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How about some cheese today? This creamy brie four cheese mac and cheese with buttery ritz crackers is melt in your mouth GOOD.
And pasta!!
It is kind of perfect after the day I had yesterday, or really the day the site had. Not real happy with my VPS host, Bluehost. We are not even going to talk about it except to say is that I am really sorry the site was down ALL day yesterday. So frustrating and just plain terrible. Ugh. Sorry if it caused you guys any inconvenience.
This mac and cheese is my apology.
WATCH HOW-TO VIDEO HERE:
I’d say it’s fair game. I mean just look at it. So creamy and buttery, and did I mention there is four cheeses and one of the cheeses is Brie?!?! Yes, Brie. In mac and cheese. It’s so good. And I would totally add some blue cheese crumbles if you are into it.
That would be good. I should have done that.
The Brie actually does not add a ton of amazing flavor. The flavor comes mostly from the sharp cheddar, fontina and havarti (my favorite cheese to add to mac and cheese!!), but the Brie does add amazing creaminess. Oh so creamy! I think you are going to freak. It is the best mac and cheese I have ever made. And eaten.
Oh, and did you guys notice?
My casserole dish? It is not glued together anymore. It is actually all in once piece and totally not toxic.
Yay!
Now I can eat all the mac and cheese. Not just the center. Thank God.
The only reason I made mac and cheese was because I am currently loaded with fancy and delicious cheeses. Definitely not a problem at all, I love it!
Here is the thing though, my grocery store pretty much just sucks. It is not very good and has very limited selections. BUT it does have a new killer cheese section. Guys, it is awesome and I love it, but you know, cheese is expensive…..
So I piled up on pretty much all the discounted cheese (AKA the old cheese). I bought ten eight-ounce wheels of Brie for ten dollars. Now that is a good deal. Especially for me since cheese takes forever to go bad up here where I live. It’s the one thing the elevation is good for (that and no bugs – too high for the little suckers, just a few tiny ants up here)!
Cheep (fancy) cheese equals really good mac and cheese.
So does buttery Ritz crackers, best mac-n-cheese topping ever.
Just like any mac and cheese recipe, this one is super easy. Make it ahead and everyone will love it. It is the perfect cozy meal for weeknights or the weekends. I am pretty sure it would be an awesome Thanksgiving side as well.
A little mac and cheese can never hurt.
Oh, and don’t mind my holiday Ritz crackers and Christmas bowls. I am just a tad too excited about them and had to share.
Creamy 4 Cheese Brie and Buttery Ritz Cracker Mac and Cheese
Servings: 6 servings
Calories Per Serving: 1012 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1 clove garlic minced or grated
- 1 1/2 cups crushed Ritz crackers about 1 sleeve
- 1 pound elbow pasta
- 1/4 cup flour
- 3 cups warm milk I used 2%
- 1 1/4 cups sharp white cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 cup fontina cheese shredded (add an extra 1/4 cup...if you want!)
- 1 1/4 cups havarti cheese shredded
- 4-6 ounces Brie rind removed and chopped (I surely used 6 ounces)
- 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta until al-dente. You want it to have a bit of bite. It will finish cooking in the oven. Drain well.
- While the pasta boils add 3 tablespoons butter to a medium skillet and melt. Add the garlic and sauté 30 seconds then throw in the crushed Ritz crackers and toss to coat.
- Toast the crumbs for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Once the crumbs are lightly toasted remove form the heat and set aside.
- In the same pot you boiled the pasta, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let cook/bubble for 1 minute, stirring once or twice to avoid burning. Gradually whisk in the milk and raise the heat up to medium-high. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking frequently until the sauce has thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in all of the cheese, mustard powder, cayenne, salt and pepper. Stir until the cheese is fully melted. Stir in the pasta and transfer to the prepared baking dish.
- Evenly sprinkle on the toasted cracker crumbs and place the baking dish on a baking
- sheet.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the crumbs are golden brown and the sauce is bubbling.
- Remove from the oven and let sit five minutes (yeah, right). Dig in!!
Ok, now let’s just go grab some giant bowls!
Has anyone made this in advance – minus the Ritz cracker topping – and then reheated it in a crockpot for a potluck at the office? If no, any thoughts on whether that would work? Should I double the recipe if I can reheat in a crockpot? I’m thinking of preparing this for a Holiday Party where there will be plenty of other foods and about 20-30 people. Not everyone will probably be taking some. Thoughts? Comments? Much appreciated.
This looks and sounds amazing btw!!
Hi! I have made this in advance and it works great. I think the crockpot sounds like a good idea to warm it up. I would double the recipe for that many people. if you think more than 10 people will be eating it. Let me know if you have any other questions. Hope this is a hit! 🙂
Unfortunately I have stopped making mac n cheese and other wonderful things for health reasons but this one here I really have to make! Life is too short to deny yourself *all* the good stuff. This looks amazing and I will make it soon. Pancetta, that someone suggested is a fantastic idea! The recipe says “elbow” but isn’t that cavatappi in the photo? I discovered cavatappi in an Italian deli in San Francisco 35 years ago and have used it for mac n cheese since. Thank you for such a creative recipe!
BTW, I made your Cider Braised Short Ribs last week and it was fantastic! I have made several things from your blog and they all have been terrific! Thank you so much.
Yes definitely try this one! I am sure you will love it, and I am so happy you enjoyed the short ribs!! That is awesome! Let me know how you like this mac and cheese Terence, thanks!! ?
