Four Cheese White Mac and Cheese (Stovetop)
Today’s Four Cheese White Mac and Cheese is a decadent one-pot mac and cheese ready in less than 30 minutes. It’s cozy and comforting – and dare I say? Better than Applebee’s four cheese mac and cheese.
4-Cheese White Mac and Cheese Recipe
The only boxed mac and cheese that I am ever tempted to buy is White Cheddar Mac and Cheese. Y’all can miss me with that blue box!
But this classic, creamy, stovetop White Mac and Cheese – it’s ready in less than 30 minutes and is worlds better than any boxed version. So, as long as I’m willing to grate some cheese and put in about ten extra minutes in the kitchen, it’s going to be this recipe for me from now on.
Tender, perfectly cooked macaroni noodles are smothered in luscious, creamy 4 cheese sauce consisting of sharp white cheddar, creamy mozzarella, nutty Parmesan and smooth queso blanco. It’s well-seasoned with onion powder, mustard powder and white pepper, keeping it kid-friendly yet elevated enough for grown-up palettes.
White Mac and Cheese Variation Suggestions:
- use broth instead of water to cook the pasta
- add favorite seasonings in place or in addition to the seasonings called for in the recipe (ie, ranch seasoning, Italian seasoning, ancho chile pepper, etc.)
- add protein (diced chicken, chopped steak, ground beef, shrimp, etc). Cook the protein separately and completely before mixing into the mac and cheese
- serve with a crunchy topping of toasted breadcrumbs. To make a breadcrumb topping, melt 2 Tablespoons of butter in a skillet and add about 1 cup of bread crumbs to toast until lightly golden before adding to your mac and cheese. I personally love crushing fried onions over my mac and cheese.
- swap out the cheeses for your personal favorites, but stick with cheeses with similar textures or moisture contents for the cheddar cheese and Velveeta (IE, a Monterrey Jack, Gruyere or Colby cheese for the cheddar)
- omit the Velveeta by using ricotta cheese or creamed cottage cheese
A few tips to keep in mind while preparing this four cheese mac and cheese:
- do not over boil the pasta – in fact, I would err on the side of under boiling. Over boiling the pasta beyond el dente will result in a mushy mac and cheese after the cheese sauce is stirred in.
- do not rinse your pasta after boiling – this removes the starch needed for the sauce to stick to the pasta
- shred your cheese yourself as pre-shredded cheese often uses ingredients to prevent clumping that also end up thickening your sauce and preventing the cheese from melting as uniformly
- to make this recipe gluten-free, swap the flour for cornstarch and use gluten-free pasta noodles
- the Parmesan cheese is mostly there for flavor so it can be replaced or omitted however you’d desire
- (as always) taste your recipe throughout the preparation process so you can correct over- or under-seasoning.
Can you freeze mac and cheese? You can freeze the cheese sauce on it’s own, but freezing with the pasta will result in a soggy, grainy mac and cheese. Freeze in an airtight freezer container and allow to thaw at room temperature before reheating and mixing with freshly cooked pasta. (This set of freezer containers is a crazy bargain.)
How to store mac and cheese: Since this recipe makes a ton of pasta, you may end up with leftovers. Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. If the cheese sauce seems somewhat dry, add a few tablespoons of milk to add some moisture back in to the recipe.
More Mac and Cheese Recipes:
The below video shows how to make our Classic Stovetop Mac and Cheese which is prepared very similar to this recipe, so be sure to check it out to see what the cheese sauce should look like at the various stages of preparation – and then don’t forget to scroll down to grab your free printable recipe card:
Ingredients for 4-Cheese Mac and Cheese
- Elbow noodles, uncooked
- Butter
- All-purpose flour
- Whole milk
- Onion powder
- Mustard powder
- White pepper
- White cheddar cheese, shredded
- Mozzarella cheese
- Parmesan cheese, shredded
- Queso Blanco Velvetta, cubed (half a package)
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.
Tip: check out our list of suggested variations to make this recipe uniquely your own.
Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Cutting Board
- Sharp Kitchen Knife
- Large Pot
- Colander
- Cast Iron Skillet <– I love the versatility of a good cast-iron pan – you can make everything from eggs to dessert in them and they transition easily from the stove to the oven. This one is pre-seasoned and great for even heating
- Whisk
- Wooden Spoon or Spatula <— I like these spatulas because they are one solid piece and don’t have removable heads for bacteria to get trapped underneath. Plus they are heat-resistant and have a lifetime warranty
- Casserole Dish
How to Make White Mac and Cheese
Prepare the elbow macaroni according to package directions. Do not rinse the noodles after draining.
Meanwhile, prepare the cheese sauce.
In a large saucepan over medium-heat, melt the butter.
Whisk the flour into the melted butter and then whisk in 1 1/2 cups of the milk.
Cook for 2 minutes, then add the onion powder, mustard powder and white pepper.
Whisk in the cheddar, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese and continue to heat and stir until the cheeses appear melted and fully incorporated into the milk mixture, about 3-5 minutes.
Cut the Velvetta into cubes and then add to the milk mixture. Stir occasionally until the Velvetta is fully melted and the mixture is smooth and consistent.
Pour the cheese mixture over the cooked, drained noodles and stir to coat.
*If needed, add the remaining 1/2 cup of milk to thin out the sauce to personal preference.*
Taste and adjust the seasonings, as desired.
Grab your free printable recipe card for our four cheese white mac and cheese recipe:
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Four Cheese White Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 4 cups elbow noodles, uncooked
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
- 4oz Queso Blanco Velvetta, cubed (half a package)
Instructions
- Prepare the elbow macaroni according to package directions. Do not rinse the noodles after draining.
- Meanwhile, prepare the cheese sauce.
- In a large saucepan over medium-heat, melt the butter.
- Whisk the flour into the melted butter and then whisk in 1 1/2 cups of the milk.
- Cook for 2 minutes, then add the onion powder, mustard powder and white pepper.
- Whisk in the cheddar, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese and continue to heat and stir until the cheeses appear melted and fully incorporated into the milk mixture, about 3-5 minutes.
- Cut the Velvetta into cubes and then add to the milk mixture. Stir occasionally until the Velvetta is fully melted and the mixture is smooth and consistent.
- Pour the cheese mixture over the cooked, drained noodles and stir to coat.
- *If needed, add the remaining 1/2 cup of milk to thin out the sauce to personal preference.*
- Taste and adjust the seasonings, as desired.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 511Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 571mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 2gSugar: 7gProtein: 25g
Sugar, Spice and Glitter uses an auto-generate nutrition calculator. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate unless analyzed in a scientific lab, so these should be considered more of a guideline than medical information.
I hope your family loves this decadent white cheese mac and cheese as much as mine does!
For more perfect pastas, check out our full pasta recipe collection here:
For more scrumptious side dishes, check out our full side dish recipe collection here:
