Five Cheese Mac and Cheese
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Five Cheese Mac and Cheese uses sharp cheddar, pepper jack, smoked gouda, mozzarella and Velveeta — five cheeses that each do a different job, which is what gets you a sauce this creamy instead of one that breaks. It's the side I make whenever I've got Oven Baked Boneless Beef Ribs going.
The Velveeta is the part people argue about, and it's the part that makes this work. It keeps the sauce smooth while the cheddar and pepper jack bring the flavor and the gouda brings the smoke. Serve it with Cheddar Bay Biscuits, and you've got dinner.
Quick Look: Five Cheese Mac and Cheese
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 20 minutes
- 🕒 Total Time: 50 minutes
- 👨👩👧👦 Servings: 8
- 📊 Calories: ~886 kcal per serving
- 🥣 Ingredients: Macaroni, sharp cheddar, pepper jack, smoked gouda, mozzarella, Velveeta, butter, heavy cream
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy — boil, stir, bake
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Five Cheeses, Five Jobs. Sharp cheddar for flavor, pepper jack for a little heat, smoked gouda for depth, mozzarella for the pull, Velveeta to keep it all smooth. That's why it doesn't turn grainy the way single-cheese versions do.
Fifty Minutes, Start to Finish. Most baked mac and cheese recipes run an hour or more. This one gets to the table faster, which matters when it's sharing an oven with Crock Pot Turkey and Stuffing at a holiday meal.
It Feeds a Crowd. Eight servings out of one pan, and it holds up on a buffet table next to the Homemade Green Bean Casserole without turning stiff.
Ingredients Needed
- Pasta: I used rotini, but any kind of smaller or short-cut pasta works fine!
- Shredded Cheese: For this five-cheese pasta, I use cheddar cheese, Pepper Jack, smoked Gouda, mozzarella cheese, and Velveeta.
- Heavy Cream: Helps thicken up the sauce and gives it a rich, creamy consistency.
- Seasonings: Add some extra flavor with garlic powder, onion powder, ground mustard, paprika, and salt and black pepper to taste.
How to Make Five Cheese Mac and Cheese
- Step 1: Shred all of the cheeses and separate them into two halves.
- Step 2: In a large saucepan, melt the butter, then whisk in the heavy cream and bring to a simmer.
- Step 3: Add half of the cheeses along with your seasonings. Whisk until melted and smooth, and adjust seasonings to your taste.
- Step 4: Mix in cooked pasta until evenly coated in the cheese sauce.
- Step 5: Add half of the cheese macaroni mixture to a baking dish and top with half of the remaining cheese blend.
- Step 6: Top with the other half of the pasta mixture, finish off with the rest of the cheese, and bake uncovered for 30 minutes.
Recipe Tips
- Allow the mac and cheese to sit for about 15-30 minutes after baking to thicken up and settle.
- Be sure to cook the pasta to al dente. If you overcook it, it will get mushy as it bakes in the cheese sauce.
- For best results, grate your own cheese. Store-bought shredded cheeses are often coated in a fine layer that prevents sticking but also makes them harder to melt.
- I like to use a curly pasta like fusilli, rotini, or cavatappi for a shape that holds lots of sauce, but other great options are elbow macaroni, rotini, penne, or bow ties!
- For different cheeses, try Monterey Jack, mild cheddar, or white cheddar instead of sharp cheddar, Colby Jack, or even top with some Asiago or Parmesan cheeses.
Recipe FAQ's
Elbow macaroni is the classic option, but something like fusilli or cavatappi works even better! The swirls in the pasta are perfect for holding lots of cheesy sauce in every bite.
There are certain kinds of cheese, like Asiago or really sharp cheddar that can make the cheese sauce oily if you use too much of them. Crumbly cheeses like feta or cotija are also generally not great for a cheese sauce!
Sharp cheddar, pepper jack, smoked gouda, mozzarella, and Velveeta. Each one does something different — cheddar for flavor, pepper jack for heat, gouda for smokiness, mozzarella for stretch, and Velveeta to keep the sauce from breaking.
Assemble it through the point where it goes in the baking dish, cover, and refrigerate up to a day. Add ten minutes to the bake time if it's going in cold.
Pre-shredded cheese. The anti-caking coating keeps it from melting smoothly. Grate it yourself off the block, and the sauce comes together every time.
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Five Cheese Mac and Cheese
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound/box dried macaroni noodles or any short pasta
- 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 3 cups Pepper Jack cheese shredded
- 2 cups smoked Gouda shredded
- 2 cups Mozzarella cheese shredded
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 5 cups heavy cream
- 8 ounces Velvetta cut into cubes
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non stick cooking spray.
- Cook pasta in boiling salted water for 1 minute less than al dente according to the pkg directions. Drain and set aside.
- Shred all your cheeses and divide them in half.
- Heat a pot on medium heat and melt the butter. Once melted add in the heavy cream, whisk until smooth. Bring to a low simmer (depending on the size of your pot it may take 5-6 minutes. Keep whisking it every so often so it doesn't burn.)
- Reduce heat to low and add in half of your shredded cheeses and all of your Velvetta, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, ground mustard, and salt let simmer on low until everything is melted and creamy. (Don't turn the heat up or it may become grainy)
- Add in your cooked pasta.
- Transfer 1/2 of the pasta cheese sauce to a 9x13 baking dish add 1/2 of the remaining shredded cheese on top. Followed by the remaining noodles on top and the remaining shredded cheese on top for the final layer.
- Place the dish on a baking sheet to catch anything that boils over the top. Bake uncovered in the middle rack for 35-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
- Let your mac and cheese sit for at least 15 minutes to thicken up. Serve!
Video
Notes
- You can certainly swap out any of the cheeses for what you prefer.
- The sauce will thicken up and soak into the pasta as it cools.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Use cream cheese in place of Velvetta if you prefer.
I made this for a family dinner and everyone loved it! So creamy and cheesy, and the leftovers were just as good the next day. Definitely keeping this recipe!
This is my absolute fav mac and cheese! Thanks for the great review 🙂
Tried this and wow, it’s seriously cheesy and comforting😋
Just leave it out or add more of one of the other cheeses.
Can you use something besides velvetta cheese not really a fan of that stuff