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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.

Creamy Brie Four Cheese Mac and Cheese with Buttery Ritz Crackers | halfbakedharvest.com

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.

Creamy Brie Four Cheese Mac and Cheese with Buttery Ritz Crackers | halfbakedharvest.com

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.

Creamy Brie Four Cheese Mac and Cheese with Buttery Ritz Crackers | halfbakedharvest.com

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.

Creamy Brie Four Cheese Mac and Cheese with Buttery Ritz Crackers | halfbakedharvest.com

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!

Creamy Brie Four Cheese Mac and Cheese with Buttery Ritz Crackers | halfbakedharvest.com

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…..

Creamy Brie Four Cheese Mac and Cheese with Buttery Ritz Crackers | halfbakedharvest.com

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)!

Creamy Brie Four Cheese Mac and Cheese with Buttery Ritz Crackers | halfbakedharvest.com

Cheep (fancy) cheese equals really good mac and cheese.

So does buttery Ritz crackers, best mac-n-cheese topping ever.

Creamy Brie Four Cheese Mac and Cheese with Buttery Ritz Crackers | halfbakedharvest.com

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.

Creamy Brie Four Cheese Mac and Cheese with Buttery Ritz Crackers | halfbakedharvest.com

A little mac and cheese can never hurt.

Creamy Brie Four Cheese Mac and Cheese with Buttery Ritz Crackers | halfbakedharvest.com

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 Brie Four Cheese Mac and Cheese with Buttery Ritz Crackers | halfbakedharvest.com

Creamy 4 Cheese Brie and Buttery Ritz Cracker Mac and Cheese

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Resting time 5 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
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.

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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!!
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Creamy Brie Four Cheese Mac and Cheese with Buttery Ritz Crackers | halfbakedharvest.com

Ok, now let’s just go grab some giant bowls!

This post was originally published on November 21, 2013
4.04 from 358 votes (341 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. Made this for my daughter’s graduation dinner because her younger sister, a huge Buzzfeed fan, found it for us. I loved the fact that a sister chose for a sister, so I went with it. I DID modify a bit by using more brie (that was “light,” even!), sharp cheddar and about 1/2 c. goat cheese for a bit of kick. I used about 24 oz. noodles, about 4 c. of milk, a few dashes of worcestershire, and up’d the roux by a bit. It turned out great; that topping, which I 1..5’d for my larger (15×12) pan, just ROCKS. It makes anything it touches ridiculous! Ill happily make this again, as it’s infinitely adaptable.

    Reply

  2. This might be THE BEST Mac and cheese recipe I’ve made! My family and friends have asked for it so much since I first made it 2 weeks ago that I’ve officially memorized the recipe and just made another batch to bake off in the morning. I could eat the leftover cheese sauce that is in the pot with a spoon, or a piece of bread. Thanks for the carbo load 🙂

    Reply

  3. I’m thinking about making this as a side for my Valentine’s Day feast for my man…. Could this be refrigerated and then baked the next day?

    Reply

  5. This is the best mac & cheese I’ve ever had. I am a meat lover, so I added pancetta, and it was to die for. Thank you for the amazing recipe!

    Also – I MUST know where you got those bowls. I am obsessed with them!

    Reply

    1. SO happy you loved this! Thanks for making and reporting back!

      The bowls are from crate and barrel. You kind order them here.

      Reply

  6. I love the interaction of the different cheeses in this recipe – brie for creaminess, the others for flavor. Sounds like a winning combo, and I can’t wait to try it out!

    Reply

  7. Oooo….I’d love to try this recipe! Instead of using pasta, do you think quinoa can be used? I love my pasta, but I’m trying to cut down on wheat and processed food.

    Reply

  12. Bluehost totally broke my heart yesterday, too! My site was only down for about an hour before I noticed it, but it nearly gave me a stroke. Similar to the way I feel looking at these beautiful pictures! Oh. My. Yum….. Can’t wait to try this out! I just posted a Mac and Cheese recipe today, too – must be on everyone’s minds!

    Reply

    1. Ugh. Bluehost is kind of just not making me happy right now. LOL!

      Thanks so much, Anetta! I will have to check out your mac and cheese!

      Reply

  14. I love the combination of cheeses in this and can’t wait to try it out! The base of your sauce (béchamel) is my go-to for Mac & Cheese. Have you ever taken small pieces of crusty bread, dipped them in a little butter and used that as a topping? It’s my favorite topping for mac & cheese 🙂

    Reply