I call this Million-Dollar Mac & Cheese because by the time you buy all 7 cheeses called for in the recipe, you've spent a million dollars. (It might also aptly be called Million-Calorie Mac & Cheese.) Our family loves this mac-n-cheese more than any other that we've ever tried, but it's definitely reserved for special occasions because it's pricey to make.
The recipe is from a very popular restaurant here in the DC area called Founding Farmers. The actual name of the dish is "Seven-Cheese Mac & Cheese." (The cheeses were chosen with intention to balance saltiness, stringiness, and flavor, and man, are they good!)
For this recipe, I like to use a good-quality radiatore pasta (a short, squat, ruffled pasta similar to rotini that holds the sauce well), or rigatoni, which also works well.
Of note:
If you've used this recipe from here before, note that as of Nov 2022, I've re-written the recipe here on the blog. I halved the amount of sauce and broke down the steps to be more intuitive and easier to follow. You can find the original recipe in the Founding Farmers cookbook.
The cookbook recipe says it serves 4 to 6, but this is a heavy, rich mac-and-cheese. I'd say it serves more like 10-12, especially when used as a side dish.
INGREDIENTS (divided into sections that correlate with prep steps)
1-1/2 cups whole milk
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
¼ + ⅛ cup (1.5 ounces) shredded smoked Gouda
1 pound dry noodles (macaroni, rigatoni, or radiatore work well)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic*
*can substitute garlic powder, but if you do, use half the amount
1-1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded sharp yellow cheddar
1-1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded white cheddar
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Asiago
1/3 cup (1-1/4 ounces) shredded Muenster
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2-1/2 tablespoons finely sliced fresh chives (optional)
PREP
Preheat the oven to 325-degrees F. Butter a 4-quart casserole dish (or six 16-ounce individual dishes) with butter and set aside. Fill a 6-quart pot with water and bring to a boil.
Grate the indicated amount of each of the different cheeses (a food processor with the grater attachment works especially well for this). All of the cheeses, once grated, can be combined together EXCEPT for the smoked gouda, which needs to remain separate.
FIRST SAUCE
1-1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
¼ + ⅛ cup (1.5 ounces) shredded smoked Gouda
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
Meanwhile, make the sauce: Heat the whole milk and heavy cream in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. In a separate 2-quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. When the butter begins to bubble, whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Slowly pour the hot milk and cream into the flour mixture while whisking. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens. Whisk in the Gouda and white pepper. Remove the sauce from the heat and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
When the pasta water is boiling, cook the macaroni for a few minutes short of the package directions. (Note: The pasta will continue to cook in the sauce in the oven, which is why they tell you to undercook it in this step. However, I do not like al dente pasta, and haven't ever wanted to risk having a 'bite' to the finished pasta, so I only undercook my pasta by 1 minute at most—doing so prevents an al dente finished product, but neither will the finished product be mushy, which is what the recipe, as written, is trying to guard against.)
Drain the pasta. Transfer it to the large bowl with the warm sauce and mix together until pasta is well coated.
SECOND SAUCE
2 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic*
*you can substitute garlic powder, but if you do, use 1/4 teaspoon instead of 1/2 teaspoon
In a separate, small bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, whole milk, salt, black pepper, and granulated garlic. Pour this mixture over the pasta.
CHEESE IT UP
1-1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded sharp yellow cheddar
1-1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded white cheddar
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Asiago
3/4 cups (3 ounces) shredded Gruyere
1/3 cup (1-1/4 ounces) shredded Muenster
Add the remaining shredded cheeses, and gently fold together until combined. Transfer the pasta mixture to the buttered casserole dish. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes (12 to 15 minutes if using individual dishes).
TOPPING
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1-1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2-1/2 tablespoons finely sliced fresh chives (optional)
While the macaroni bakes, prepare the topping: Melt the butter in a medium sauté pan over medium heat; stir in the panko and salt until the crumbs are coated. Remove from the heat. Remove the macaroni from the oven, discard the foil, and sprinkle the buttered bread crumbs evenly over the top. Return the dish to the oven, uncovered, and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until the bread crumbs are golden brown. Remove the dish from the oven, let rest for 5 minutes, then sprinkle the chives over the top and serve.