Everyone loves macaroni and cheese. Don’t lie to yourself. It’s warm, it’s comforting….it’s cheesy.
Up until Monday though, I had never attempted to make it from scratch! Instead, I relied on Velveeta Annie’s when I needed to get my fix. Sometimes the powdered (or packaged) cheese creeped me out, but I just stirred and went with it.
But then I remembered this homemade macaroni and cheese that my mom made last Easter to go with fried chicken, and I knew it would be the perfect dish to accompany my dip for our football game party.
(And yes, I like to work on my girlfriend points by ringing the doorbell toting homemade mac & cheese and wing dip. These days, a girls gotta use everything she’s got)
I’m not sure what the best part of this macaroni and cheese is. It could be the extra thick cheese sauce made from a roux and a whole bag of mixed shredded cheese.
Or it could be the gentle sprinkling of blue cheese crumbles on top for that extra bang of cheesy flavor.
Actually, the best part is totally the chewy, crunchy top that neatly blankets the creamy noodles underneath.
Classic comfort food. When the rest of the world is on a miserable beginning of the year diet, you can be relishing one cheesy noodle after the other with a big smile on your face. That’s worth more than any pair of skinny jeans right there…I don’t care how cute they are.
Oh, and you want to know that naughty thing I did with the buffalo chicken dip?
I totally scooped some right on top of bowl of macaroni. I really did. And it was probably the best food combination that’s ever passed my lips.
I figured everyone else was drinking wine but me so I might as well have some fun!
Baked Four Cheese Macaroni
serves 8-10
16 oz macaroni noodles
3 T butter
3 T all purpose flour
4 cups milk
16 ounces mixed grated cheese (I used a mix of cheddar, monterey jack and mozzarella)
6 ounces crumbled blue cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Preheat oven to 400.
Cook macaroni in boiling salted water. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
In a heavy saucepot over medium high heat, melt the butter and add the flour. Whisk together and cook for thirty seconds. Add the 2 cups milk and whisk until smooth. Add another cup of the milk (reserving one cup) and continue to whisk. Cook for four minutes while whisking. The mixture will get very thick!
Add 12 ounces of the grated mixed cheese and stir well so that the cheese melts. Add the salt, pepper and cayenne followed by the additional cup of milk and half of the blue cheese crumbles. Stir well.
Once everything is smooth, add the cooked macaroni and toss well. Pour into a 9″13″ casserole pan and top with the remaining grated cheese.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Top with additional blue cheese and bake 10 minutes more, until golden brown and bubbling.
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{ 133 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m pretty sure my heart just stopped. I would bathe in blue cheese if I could.
oh my goshhhhhhhhhhhhh!! this looks absolutely stunning! I can’t wait to try it! Youv’e really out done your self!! FOUR cheese!!
thank you
I’m making this tonight!!
This is the perfect dish to make with all this snow outside!
I’d choose blue cheese over skinny jeans any day.
I can’t believe you had never made mac and cheese from scratch before! Sometimes I hesitate to make it because it uses so many dishes, but I never regret it. I’m actually planning to make it tonight…perfect comfort food for during a blizzard!
I have Annie’s here too. Good for a in a pinch – when you want to eat a box on the couch – from the pot
I love the broiled part on the top – bubbling, crispy cheese!
Wow, that looks delicious! I love mac n cheese. Well I love anything n cheese.
I agree with you that the best part is the chewy, crunch top! YUM!
Oh my gosh this looks unbelievable! I never thought to use blue cheese in a baked macaroni and cheese before – what an awesome idea!
Homemade mac ‘n’ cheese is infinitely better. I hate Annie’s, despite its blogger reputation. It can’t touch the real thing. Way to go, Jenna!
I love the simplicity and flavor profile of this. I’ve tried several recipes for my all time favorite “go to” comfort food and my Mac and Cheese ends up costing $40-$50 after all the fancy cheeses have been purchased. Your photos make me want to dive right in, yum!
I love homemade baked macaroni and cheese. I just made some recently actually. mine also starts with a roux and has a mix of cheeses. Can’t go wrong with that!
This looks way better than Kraft. Bravo!
I’m going with the best part being the chewy, crunchy top. That’s the part that I’m looking forward to, at least!
Holy get in my mouth. I made a homemade mac and cheese last winter (i called it “posh mac and cheese” purely because it didn’t come from a box and had like 4 types of cheese – that’s cool, right?) and it was a stunning success but it’s kind of a once-a-year type deal. Literally, there are pounds of cheese in it…
Love it. I think ill make this soon…. know what else would be good on top? Crumpled bacon!
I love the way you think, my friend.
