5 Cheese Mac N’ Cheese

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This 5 Cheese Mac n' Cheese is every cheese lover's dream. It includes mozzarella, cheddar, red cheddar, grana padano, and Gruyère cheese. Serve as a main.

Prep Time5

Cook Time45

Total Time50

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, pasta

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: people

Calories: 1151kcal

Author: Jen Sim

Equipment

1 Oven
1 Oven tray

Ingredients

500 g of macaroni pasta
80 g of unsalted butter
80 g of plain flour
3 cups of milk
1 cup of double cream
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
2 teaspoon of garlic powder
a pinch of oregano
2 tablespoon of mustard
1 teaspoon of paprika
1 cup of mozzarella grated
1 cup of grana padano grated
2 cups of cheddar cheese grated
1 cup of red cheddar grated
1 cup of Gruyere cheese grated
½ a cup of golden breadcrumbs or enough to cover the macaroni optional
Chopped parsley to garnish optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Then, lightly grease a baking dish with oil or butter and set it aside.
Bring water and a pinch of salt to a boil in a pot. Once it’s boiling, add elbow pasta and cook for 8-10 minutes. Strain it and set it aside for later. You can reserve pasta water if you want to loosen the consistency of the creamy sauce later (see notes).
Meanwhile, melt unsalted butter in a separate saucepan. Then, add plain flour and stir until the butter and flour are well combined. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add ¼ cup of milk, stirring until it’s mixed. Repeat this step with the remaining milk. Then, pour in double cream and stir.
Return the saucepan to medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Once it starts bubbling, season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, a pinch of oregano, mustard, and paprika, stir well to combine all the flavors. Reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer for 5–7 minutes, allowing it to thicken slightly. Turn off the heat, then stir in the mozzarella, Grana Padano, 0.5 cups of cheddar, red cheddar, and Gruyère until melted and smooth.
Add the cooked pasta to the creamy sauce and mix everything well. Then, pour it into a baking dish. Add the remaining cheddar cheese and top with golden breadcrumbs (optional). Bake the 5 cheese mac n' cheese for 15-20 minutes or until golden.
Once done, remove the delicious 5 cheese mac n' cheese from the oven and garnish with parsley. Serve and enjoy.

Notes

Cheese: Smoked Gouda has a deep, smoky flavor that pairs beautifully with sweet ingredients, such as carrots or apples. It’s a great way to give your mac ’n’ cheese a bit of extra flair. Fontina is another tasty option—it’s a soft, melt-in-your-mouth cheese that brings a rich, creamy texture. If you don’t have Grana Padano, feel free to sub in Parmesan instead.
Breadcrumbs: Mix golden breadcrumbs with a bit of salt and paprika for a flavor boost. Give them a good stir and sprinkle over the top of the mac before baking.
More Cheese: Want that irresistible cheesy stretch? Add a layer of mozzarella in the middle as you layer the macaroni into the dish.
Garlic: Craving more garlicky goodness? Add 2–3 crushed garlic cloves to the butter as it melts in step one to enhance the flavor.
Grill: For an extra golden, crispy topping, switch to grill mode for the last 5 minutes of baking.
Pasta water: Feel free to add some reserved pasta water to the creamy sauce if it is too thick.

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