There’s a reason why sharp cheddar ranks on my best cheeses for mac and cheese list- it’s a classic.Ĭheddar has great flavor and melts down easily. In my humble opinion, this cheese is the easiest to pair with other cheeses.

If you make it with bread crumbs, it’s easy to sprinkle the Parmesan in, too (and garlic powder if you love your tastebuds). I also love that you can grate Parmesan into the dish and on top of it. Parmesan macaroni and cheese is rather close to Alfredo now that I think about it it’s like Alfredo in a hat and trench coat. It’s another hard cheese that melts exceptionally well, which you may already know if you home make Alfredo sauce. It pairs well with other cheeses you just want to be mindful of how strong in flavor they are since this one already has vigor. It made it easier to pair with caramelized onions and garlic, which I love to work into every meal possible. It can be expensive, so it may not be the go-to cheese every time you cook. It’s a harder cheese than Brie, but it’s Swiss, so it melts extraordinarily well. With Gruyere, and with all of the cheeses in your mac and cheese, you should go with younger ones, as in aged for less time. I also recommend adding Gruyere and Parmesan in to ramp up the flavor without sacrificing texture.

If you want an even silkier mouthfeel without it getting runny, then try creamy Brie! It was easy to heat up with butter and spread over elbow noodles, but it didn’t turn too thin either. The most important part is its meltability Brie melts like a dream. It’s a soft French cheese, so it’s a smooth, mild cheese that has undertones of cream and butter, which make it perfect for pasta in any form. Is Brie coming in first place? I know it sounds crazy, but trust me when I say it’s delicious and one of the best cheeses for macaroni and cheese. The key to this dish is cheese, so do your mouth a favor and keep reading to find out the best cheeses for mac and cheese. There’s nothing wrong with the box brand- I have 5 boxes of Kraft in my cabinet right now- but there’s also nothing tastier than fresh-baked, creamy mac and cheese with crispy bread crumbs on top. I personally recommend treating yourself to a batch from scratch instead of the box. If you’re hungry and have a hankering for Havarti, you can’t beat the classic dish that is macaroni. I think we all know there’s no better way to have cheese than melted and topping oodles of noodles.

Best melting cheese for mac and cheese