made in a while. Umm, I know mac and cheese! But I wanted to jazz it up a little, make it a little different, and decided to use a combination of cheeses. Well, let me tell you, it turned out to be one of the best mac and cheese casseroles I have ever made – rich, creamy and absolutely sinful!
Check out how easy it is to make my Stovetop Four Cheese Mac and Cheese.
- Cook pasta according to package directions.
- Melt butter and whisk in flour, milk and cream.
- Stir in cheeses until melted.
- Mix in pasta and serve hot.
A warm, creamy, comfort food that can be eaten as a side or as a main meal. Add a little ham to the mix for the perfect dinner.
Enjoy!
Jazz up stovetop mac and cheese with this four cheese gourmet version. It's creamy, rich, easy and delicious. An all around family favorite!
- 2 cups shell macaroni uncooked
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 3 Tablespoons flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- black pepper to taste
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup fat-free half and half or cream
- dash nutmeg
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/4 cup Comte cheese shredded (or any type of Gruyere)
- 1/4 cup Fontina cheese shredded
- 2 Tablespoons Pecorino-Romano cheese grated (Parmesan can also be used)
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Cook macaroni while preparing cheese sauce. When done, drain and set aside.
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In a large pan, melt butter and add flour, salt and pepper.
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Whisk in milk and cream and bring to boil. Cook for 2 minutes stirring constantly then reduce heat and continue cooking for 8-10 minutes more to thicken sauce. Make sure to stir occasionally so it doesn't stick to the bottom.
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Remove from heat and add a dash of nutmeg and shredded cheeses. Stir until melted.
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Add macaroni and stir to combine.
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Serve hot.
You can also bake the macaroni and cheese. Place Stovetop Mac and Cheese in a buttered casserole dish or individual ramekins. Top with buttered bread crumbs and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes until top is brown.
To make buttered bread crumbs, mix 1/2 cup bread crumbs with 2 Tablespoons of melted butter.
Wine Pairing: There is some debate about which wines go best with a gourmet mac and cheese but the consensus leans towards a nice Zinfandel or Cabernet Sauvignon blend which compliments the cheddar and Pecorino cheeses in the dish. If you are not a huge red wine fan, an unoaked Chardonnay with its light fruitiness would contrast with the creamy sauce and enhance the cheese flavor.
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