Ultimate Mac and Cheese
My Ultimate Mac and Cheese is one of my son’s favorite dishes.
It has nine cheeses in it. Yes, you heard that right, nine. It used to have 10. I stopped using Emmental (Emmentaler) cheese.
Most of these are available at the grocers. If not, Amazon or iGourmet carries them. Typically, the one I have a hard time finding is the Cotswold Cheddar at my grocers. I have in a pinch, substituted whatever cheddar I have in my refrigerator, which is typically a mild cheddar.
- Velveeta (USA)
- KerryGold Aged Dubliner White Cheddar (Ireland)
- Cotswold Cheddar (England)
- Raclette Cheese (Switzerland, France)
- Gruyere (Switzerland)
- Asiago (Italy)
- Parmesan (Italy)
- Pecorino Romano (Italy)
- Kasseri (Greece)
When I originally made this recipe years ago, I used Chablis wine. However, Chablis is also hard to find, so I now use Sauvignon Blanc.
I will say, this is much more of an adult version of a mac and cheese. It has a a slight flavor similar to a Cheese fondue. This was one of those creations I pulled together after I had catered a party. I had a small amount of a variety of cheeses left over. The Kasseri Cheese was left from making Saganaki. I should note that all these cheeses melt well. The hardest cheese to melt is the Kasseri Cheese, so cut those cubes smaller.
The first thing you need to do is make the elbow macaroni. Follow the directions on the package, strain and set aside. I typically mix the cooked macaroni with a little butter so they don’t stick to each other.
Next you need to make the cheese sauce. Cut all the cheese into small pieces. In a large sauce pan, melt the butter. Add the wine, cream and half-n-half. Add all the cheese and let melt, stirring frequently. Do not let the cheese start to burn on the bottom. If it starts to brown on the bottom of the pot, don’t worry, just DON’T scrape it off and mix it in. It will give the Mac and Cheese a burnt flavor. Stir from above that section. Continue to mix thoroughly. Season with freshly ground black pepper.
Next, add your cooked elbow macaroni to the cheese sauce and mix, being careful not to break them. Again, be careful not to mix in anything that may have been stuck to the bottom of the pan. Place into a baking dish that you sprayed with a non-stick cooking spray.
Add the breadcrumbs that have been mixed with melted butter on top. Don’t do what I did (see photo below) and forget to mix the breadcrumbs with the melted butter first. I ended up spraying the breadcrumbs with a non-stick cooking spray. Bread crumbs flying everywhere, LOL.
Bake in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 30 minutes. The top will be golden brown.
This finished dish is sure to impress. For a dinner party, make individual portions in ramekins.
Left Overs – One thing I love to do is reinvent left overs. I had some leftover Chili and left over Ultimate Mac and Cheese, so I put them together. Wow! This was a great finished dish as well.
If you like my Ultimate Mac and Cheese Recipe, please leave a comment and let me know what you think. If you made it, post your wonderful images on Instagram and tag me. Don’t forget to subscribe and you will be emailed each time I post a new recipe.
Note: Please pardon the paper bowls for photos. I’m selling my house and everything is packed.
Ultimate Macaroni & Cheese
Equipment
- 1 Large stockpot/soup pot
- 1 Large casserole baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray
Ingredients
- 1 box elbow macaroni
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp butter
Cheese Sauce
- 4 Tbsp Butter
- 3/4 cup Sauvignon Blanc
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups half-n-half
- 12 oz Velveeta cheese USA
- 7 oz Kerrygold Aged Dubliner White Cheddar Cheese Ireland
- 4 oz Cotswold Cheddar Cheese England
- 3 oz Raclette Cheese Switzerland, France
- 2.5 oz Gruyere Switzerland
- 2 oz Asiago (grated) Italy
- 2 oz Parmesan Cheese (grated) Italy
- 2 oz Pecorino Romano Cheese (grated) Italy
- 1 oz Kasseri Cheese Greece
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Topping
- 2 Tbsp Butter melted
- 3/4 cups Italian breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Boil the elbow macaroni according to the directions on the box in salted water with 1 Tbsp olive oil. The macaroni should be tender, but not falling apart. Drain them. Place them in a large bowl with 1 Tbsp butter so they don't stick to themselves. Set aside.
- Cut all the cheese into small 1 inch pieces. In a very large stock pot or soup pot, melt the 4 Tbsp butter. Add the Sauvignon Blanc wine, heavy whipping cream, and half-n-half. Continue to mix thoroughly.
- Add all the cubed cheese and let melt, stirring frequently. Watch your temperature. Do not let the cheese start to burn. If it does start to brown on the bottom of the pot, just don't scrape it off and mix it in. It will ruin the meal and give the Mac and Cheese a burnt flavor. Stir above that section.
- Season with freshly ground black pepper. Add the cooked macaroni to the pot and mix thoroughly, being careful not to break them. Again, being careful not to mix in anything stuck to the bottom of the pot.
- Transfer to a large casserole baking dish that has been sprayed with a non-stick cooking spray.
- In a small skillet, melt the butter and stir in the Italian breadcrumbs until mixed. Sprinkle the buttered breadcrumbs on top of the Mac and Cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
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