This 4-Cheese Mac & Cheese Bake is the ultimate in comfort and perfect for your summertime picnics and potlucks!
We recently enjoyed a gorgeous sunny day touring the Seneca Lake Wine Trail.
Every few months the local wineries, that just so happen to be a short ride from our home, host wine and food pairing events. Over the past twelve years, Dom and I have had our fair share of delicious pairings, anything from dark chocolate brownie bars with a late harvest Port, to sweet curls of Parmigiano with a tropical and spicy Gewürztraminer.
This year’s food focus: Cheese.
Wow, did we eat well! And although we had a considerable amount of memorable nibbles at each of our grape-infused stops (and don’t even get me started on the homemade fare that Dom’s sisters brought along) it was the 4-Cheese Mac & Cheese from Chateau Lafayette Reneau that grabbed my attention and wouldn’t let go.
Chef John McNabb created a mac & cheese recipe so savory and flavorful – I actually forget about the wine for a minute….
Or was it the wine that made me forget about the wine? 😉
Anyway – this is a dish you’ll want to keep in your back pocket for all of your summertime events. I have adapted the recipe ever-so-slightly to include creamy mascarpone in place of chèvre.
Picnics, graduations, potlucks, your own wine tasting party….
This dish will be a hit.
Served warm or at room temperature, I suspect it will be one of the first dishes to go….
You may want to reserve a little bowl and place it in the back of your fridge where no-one can find it…. but you…. 😉
It’s that goooood!
Buon Appetito!
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4-Cheese Mac & Cheese Bake
- Category: Pasta
Description
This 4-Cheese Mac & Cheese Bake is the ultimate in comfort and perfect for your summertime picnics and potlucks!
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds cooked al dente pasta (ditallini, shells, farfalle..) I used medium shells
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 42 oz. canned diced tomatoes (3/4 cup juice reserved)
- 1 Tbsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. ground white pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1/2 cup shredded Fontina
- 1/2 cup mascarpone (or cream cheese, or chevre)
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
- 3/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water for 6 minutes. When done, drain and set aside.
- In the same large pot, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Once butter is melted, add the flour and stir for 2 – 3 minutes to create a roux.
- Turn the heat up to high, and very slowly, while whisking, add heavy cream and reserved tomato juice.
- Bring to a simmer and add chopped tomatoes and seasonings.
- Sauce should thicken. (3 – 5 minutes.)
- Remove from heat and stir in cheeses, reserving 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese.
- Stir in cooked pasta and chopped parsley.
- Transfer mixture to a lightly greased 9 x 13 baking dish.
- Sprinkle reserved Parmesan and Panko breadcrumbs over the mixture.
- Bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until golden and bubbling.
Looking for more Memorial Day ideas? Here you go:
Broccoli Slaw with Maple Bacon & Toasted Cashews
Parsley Pesto and Burst Heirloom Cherry Tomato Crostini
Mixed Berry Spoon Cake with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
CIAO!
Oh man, you live nearby more than one winery? Color me jealous, that’s freaking awesome! I’m drooling over this dish, the more cheese the better! Forget a little bowl for hiding, I would hide the whole dang thing! 😀
Your secret’s good with me! 😉 Thanks, friend!
Hooray for cheese! And I love the addition of tomatoes for that little bit of freshness that makes the dish taste even better!
They sure do! And the panko gets the job done in the texture department! Thank you, friend!
Give me a glass of wine and a bowl of this mac & cheese any day!
Comin’ right up, love! xo
What a lovely day we had at the wineries! …p.s. don’t tell anyone, but yours is better than the original 😉
Heheheh! Your secret’s good with me! 😉 XO
That macaroni and cheese looks absolutely divine! And I love the tomatoes. 🙂
It’s a nice bowl of food! 🙂
Oh Wow!!! This is a definite winner! You just can’t go wrong with mac n’ cheese. This mac n’ cheese is deliciousness stepped up a notch!
Oh yes – stepped up big time! 😉 Thanks, Kathy!!
Wine trails are so fun and what a fun way to get inspired. This mac and cheese has my name all over it Annie! I absolutely love the tomatoes, creamy mascarpone and fontina combo. I’m in loooove! xo
This is a winning combination of flavors! So rich-tasting without being overly cheesy, if you know what I mean! 🙂 Thanks, dear! xo
Mac ‘n cheese is one of my favorite comfort foods, and I love it even more when it’s baked! Looks SO good for just about any meal!
Nothing like that crispy top!! Thanks, Gayle!
I had no idea of the existence of mac&cheese until I arrived in Canada. Now, it is my favorite comfort food (the vegetarian version only). I just love it, and yours looks and sounds incredible! Good choice to replace the chèvre with the mascarpone. Paired with a nice wine it must be amazing!
Thank you, friend! It is amazing paired with a nice Chianti! 🙂
Wow! I want this right now 🙂 pasta perfection.
Come on over! 🙂
When I think of comfort food, mac and cheese is always the first dish that comes to mind Annie! I love the variety of cheeses you’ve included here and the addition of the tomatoes! On my list!
And this recipe makes enough for an army! Enjoy, Mary Ann!!
Looks great, Annie! Any book club gathering might turn into the “What book? I am just here for the food..” if this bake is on the table. Dangerous! Pinned and have a great week!
Very dangerous! And this is a perfect plate to pass at a book club gathering! Whatcha reading?
Oh I’d totally forget about the wine if I had this in front of me. Just give me all the cheese and I’m happy! I’d love a big plate for dinner!
Cheese does that to me too! One big plate coming up! 🙂