Servings
Font
Back
4.6 from 66 votes

Four cheese baked mac and cheese with thyme breadcrumbs

The cheesiest baked mac and cheese recipe, ever. Four cheeses and crispy thyme breadcrumbs make this an irresistible dish, any time of the year.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
50 mins
Servings: 12 (as a side dish)
Calories: 408 kcal
Course: Side Dish , Dinner
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

For the cheese sauce
  • ½ cup butter
  • ½ cup flour
  • 2-3 cups milk
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1 cup grated mature cheddar
  • 1 cup grated gruyere
  • 1 cup grated Mozzarella cheese
  • ½ cup grated parmesan
  • salt and pepper to taste
For the baked mac and cheese
  • 1 kg (2lbs) macaroni par-cooked + reserve 1 cup of cooking water
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 2 cups bread cubed/roughly torn
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF.
  2. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour.
  3. Whisk until smooth then slowly pour in the milk, a little at a time. (I always reserve approximately ½ cup milk. Some flours will absorb more/less liquid so you might not need all of it and sometimes after adding cheese I like to thin out the sauce just a little with the remaining milk.)
  4. Whisk continuously until the sauce is thick then turn down the heat, add the spices and allow to simmer, stirring, until the sauce is thick and cooked through (this takes around 7-10 minutes on a gentle heat).
  5. Once the sauce is cooked (the sauce will be completely smooth tasting with no flouriness) remove from the heat and add the cheeses. Stir until melted then season to taste. 
  6. Combine the cheese sauce with the pasta then add the sour cream. Stir and add some of the reserved pasta cooking water to thin out the sauce. You want the mac and cheese to be very creamy before going into the oven. Transfer to a large casserole dish.
  7. Drizzle the oil over the bread and mix with thyme and salt. Scatter over the mac and cheese
  8. Place in the oven and allow to bake for 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and crispy. 
  9. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. 

Notes

  • The breadcrumb topping is optional but adds great texture to the finished Mac and cheese.

Nutrition Information

Calories 408kcal (20%) Carbohydrates 73g (24%) Protein 17g (34%) Fat 5g (8%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Cholesterol 4mg (1%) Sodium 121mg (5%) Potassium 289mg (8%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 5g (10%) Vitamin A 185IU (4%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 184mg (18%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12(as a side dish)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 408

% Daily Value*

Calories 408kcal 20%
Carbohydrates 73g 24%
Protein 17g 34%
Fat 5g 8%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 4mg 1%
Sodium 121mg 5%
Potassium 289mg 6%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 5g 10%
Vitamin A 185IU 4%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 184mg 18%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Report Abuse
Login to Continue
Forgot password?
Don't have an account? Register