This Creamy Mac and Cheese is made with a blend of four cheeses, and topped with crushed Ritz crackers and melted butter, then baked for a buttery crispy crust!
It's extra creamy and rich from the whole milk, heavy cream, and 4 cheese blend used in it.
This is definitely a cheat meal! But it makes a perfect side for the holidays and special occasions...or a regular weeknight when you feel like splurging. 🙂
Types of Cheeses used:
This recipe calls for gruyere cheese, extra sharp white cheddar cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, and cream cheese.
You can swap out any of these for other types of cheeses, but this is the blend we liked the best.
If you swap out the gruyere for romano or parmesan cheese, just make sure to cut back on the salt called for in the recipe! Reduce the salt to ½ tsp, and then just add more to taste once the cheese sauce is made.
How to Make Creamy Mac and Cheese with Ritz Cracker Topping
The Pasta:
- Make sure to cook the pasta under al dente by about 1-2 minutes, because it will continue cooking in the cheese sauce.
- Rinse the pasta in cold water, then drain and set aside.
The Topping:
To make the topping, simply crush the Ritz crackers and combine it with melted butter. This combination gives the mac and cheese a buttery crispy topping!
The Sauce:
The sauce is started off by first making a roux (a mixture of butter and flour). The roux helps thicken the cheese sauce.
- In a large sauce pan, over medium heat, add the butter and cook until melted.
- Add the flour, and cook for about 1 minute, constantly whisking.
- Next, a mixture of milk and cream is slowly mixed in.
- Once the mixture is slightly thickened, add the spices.
- Turn off the heat, and immediately whisk in the cream cheese and stir until melted.
- Add in about half of the shredded cheese mixture, whisk until melted and repeat with the remaining cheese. (If needed, turn the heat back onto low to help melt the rest of the cheese.)
- Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta, and mix well.
- Pour the mac and cheese into a greased casserole dish (I used non-stick cooking spray.)
- Top with the reserved 2 cups of shredded cheese mixture and crushed Ritz crackers mixture.
- Bake at 375ºF for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. (I like to bake mine for 20 minutes, then broil the top for 2-5 minutes until lightly browned. If you do broil at the end: Make sure to check every minute because it can burn quickly under broiler!)
Build-Your-Own Mac & Cheese Night!
Our best friends came over one night to test out our Creamy Mac and Cheese recipe, and we ended up having a Build-Your-Own Mac and Cheese party!
To do this simply just:
- Follow the recipe up to the point of combining the cheese sauce with the pasta.
- Have each guest fill up a small baking dish with some of the mac and cheese, then customize their own by adding mix-ins or toppings.
- Bake at 375ºF about 10 minutes.
We ended up just laying out all of our creations in the middle of the table, and trying out all of the different ones! It was so much fun, and delicious!
Here are the mix-ins and toppings we used:
- minced onion
- minced cilantro
- chopped ham
- chopped bacon
- minced fresh jalapeño peppers
- crushed ritz cracker topping (w/melted butter)
- panko breading (w/melted butter and parsley)
After trying all of the combinations, we agreed that we all loved the crushed Ritz topping more than the panko breading, which is why I included it in the recipe. But you can use whatever topping you like!
Reheating the Mac and Cheese:
This Creamy Mac and Cheese recipe reheats well. You can reheat it in the microwave or oven.
To reheat in the Microwave:
- Scoop out a serving into a microwave safe bowl.
- Pour in a splash of milk, and stir.
- Cover with a damp paper towel, and heat for about 1 minute or until warmed through.
To reheat in the Oven:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Mix in a splash of milk.
- Bake covered with foil, checking every 10 minutes until warmed through. (The time will depend on how many portion you are reheating.)
Need more holiday side dish ideas? Try our buttery & moist Easy Skillet Cornbread, or Sausage Stuffing!
Enjoy! 🙂
TRIED THIS RECIPE? PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW AND A STAR RATING IN THE COMMENT SECTION...WOULD LOVE TO KNOW HOW IT CAME OUT!
Creamy Mac and Cheese with Ritz Cracker Topping
Ingredients
- 16 oz. elbow pasta
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsalted butter (8 Tbsp)
- 2 teaspoon sea salt* if using other cheeses, see notes
- ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 ¼ cup heavy cream aka heavy whipping cream
- 3 cups whole milk
- 4 oz. cream cheese full fat, cut into small chunks
- 5 oz. gruyere cheese shredded (makes about 1 ½ cups tightly packed, see notes for substitutions)
- 8 oz. extra sharp white cheddar cheese shredded (about 2 cups tightly packed, I used Cabot brand)
- 8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese shredded (about 2 cups tightly packed, I used Tillamook brand)
- more salt & pepper to taste for the sauce I usually add ¼ teaspoon each
For the Ritz topping:
- 2 tablespoon butter melted
- 30 Ritz crackers crushed
Instructions
Prepping the Ingredients:
- In a large bowl, mix together shredded gruyere, sharp cheddar, and extra sharp cheddar cheeses. Reserve 2 cups for the topping in a separate bowl. Set bowls aside.
- In another bowl or large measuring cup, combine the heavy cream and whole milk. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the crushed Ritz crackers and melted butter. Set aside.
- Cook the elbow pasta according to package directions, but cook it 2 minutes under al dente. (Mine took 6 minutes).
- Rinse the pasta with cold water, and drain. Pour the pasta into a large mixing bowl, and set aside.
Cooking the Mac and Cheese:
- In a large sauce pan, over medium heat, add the butter and cook until melted.
- Add the flour, and cook for about 1 minute, constantly whisking.
- Slowly add in the milk & cream mixture, about half at a time.
- Cook for about 5 minutes, constantly whisking.
- Once the mixture is slightly thickened, add the spices.
- Turn off the heat, and immediately whisk in the cream cheese and stir until melted.
- Add in about half of the shredded cheese mixture, whisk until melted and repeat with the remaining cheese. (If needed, turn the heat back onto low to help melt the rest of the cheese.) Season with more salt & pepper to taste, if desired.
- Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta, and mix well.
- Pour the mac and cheese into a greased casserole dish (I used non-stick cooking spray), and top with the reserved 2 cups of shredded cheese mixture and crushed Ritz crackers mixture.
- Bake at 375ºF for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. (I usually bake mine 20 minutes, then broil for about 2-5 minutes, untl lighlty browned. If you do broil at the end: Make sure to check every minute because it can burn quickly under broiler!)
Video
Notes
Watch the VIDEO on how to make Creamy Mac and Cheese w/Ritz Cracker topping
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