Eight Cheese Mac n Cheese with Cheetos Recipe
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Eight Cheese Mac n Cheese with Cheetos Recipe is cheese on cheese on cheese then topped with crunchy cheesy Cheetos! For the serious Mac n Cheese lover, this popular classic is creamy, scrumptious, and, frankly, irresistible!
Both kids and adults love this baked mac and cheese recipe is a family favorite. I use a combination of cheeses for the ultimate cheesy deliciousness! It’s perfect for a comforting or holiday side dish. Or, if you eat it like I do as a meal!
Eight Cheese Mac n Cheese with Cheetos
What could be a better comfort food than homemade mac and cheese? This mac and cheese is so incredible with eight different kinds of cheese! It’s made with
Yes, I add all these to a basic white sauce for an unbelievably flavorful cheese sauce. But that’s not all — we’re adding crispy Cheetos to take it over the top! You won’t regret trying this ridiculously good mac and cheese!
Raise your hand if you like Mac and Cheese.
I see a lot of raised hands! When my boys asked me what my favorite food is and my answer was ‘mac & cheese’ my fourteen-year-old said, “Mom, I don’t think that’s a grown-up’s favorite food!” It is and it always has been.
Tips
You can make mac n cheese a few different ways, baked, stovetop, and slow cooker. There is also a custard-style and a bechamel-style mac n cheese. My Eight Cheese Mac n Cheese with Cheetos Recipe is made on the stovetop and begins with a Bechamel Sauce.
- I used a mix of eight different kinds of cheese to make this ultra-creamy and cheesy. Feel free to mix and match your favorite cheeses or the ones you have on hand.
- I recommend a good quality 3 quart saute pan. You’ll find a ton of uses for this size.
- This 10-inch Flat Whisk is awesome getting into the edges of your pan where traditional round whisks won’t get.
- Remember if you are reheating Mac n Cheese, allow it to be a little more ‘liquidy’. You can do this by adding more milk, heavy cream, or pasta water. The longer it sits, the more liquid the pasta will absorb and the dryer it will become.
- I chose to top this mac n cheese with crushed Cheetos. You do not have to top it at all. Or, you may want to top it with crushed potato chips, regular bread crumbs, panko bread crumbs, or French Fried Onions.
You may also enjoy these Mac n Cheese recipes
Types of Mac and Cheese
Homemade mac and cheese recipes can vary wildly. There are custard style versus roux style, those that use different cheese and multiple kinds of cheese. Then there are different toppings and add-ins.
I have never met a Mac and cheese I didn’t like. Custard filling is good but so are made with roux. Bacon is a tasty addition and so are breadcrumbs to the top.
The two tips that are a must when making homemade mac n cheese is
- Over cook your pasta by 2 minutes. This makes them extra soft and prevents them from absorbing all the sauce.
- Shred your cheese by hand. Preshreded cheese may be convenient but it contains cornstarch and preservatives that prevent it from clumping. That additives also keep it from being the creamiest that it can be. Black cheddar cheese doesn’t contain these ingredients and will melt smoothly.
Eight Cheese Mac n Cheese with Cheetos Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces macaroni any shape
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3/4 cup whole milk whole or 2%
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 2 ounces Gouda cheese shredded
- 1- ounce gruyere shredded
- 1- ounce parmesan cheese shredded
- 1- ounce cheddar shredded
- 1- ounce Monterey Jack cheese shredded
- 1- ounce Colby shredded
- 1- ounce mozzarella shredded
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper use white if you don’t want to see the specks
- 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/2 to 1 cup crushed Cheetos
Instructions
- Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil.
- Add pasta and cook per package directions to al dente.
- Drain and set aside.
- To a large saute pan, melt 2 tablespoons butter.
- Add flour and whisk. Cook 2 minutes.
- Whisk in heavy whipping cream and milk. Whisk to remove any lumps.
- Add cream cheese and stir until melted.
- Stir in remaining ingredients and stir until cheese melts and is smooth
- Stir in pasta.
- Serve hot topped with crushed Cheetos.
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are important to you, I recommend calculating them yourself.
First of all, EIGHT cheeses? You are a woman after my own heart, Paula. Second, I LOVE the idea of topping it with Cheetos! I never would have thought of that. It sounds great!