Five Cheese Mac and Cheese with Bacon and Panko

Five Cheese Mac and Cheese

This baked mac and cheese lifts from the dish in soft, saucy spoonfuls rather than firm squares. A milk-and-flour sauce coats the elbows, while sharp cheddar, Gruyère, Monterey Jack, mozzarella, and Parmesan add tang, nuttiness, a creamy melt, stretch, and savory depth.

Reserved cheese and buttered panko form an uneven golden top. Crisp bacon goes on near the end of baking, followed by a little parsley just before serving. The recipe makes 10 side-dish servings or 6 to 8 main-dish servings.

Ingredients for Five Cheese Mac and Cheese

• 1 pound dry elbow macaroni (450g)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (85g), divided
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (30g)
• 3 1/2 cups whole milk (about 840g), plus a splash if needed
• 8 ounces sharp cheddar, freshly grated (about 2 cups; 225g)
• 4 ounces Gruyère, freshly grated (about 1 cup; 115g)
• 4 ounces Monterey Jack, freshly grated (about 1 cup; 115g)
• 4 ounces low-moisture mozzarella, freshly grated (about 1 cup; 115g)
• 2 ounces Parmesan, finely grated (about 1/2 cup; 55g)
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs (45g)
• 6 slices bacon
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Cheese note: Reserve about 1 cup of the combined cheddar and mozzarella for the topping. All the remaining cheese goes into the sauce.

How to Make Five Cheese Mac and Cheese

1. Preheat and prepare: Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with a little of the measured sauce butter. Grate the cheeses and set aside the topping cheese.
2. Cook the bacon and pasta: Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Drain and cut into small pieces. Meanwhile, boil the elbows in salted water until about 2 minutes shy of the package’s al dente time. Drain while they still have a noticeably firm bite; they will continue cooking in the oven.
3. Make the sauce base: Melt the rest of the 4 tablespoons sauce butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook briefly, until no dry flour remains. Gradually whisk in the milk. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir continuously for about 8 to 10 minutes, until the sauce lightly coats a spoon but still flows easily. Stir in the mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper.
4. Add the cheese: Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the unreserved cheddar and mozzarella, the Gruyère, Monterey Jack, and Parmesan, a handful at a time, until smooth. Taste before adding more salt; the Parmesan and bacon also contribute salt. If the sauce is too thick to coat the pasta generously, stir in a small splash of milk.
5. Assemble: Fold the drained elbows into the sauce, coating them well, and spread them in the prepared dish. Scatter the reserved cheese over the pasta. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, toss with the panko, and sprinkle the crumbs unevenly over the top.
6. Bake and add bacon: Bake uncovered for about 25 to 30 minutes. Check the topping at 20 minutes. Scatter the cooked bacon over it for the last 5 minutes of baking. The casserole is ready when the edges bubble, the center is hot, and the crumbs are golden with patches of melted cheese showing through. If the crumbs darken before the center heats, tent loosely with foil and continue baking.
7. Rest and serve: Let the casserole rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve by spoonfuls.

How to Keep the Macaroni Creamy

The cooked milk-and-flour sauce holds the cheese around the pasta without eggs, so the casserole stays spoonable instead of setting into slices. Grate cheese from blocks and stir it into the thickened sauce off the heat to reduce the chance of a grainy or oily finish.

Before baking, the sauce should be pourable and coat every elbow. Stop baking once the center is hot and the edges bubble: extra oven time can tighten the sauce and soften the pasta too much.

Getting a Golden Top and a Hot Center

A 9-by-13-inch dish keeps the casserole relatively shallow, helping the center heat through as the buttered panko browns. A smaller, deeper dish or a refrigerated casserole will need more time; check the center rather than judging by the topping alone. Adding fully cooked bacon near the end keeps it visible without baking it for the full time.

For another mac and cheese with a golden crumb topping, see Million Dollar Mac and Cheese.

Serving, Make-Ahead, and Leftovers

Serve warm as a substantial side with ham or roast turkey, or as a main dish with a simple green salad. For a simpler baked option, try Classic Baked Mac and Cheese.

To make ahead, cover the assembled, unbaked macaroni and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. Keep the panko and cooked bacon separate; butter the panko and add it just before baking, then add the bacon during the last 5 minutes. Allow extra baking time for the cold casserole and check that its center is hot.

Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. To reheat one portion, add a splash of milk and microwave until hot, stirring partway through. The topping will soften.

Nutrition

Approximate nutrition per serving, based on 10 side-dish servings: 575 calories, 29g protein, 31g fat, and 45g carbohydrates. Approximate values per 100g: 215 calories, 11g protein, 12g fat, and 17g carbohydrates. Values vary with the cheeses, bacon, and serving size.