Ohh – this is such a dangerous post so early in the morning! It looks incredible! Love the addition of the bleu cheese!
definitely the ULTIMATE comfort food. perfecty for a snowy day
Jenna, what are you trying to do to me at 9 am? Of course this looks amazing. Of course I’m going to go the entire day craving gooey mac ‘n’ cheese.
Awesome recipe- mac and cheese- so comforting!
Wow. Wow. Wow! I haven’t made homemade mac and cheese in a while, and I think the manfriend would love this stuff!
Post like these should NOT be allowed while I’m noshing on a stale bagel and sipping on crap office coffee.
I’m sorry!! stale bagels are the worsttttt
*Swoon* Macaroni & cheese has always been and will always be my no.1 comfort food… And buffalo chicken dip over the whole shebang… sinful
That looks completely amazing!
Damn you lactose intolerance!
Yayyyyyy! Ya know when you saw all the cheese you bought I was hoping and guessing you were going to make baked macaroni! Yayyy! My favorite! Only, now I want some VIOLENTLYYYYYYYYY….
Mmmm! There is absolutely nothing in this world like homemade mac and cheese. My mouth is watering just looking at the pics of yours. And the blue cheese on top sounds interesting! : )
I’ve never attempted homemade mac and cheese but that recipe looks pretty simple, thanks.
That is so crazy how you just posted this. I made baked mac n cheese twice in the last week and a half. The bleu cheese is a wicked good idea. I used crushed croutons and parm as my topping. Gotta go try yours! Bye!
I think this is the kind of dish that takes you somewhere else while you eat it!
Macaroni and cheese was my #1 go to meal when I was a kid, but this is a much more sophisticated version than the Kraft Dinner I used to eat. Sounds delicious Jenna!
Wing dip? Mac and cheese? You make me want to host a Superbowl party!
I cannot wait to try this! Sounds like a fun Sunday afternoon project.
Mmm…this may very well be my favorite recipe you have *ever* posted. And that’s saying a lot. Homemade mac ‘n’ cheese is such a beautiful thing.
I never made homemade mac and cheese either until this Christmas. I followed Ina Garten’s recipe but honestly, Jenna, yours looks and sounds so much better!
Baked homemade mac and cheese is one of the BEST foods in the world! I love how the edges get crispy, and I think the buffalo chicken dip on top sounds great. I love to put hot sauce on leftover mac and cheese.
i love everything about this recipe, but what really gets me is the bleu cheese…HEAVEN! you completely won my heart with this one, mac and cheese is the best food invention. EVER.
Oh. my. gosh.
You are such a rebel making such a rich dish in January! I love homemade Mac n cheese.
that’s what they say!!! rebels rule.
I am so excited about this recipe….but there is just one thing. I am nuts about cheese, any and all cheese! EXCEPT blue cheese. I’ve tried and tried. Love feta, kind of the same? Anyway, just thought you might have a suggestion of a fourth cheese to crumble on top instead of the blue? Love the idea about bacon, too. Also I have a very similar recipe with the creamy sauce and mine has a little dried mustard in it, just a suggestion if you want to try it sometime! I think it adds a little something
Can’t wait to make this!
I wnat to make everything you make. Especially since I have a new guy I am trying to impress. Keep em coming.
This looks awesome!!!! Yum!
YUM. yum yum yum. I want this right now!
One of my favorite recipes is a baked Mexican mac & cheese…it’s similar to yours, but with corn, red/green peppers, black beans and cayenne. It is ridiculous.
that sounds like everything I love in life…all in one dish.
A couple weeks ago I tried out a recipe for buffalo chicken mac and cheese… which essentially was just taking chicken, mariniating it in frank’s red hot, and then making mac and cheese using blue cheese crumbles and mixing it all together, it was bangin. It sounds like the combo you made here, you should try it!
Oh my. Is it too early in the day to make (and eat) this??
it’s never too early for cheese.
Wow! I wish I could dive right into that dish. I just adore cheese!!! My favorite Italian restaurant in Toronto, Soto Soto, has a Rigatoni Ai Quattro Formaggi (Rigatoni in Four Cheese Sauce) that I dream of & that you just made me crave
You’ve done it again! You made a baked casserole look so pretty!! I am jealous ;P I was photographing my ham ‘n potato casserole (inspired by you actually) … in my horrible kithcen lighting bc it was 7pm and the sun was long gone and I could not convince B that he should wait til tmr to break into ‘his’ man-sserole (casserole for a man – aka MAN FOOD
). Your shot def blows mine out of the water !!
Don’t mind if I do…
This is the ultimate comfort food! Looks delicious
That’s really similar to the macaroni I made last week, right down to the Cayenne! I never thought about bleu cheese crumbles though – perfect!
Nothing beats homemade mac and cheese. Except maybe baked homemade mac and cheese!
