4-Cheese Mac & Cheese

4-Cheese Southern Mac and Cheese Recipe – so easy and it tastes AMAZING! No roux or white sauce! Simply boil the pasta and toss with butter. Add cream cheese, Velvetta, Jack and Cheddar cheese, egg, heavy cream, salt, and pepper. Can freeze for a quick side later. Add ham for a main dish! This is our family’s favorite macaroni and cheese recipe! YUM!

mac & cheese on a spoon

Remember this recipe.

Pin this recipe to your favorite board now to remember it later!

Pin This Recipe

The BEST Southern Baked Mac & Cheese

This 4-Cheese Mac & Cheese is so creamy and delicious! I could make a meal out of this yummy pasta! Pasta and butter tossed with heavy cream, cream cheese, Velveeta, Jack & Cheddar cheese. SO much amazing flavor! We ate this with some grilled chicken for lunch and had the leftovers for dinner. SO good! You could easily turn this into a main dish by adding some diced ham and/or broccoli to the casserole dish. Equally delicious!

macaroni and cheese in a baking dish

How To Make Mac & Cheese from Scratch

This Southern baked mac & cheese is really easy to make with only a few simple ingredients. The best part about this recipe is there is no flour roux or cheese sauce to make. Simply boil the noodles in a large pot and cook to al dente. Drain the macaroni. Place the hot pasta in a large bowl, add some butter, and stir until it melts. Add the cheeses, egg, and heavy cream. Season with seasoned salt and black pepper. Place in a baking dish and bake. So easy!

  • You can use any types of cheeses that you prefer. I used cream cheese, Velveeta, Monterey Jack, and cheddar cheese. Sharp cheddar, gruyere, and fontina would also be great.
  • Feel free to add some onion, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, broccoli, or ham to the pasta mixture.
  • You can also add a quick breadcrumb topping if you like. Mix together breadcrumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle on top of the macaroni mixture before baking.
  • Can Mac & Cheese be made in advance? Yes! You can assemble the casserole ahead of time and refrigerate it before baking. You may need to add a few minutes to the cooking time if baking straight from the refrigerator.
  • Can Mac & Cheese Be Frozen? Yes! You can make this ahead of time and freeze it baked or unbaked for later. Assemble the casserole and let it cool completely. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze.
    • To bake this casserole after freezing, thaw completely and bake as directed below. I usually take the casserole out of the freezer the day before baking and let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
    • To reheat this mac & cheese after freezing, thaw and pop in the microwave or cover with foil and heat in the oven for about 30 minutes.
scooping mac and cheese from baking dish

What to Serve With Macaroni & Cheese

Mac & Cheese is a great side dish or meatless main dish. Heck, we consider mac & cheese a veggie in the South. LOL! We love to serve this yummy Mac & Cheese with grilled chicken, burgers, steak, pork chops, pork tenderloin, BBQ – basically everything! Here are a few of our favorite recipes from the blog to serve with this 4-Cheese Mac & Cheese:

Spicy Grilled Hamburgers

Spicy Hamburgers – CRAZY good burger! Hamburger meat seasoned with Worcestershire sauce, BBQ sauce, chili powder, cumin, cajun seasoning, pepper,…

Morton’s Steakhouse Marinade

Morton’s Steakhouse Marinade – recipe from the famous steakhouse. Garlic, thyme, cayenne pepper, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, oil, lime juice,…

spoonful of macaroni and cheese

4-Cheese Mac and Cheese

Yield: 8 people
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
4-Cheese Mac and Cheese Recipe – so easy and it tastes AMAZING! No roux or white sauce! Simply boil the pasta and toss with butter. Add cream cheese, Velvetta, Jack and Cheddar cheese, egg, heavy cream, salt, and pepper. Can freeze for a quick side later. Add ham for a main dish! This is our family’s favorite macaroni and cheese recipe! YUM! #macandcheese #pasta #macaroniandcheese #sidedish

Ingredients:

  • 8- oz elbow macaroni
  • 3 Tbsp butter softened
  • 4- oz Velveeta cheese, cubed
  • 4- oz cream cheese, softened and cubed
  • 1 (8-oz) bag shredded Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • seasoned salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste

Instructions:

  • Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9×9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
  • Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.
  • Place hot pasta in a large bowl. Add butter and stir until the butter melts.
  • Add Velveeta, cream cheese, and Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese. Stir.
  • Whisk together egg and heavy cream. Add to pasta mixture. Stir.
  • Pour pasta into prepared dish.
  • Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

Notes:

  • You can use any types of cheeses that you prefer. I used cream cheese, Velveeta, Monterey Jack, and cheddar cheese. Sharp cheddar, gruyere, and fontina would also be great.
  • Feel free to add some onion, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, broccoli, or ham to the pasta mixture.
  • You can also add a quick breadcrumb topping if you like. Mix together breadcrumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle on top of the macaroni mixture before baking.
  • Can Mac & Cheese be made in advance? Yes! You can assemble the casserole ahead of time and refrigerate it before baking. You may need to add a few minutes to the cooking time if baking straight from the refrigerator.
  • Can Mac & Cheese Be Frozen? Yes! You can make this ahead of time and freeze it baked or unbaked for later. Assemble the casserole and let it cool completely. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze.
    • To bake this casserole after freezing, thaw completely and bake as directed below. I usually take the casserole out of the freezer the day before baking and let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
    • To reheat this mac & cheese after freezing, thaw and pop in the microwave or cover with foil and heat in the oven for about 30 minutes.

Steph

Remember this recipe.

Pin this recipe to your favorite board now to remember it later!

Pin This Recipe
scooping mac & cheese from baking dish
baking dish of mac & cheese
spoonful of mac & cheese

Categories:

Tags:

You Might Also Like

See All Mac & Cheese

Comments

  1. Help! Idk if I got the right velveeta cheese. The cubed part threw me off….. Is the velveeta like the box of the cheese you get in the dry food aisle by the boxed mac and cheese????

    1. No, not in the dry food isle. In the cold section with the rest of the cheeses, in the dairy. There is a block Velveeta cheese in a box. The one in the dried food isle, is mac and cheese to prepare to eat.

    1. I would check it at the time listed and see if it needs extra time. If you are making it in one giant pan, I would think it would need more time. If you are making it 4 pans – it might be ready at the time listed.

    1. I’ve only made the recipe as written. Any changes and substitutions to the recipe would be up to you.

  2. Double checking the portions here… you’re only supposed to cook half of a 16 ox box of macaroni?

    Thanks!

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating