5 cheese mac and cheese is the side I make for Thanksgiving, Christmas and every potluck in between. It’s a big-batch baked mac and cheese made without eggs, with a sauce that stays creamy under a golden crust. Prefer a simpler version? Try my classic baked mac and cheese.
Ultimate 5 Cheese Mac and Cheese
I’ve made baked macaroni and cheese too many times to count. But the first time I made a five cheese macaroni and cheese recipe was on a whim for a last-minute invite to a summer BBQ. The host requested mac and cheese so I went to gather the usual ingredients from the fridge.
But I didn’t have enough cheddar cheese so I added whatever cheese I had to make up the difference and what resulted was this delicious baked 5 cheese mac and cheese! I’ve made it this way ever since. This dish is loaded with flavor and the addition of the smoked gouda and gruyère adds a depth of richness that makes it hard to stop eating once you start!
These days I make it with cavatappi. The corkscrews hold on to every bit of the cheese sauce, though my kids still vote for elbows.
Why You’ll Love This 5 Cheese Mac and Cheese
- Great for Groups: One pan feeds about 12 as a side, so it’s perfect for holiday feasts and potlucks. It also halves easily for a weeknight dinner.
- Easy to Make: I made this recipe with simple ingredients stocked in my fridge and you can too! You’ll need a pound of cavatappi and lots of cheese. Learn how to make a roux for creamy baked macaroni and cheese and the rest comes together very easily.
- Versatile: Serve this dish with a variety of other side dishes and entrees. It works with jerk turkey, Caribbean roast chicken or baked ham for Thanksgiving or Christmas, or with a casual weeknight meal.
Ingredients for 5 Cheese Macaroni and Cheese
This easy baked macaroni and cheese comes together with an assortment of cheeses, butter, flour, and seasonings.
- Cavatappi: Cook it about 1 minute short of al dente, since it keeps cooking in the oven. Elbow macaroni or shells work too.
- Extra sharp white cheddar: The base of the sauce, with a rich, sharp flavor. Half goes into the sauce and half goes on top, since it melts and browns best.
- Parmesan: A small amount adds a salty, savory flavor.
- Asiago: Nutty and slightly sweet.
- Smoked gouda: Smoky with a subtle sweetness. It melts beautifully and makes the sauce extra creamy.
- Smoked gruyère: Nutty, earthy and smoky. It melts incredibly smooth, so the sauce stays silky.
- Milk: Makes a creamy, velvety sauce and spreads the cheese flavor through every bite. You can use whole milk, half and half, or heavy cream, depending on how rich you want the sauce.
- Butter and flour: Cooked together into a roux, they thicken the sauce and help it cling to the pasta.
- Seasoning: Garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika and parsley flakes.
- Salt: For the pasta water only. The cheeses bring plenty of salt to the sauce.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make 5 Cheese Mac and Cheese
For this easy 5 cheese mac and cheese, I use extra sharp white cheddar as the main cheese, plus parmesan, asiago, smoked gruyère and smoked gouda.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cook the cavatappi in water salted with 1 tablespoon of salt, about 1 minute short of the package time, then drain. While the pasta cooks, make the cheese sauce (a béchamel, if you want to be fancy).
Melt 8 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in ½ cup of flour and cook for about 3 minutes.
Then slowly whisk in 4 cups of warm milk. Bring the sauce to a boil, stirring constantly so it doesn’t stick. When it’s thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, remove it from the heat.
Whisk in the garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika and parsley flakes (you can use fresh parsley if you prefer) until there are no lumps.
Stir in half the cheddar and all the other cheeses until smooth, saving the rest of the cheddar for the topping. Then fold in the cooked pasta in thirds until it’s all coated.
Pour the mac and cheese into a greased 9×13-inch baking dish and top with the remaining cheddar. Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes, until bubbly and golden on top.
Let it rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat them in the microwave. It turns creamy and melty again, just like it came out of the oven.
Tips for the Best 5 Cheese Mac and Cheese
- Shred your own cheese. Pre-shredded cheese is coated with an anti-clumping agent that keeps it from melting smoothly.
- Undercook the pasta by about 1 minute. It keeps cooking as it bakes, and no one wants soggy noodles.
- Warm the milk first. Warm milk whisks into the roux smoothly, so the sauce doesn’t get lumpy.
- Check it at 30 minutes to make sure the cheese on top isn’t burning.
- Want a deeper golden top? Give it 5 more minutes in the oven instead of using the broiler, which can burn the cheese in seconds.