My stomach is grumbling.
Thank God for your blog. I can’t stand January because everyone is so focused on losing weight and eating only apples and blah blah. Mac & cheese rulessss
OMG I’ve never had mac and cheese……..what am I missing out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
who are you??? where do you come from??? want to come over for dinner?
I’m Italian and I’ve never been to the US :’(
If you tell me how to teleport, I’ll come over for dinner tonight!!! x
Blue cheese macaroni and wing dip? These will be some happy guys.
Making this tonight! I love me some cheese….the more the better.
Thanks!
I saw this and thought to myself I would make that. Then I saw that it had blue cheese on it and I thought I’d move into that. Yummy.
Bring on the cheese! Fantastic mac and cheese recipe!
I’ll trade you a whole dish of mac&cheese for a few of your toffee cookies?!
Oh my heavens. When I saw the picture of your groceries earlier in the week, I crossed my fingers that you were working on a mac & cheese recipe. Definitely my favorite non-chocolate food item. Thank you!
Dear God, I want this.
come and get it!!!
That looks awesome, I <3 homemade mac and cheese! My mom used to make it all of the time. It's also great with some diced tomatoes thrown in the mix!
mmm diced tomatoes sound delicious! I’ll have to try that next time.
YUM YUM YUM! I’ve made mac and cheese from scratch a lot, my mom taught me when I was young, but i’ve never thought about adding blue cheese to it!!! I must try this next time I make it!
I’ve never made mac and cheese from scratch. Well . . . unless you count using cheez whiz, but I really dont think thats even sort of the same thing.
My heart just filled with loads of love when I saw this post……I called everyone in my office over to oogle at it and passed it along to my husband through email. He is demanding we make it tonight for dinner! So long Spaghetti and Chicken….Hello Four Cheese Mac…..and hello physical activity needed before and after!
Can’t wait!
yesssss! I think I broke a sweat while whisking the roux for the mac&cheese. does that count as physical activity?
This looks and sounds delicious!
That looks SO amazing! Mac & Cheese is definitely my favorite comfort food. It’s perfect for cold weather like today
Wow! That looks sooo delicious!! This is definitely going on the must-make list. Thanks for the recipe!
This dish just stole my heart. It looks incredible. I want mac & cheese (particularly this one, but I guess any one will do) pronto!
Mac and cheese + the Dip = cheesy amazingness, no doubt!
Nothing wrong with a lil powdered cheese and boxed macaroni. We ALL grew up on that, right!
But omg your creation makes me want to throw out the boxes
You’ve done it again. You made me drool all over my keyboard like a fool.
This looks decadent and deliciously cheesy. I want it.
there’s no shame in a little drool on your keys. Happens to the best of us.
this looks AMAZING! my friend and I actually have a mission of going to different restaurants trying to find the best mac and cheese… mmm cheeeeese.
I’m not a fan of baked macaroni, but I definitely agree that macaroni and cheese is definitely comfort food. I actually haven’t had any since going gluten-free, I’m going to have to pick up some brown rice or quinoa noodles and make some!
I think your my new hero! i have been looking for a baked mac and cheese recipe and this one is my next project!
That looks delicious! I love baked mac n’cheese. It’s such a good “comfort” food.
These recipes you’ve been posting sound so good! I’m going to try this one out on my family.
This looks incredible!
THANK YOU!amazing. simply amazing.
THANK YOU! this is the moment i’ve been waiting for. amazing. simply amazing. really threw me a curve ball on the blue cheese, but that makes it all the better. making this asap.
i’m LOVING your savory recipes! they are all getting printed out to make. and just so you know, printing out the recipes is a big step for me. usually i just put delicious-looking recipes in my “recipes to make” folder and they hide there… not this week.
thank you!! I feel honored
There’s nothing better than baked mac and cheese, especially when it contains FANCY cheeses!
Mac and cheese is my favorite dish to make for a crowd. Like you say, who doesn’t like it?? Micheal Symon makes an aaaamazing version: Roast chicken macaroni with goat cheese and rosemary
.
Mac ‘n Cheese is by far one of the greatest foods ever.
Naughty dip! so ranch-y (raunchy-ranchie …get it? I’m lame)
Mac and cheese is by far the best comfort food…there’s nothing better! Can’t wait to try this!
i`ve never made homemade mac and cheese either, this is currently in the oven! i saw it right when i was thinking of something cheesy to make for lunch. yumm.
I think I would die of happiness if I put buffalo chicken dip on mac and cheese.
I did! But then I came back to life and added more.
With all the cold and snow here in Boston, this is THE meal I want to eat right now!
I know this is random, but last night I had a dream that I saw a commercial for an “eat live run” movie that showed your life story. Blogs are entering my dreams!