Made for the first time last night. Had to substitute gouda for the fontina because I can’t seem to find fontina in my area (Eastern Canada). Beautiful, smooth texture and lovely flavor. Next time I’ll salt the water that my noodles cook in because my husband salted his meal which never happens. The crackers were fine but I prefer the buttered breadcrumbs that I would normally use – purely a personal preference. However, I’ll definitely be adding the garlic – that was excellent. Great recipe – keep ’em coming!
SO happy you loved this recipe Teresa and I hope you continue to love them! Thanks so much!
Sounds like exactly the recipe I am searching for! So all I need to do is pick up the Brie and I’m making this tonight! But I have to say this pet peeve I have when people comment on your recipe! After they say it’s amazing why do they say they tweaked it a bit but in reality they totally changed the entire thing! Just drives me crazy!! Ok got that out of my system! I have to say most of the posts weren’t that way but there were a few towards the end! But I’m going to make this tonight! Thanks!! By the way this might make you happy I googled best Mac and cheese recipe and your site came up first! Cool right and I think it’s correct! No need to go any further searching!! Thanks!!
YAY! Thats so awesome that your making this! How did it go?! (also pretty awesome that my site came up☺️) Thanks Tracy!
What a great recipe… and super versatile! After making a few times, I switched it up by using chipotle gouda in place of the fontina, threw some lobster and bacon into the mac n cheese and crumbled up some crab cakes and mixed with the ritz cracker crumbs for topping… it was awesome, and I’m planning to use it for a friendly mac n cheese cook off a group of friends and I have every year. I’m the reigning champ and expect to stay that way now!
My family made this and it was the best mac and cheese I’ve ever had. We have lots of leftovers too, which is a good thing. Thank you for the recipe! 🙂
Dear Miss Tieghan,
I just love you. Don’t ever sweat the small stuff honey…re: your host provider or wtf….all that stuff is like lint. Your food is always on point. Just to give you a reference point. In February, I had the dumb luck of getting invited to the BEST restaurant in D.C. and I didn’t even know it (Komi). The way the restaurant is structured is like being in someones home. There is no menu. There is a set price. Dude decides what he wants to serve and because he knows he has skills, charges accordingly. I watched him from my table operate the kitchen like an orchestra and the food blew my taste buds off the chart. My dear, so does YOUR food. So do your new digs! Ever think of opening “The Barns” as a restaurant destination? I just want to see you succeed. Tonight, I am making a traditional good luck Southern dish of black eyed peas, collard greens and this slammin’ mac-n-cheese. Sending you much love and luck for the New Year!!
Peace,
Abra
Awe! Thank you so much for this kind email! Happy New Year!
I love this recipe! I am thinking about adding some prosciutto ham as i have plenty and I am not sure what to do with it (any suggestion how to incorporate it?)
I want to make it for a potluck party – the problem is there will be no oven. Do you think reheating it in a microwave would ruin it? I would really appreciate your advice!
Hey Kiki! I think the addition of ham would be great, just stir it in before baking. Heating in the microwave is not ideal, but I am sure it will work! Happy New Year!
Oops. I drooled myself.
Sorry if I missed this somewhere, but what’s the appropriate size baking dish for this? Thanks!
Hi! A 9×13 inch dish works great! 🙂
Hope you love this!
Can you build this the night before and then bake it the next day? Any idea on how that would turn out?
I’d like to make for Thanksgiving but I want to make as much as I can the day before.
Thanks!!
Hey Nicole!!
yes, assembling this the night before works great. Just remove it from the fridge 30 minutes before baking. The cooking times should be the same. Hope you love this!!
I found a link for this on pinterest. I made it last night and it was fabulous! Thank you for the wonderful recipe. It was easy to follow and turned out just like the picture. The flavor and texture were perfect.
I made this for my family last Thanksgiving and it was incredible! I’m thinking about taking it to some friends who just had a baby. I wanted incorporate a protein and veg into it when I bake to make it more of a meal. I was thinking chicken and broccoli, but do you have any other meat and veg combos you think would be good? Or should I leave it alone and do meat and veg separately?
Hey Rebecca!!
So excited you are loving this recipe! I would honestly do chicken and broccoli myself, but other combos that might be good would be bacon + broccoli, green peas and chicken or pork, Summer squash and or zucchini + chicken, roasted tomatoes + chicken. There are so many combos so also feel free to use whatever summer produce you may have on hand. Let me know if you have any other questions, happy to help! 🙂
Hi, Tieghan! I’ve made this before and loved it, but am wondering about making it a day in advance for Thanksgiving (the daughter I made it for a few comments ago is too in love with it to NOT have it present on the Thanksgiving table, regardless of how traditional it is — or isn’t). D’you think I could make the white sauce (with or without the cheese?), boil the noodles & drain and make the ritz crust then just store everything separately and assemble on Thanksgiving day? Thanks SO MUCH!!
Hey Carissa,
You can make and assemble the mac and cheese a day in advance, I do this all the time. Just bake the dish a little longer since it will no be warm and then maybe cover with foil to prevent burning on top. Let me know if you have any other questions. So glad you love this recipe!!
This is a beautiful thing. I even plugged it in to My Fitness Pal, and if you divide it by 8 servings, it’s only 542 calories per (granted, I used skim milk for the sauce–it’s what I had on hand). It’s just fine for cheat day…or any other day. I especially loved the garlicy topping.
The only thing I might change is adding just a touch more cayenne. But I love a good kick. I divided it between two baking dishes: one was 8×8 and the other was 8x3ish. A 9×13 might have been a little big for my taste.
Thanks for posting!! My friends loved it. 🙂