- Use the middle rack for even baking. It’s ideal, but not required.
Recipe Variations & Substitutions
- Pasta: Cavatappi is my favorite, but elbow macaroni, shells, penne or ziti all work.
- Cheese: Swap any of the cheeses for pepper jack, Monterey Jack, Colby or Swiss. I recommend keeping the cheddar as the base for flavor and texture.
- Smaller batch: Halve the recipe and bake it in an 8×8 dish. Start checking at 30 minutes.
- Taking it to a party: Bake it in an aluminum pan set on a sheet pan for support.
Frequently Asked Questions
A generous sauce (4 cups of milk for a pound of pasta) and a topping of shredded cheddar keep it creamy underneath while the top turns golden. Undercooking the pasta by a minute also helps, so it doesn’t soak up all the sauce in the oven.
Extra sharp white cheddar, smoked gouda, smoked gruyère, asiago and parmesan. Cheddar is the base. Smoked gouda makes it extra creamy, gruyère melts silky and nutty, asiago adds a nutty sweetness, and a little parmesan brings salty depth. If you can only pick one of gouda or gruyère, go with smoked gouda for creaminess.
Yes, in small amounts. Asiago adds a nutty, slightly sweet flavor, but it’s a firmer cheese, so I use just 2 ounces and let the cheddar and gouda do the melting.
No. Some baked mac and cheese recipes add eggs to make it richer and help it set, but this one doesn’t need them. The roux-thickened sauce and five cheeses make it creamy and hold it together.
Avoid cheeses that don’t melt well. Hard cheeses like parmesan can turn grainy if you use too much, so keep it to a small amount for flavor. Fresh cheeses like mozzarella are too wet for a smooth, creamy sauce. Also skip strong cheeses like blue cheese or gorgonzola, which overpower everything else.
About 12 as one of several sides, or about 9 if it’s the only side. For a smaller crowd, halve the recipe and bake it in an 8×8 dish.
5 Cheese Mac and Cheese
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Oven safe baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 lb cavatappi (elbow macaroni or shells work too)
- 1 tbsp coarse kosher salt (for the pasta water)
- 8 tbsp butter
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups milk (warmed)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp parsley flakes
- 1 lb extra sharp white cheddar (shredded, divided)
- 2 oz parmesan (shredded)
- 2 oz asiago (shredded)
- 2 oz smoked gouda (shredded)
- 2 oz smoked gruyère (shredded)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cook the cavatappi in water salted with 1 tbsp salt, about 1 minute short of the recommended cook time on the package.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook about 3 minutes.
- Slowly whisk in the warm milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and cook until it coats the back of the spoon.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika and parsley flakes.
- Stir in half the cheddar and all the parmesan, asiago, smoked gouda and smoked gruyère until smooth.
- Fold in the pasta in thirds until coated. Pour into a greased 9×13-inch baking dish and top with the remaining cheddar.
- Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes, until bubbly and golden on top.
- Rest 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Shred your own cheese. Pre-shredded cheese doesn’t melt as smoothly.
- Why cheddar on top: some of the other cheeses don’t melt as well on top, so the topping is all cheddar.
- Salt: no salt in the sauce; the cheeses are salty. Taste before adding the pasta.
- Pasta: cavatappi is my favorite because the corkscrews hold the sauce, but my kids still vote for elbows.
- Storage: fridge up to 4 days; reheat in the microwave.
- Servings: about 12 as one of several sides, or about 9 if it’s the only side.
- Want a deeper golden top? Give it 5 more minutes in the oven rather than using the broiler, which can burn the cheese in seconds.
- Pan size: I use a deep 9×13 (3 inches). A standard 9×13 works too; it’ll fill closer to the top, so set it on a sheet pan in case it bubbles over. It also fits a small aluminum pan for taking to a party; set it on a sheet pan for support.
- Smaller batch: halve everything for a family of 4 (my neighbor does this every time). Use an 8×8 or similar smaller dish; if it’s about as deep, plan on the same 40 minutes, but start checking at 30, until bubbly and golden.
Nutrition
The information listed in the recipe card is an estimate provided by an online nutrition tool. The tool evaluates ingredient names and amounts then makes calculations based on the number of servings listed for the recipe. It is provided as a general guideline and not as a precise calculation. For precise nutrition information please feel free to add the ingredients to your preferred nutrition calculator or consult a doctor or licensed nutritionist.
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