On a less creepy note, This mac and cheese looks delicious!
that’s amazing. and hysterical! I’m way to awkward to ever be in a movie.
You should make Buffalo Chicken macaroni and cheese some time. I saw someone make it on a Food Network challenge once and made an easy adaption myself off a recipe I found out the food network’s website. So good!
id say that definitely earned u some brwnie points!! and was wrth every bite
x
Oh my, this looks delicious! Definitely saving this for a chilly and lazy day!
Before I went vegan I used to make The Pioneer Woman’s Fancy Macaroni and Cheese. It was delicious but I’m pretty sure it was a heart attack on a plate!
Now I make it with nutritional yeast and it’s pretty amazing
Yum!!! You’re not having alcohol calories so you’re allowed to have cheesy-noodle-goodness calories instead
I want this so badly…. Maybe after my long run on Sunday.
Heaven on a plate. Seriously
jenna! please tell me you did not use a bag of shredded cheese in your mac and cheese. the pioneer woman would be so disappointed with you. hand grated is the best – no icky cornstarch separating the shreds of pre-grated cheese.
There is nothing better than mac n’ cheese made from scratch. It’s how my mom makes it, SO GOOD. It beats skinny jeans any day…..
I’m currently totally snowed in here in Boston and made this for dinner. Amaze-balls. I also followed it up with your funfeti cupcakes which are currently baking!! Your blog is dangerous!
Oh wow! I bet the buffalo dip was AHHHH-mazing on top of the mac & cheese! Yum yum yum!
Sorry Mom
You no longer make my favorite mac and cheese. YUM!
Jenna,
I said this morning…comment 61….that I would make this for dinner tonight. I made it and love it and so does my husband. This recipe is a keeper!
Thank you!
yay!! I’m so glad! You rock!
I’ve tried WAY too many mac & cheese recipes! They never comeout how I envision then either too dry, too salty, too soupy or not enough flavor! I’m gonna give this a shot! Fingers crossed that this will be “the one”
b/c being able to make epic mac&cheese is a talent not all are ment to have, but I’m not gonna give up yet!
Ugh, this sounds incredible… Why did I have to give up cheese for the month of January?! I suppose it gives me something to look forward to in February, though. Ha.
MUST.MAKE.TONIGHT!!! Thanks Jenna!!
This mac and cheese looks out of this world! I’m a blue cheese addict, so those sprinkles are just calling my name. I added this to my recipe box on Tasty Kitchen, and I can’t wait to make it.
This recipe didn’t really work for me. I love blue cheese, but this is SO blue-cheesy! Super stinky – yikes. I made a big pan, but nobody in my family wants to eat the rest of it.
I had the same experience. It looked great, smelled fab but no one ate it. Said it was too strong. Sad face.
I just made this and…I think it’s AMAZING!
I’ve officially made this 2 times in the last three weeks! I made if for a deli-themed party my small group was having and it was a big hit. Then yesterday I brought it over to a friend’s house for the SuperBowl and it was gone before halftime.
Thanks for the newest addition to my drool-worthy party food list.
I just made this…it was great! Easy and simple weeknight supper served with a salad. And…next time, I’m totally adding bacon.
I’ve been thinking about this mac and cheese since you posted it, and last night made a random version (with mushrooms and bacon), but I missed the blue cheese, sadly. It was awesome, but while dousing it in Frank’s hot sauce, I decided a buffalo chicken macaroni and cheese would be outstanding. So I vote you combine the dip and macaroni in the baking process!
Tried this on Saturday night and it was just the best mac & cheese ever! Thanks so much, Jenna!
Hi, I wanted to make this for about 60 people for my xmas party. How would this hold up if I need to make it ahead of time? Is there any suggestions for keeping it creamy or at least prepping it all ahead of time and baking the day of?
I would assemble the whole dish then freeze and bake the morning of. While I haven’t personally tried that method, I have a hunch it will work just fine (it works great for lasagna so why not mac and cheese?). It will take longer to bake from frozen though,so allot another 30 minutes to an hour of cooking time.
Great thanks!! it sounds amazing.
Made this for dinner with the in-laws and won my mother-in-law’s heart! She went back for thirds. It was the first thing my son devoured on his plate. It’s a recipe I’ll use every time mac n’ cheese is in order. Kudos!
Any thoughts on preparing this in the morning for an afternoon cookout? I was thinking about baking it for 15 minutes, covering it in the fridge, and then baking it the last 10 minutes or so right before serving. What do you think?
Hmmmm I would make the whole thing ahead of time and just don’t bake. Then, right before serving pop it in the oven for the required amount of time. You can either freeze the unbaked macaroni OR just assemble and refrigerate.
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