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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!
Best mac and cheese ever!
Hi Barbara,
Thanks for making this recipe and your comment, so glad it was enjoyed! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! xx
Hi I’m making this tomorrow for thanksgiving and I wanted to know how well it is reheated or if you have any suggestions.
Hi David,
I would make up until the point of baking, cover, and then bake when you are ready to serve. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Should we add any liquid before heating in case the pasta has absorbed too much so that it doesn’t come out dry?
Hi Katie,
You could add some milk or cream if you are worried about that! I hope you love this recipe! xx