The 22 Absolute Best Cheeses For Mac And Cheese

Mac and cheese is a classic comfort favorite, and it doesn't have to be the same boring thing over and over again. There are tons of amazing mac and cheese recipes to help you make the dish your own or switch things up — plus, ample creative tips for making the dish really stand out. But, one of the easiest things to do is switch up the cheese.

Using different cheeses with your macaroni can make the dish feel completely new by highlighting a unique flavor profile. And, different cheeses pair well with different accompaniments, too, so you can expand your potential add-ins. But, which cheese should you use?

The good news is that there are no limitations to your mac and cheese. In fact, today I'm going to share 22 of the absolute best cheeses for this dish, along with other useful information. During my more than 15 years in the food industry, I made dozens (if not hundreds) of unique mac and cheese dishes, and I've continued the tradition in my own home kitchen. Ready to discover your next favorite cheese to pair with macaroni? Let's get into it.

Sharp cheddar has been aged for more than six months and sometimes even years to create a tangy, mildly acidic flavor profile that can create a bold mac and cheese dish. It melts well when shredded or sliced very thinly, creating gooey strands that make pulling your spoonful out of the dish incredibly satisfying.

I recommend pairing sharp cheddar with a lighter flavor profiled cheese, like Monterey Jack, or with a faster-melting cheese, like Velveeta. If you'd like to add mix-ins, wilted spinach, roasted tomatoes, or bacon crumbles are excellent options. Personally, I like baking my sharp cheddar mac and cheese because the top layer crisps very well.

Mild cheddar has also been aged, but for much less time than its sharp variant — instead of six months to years, this one is generally only aged for up to six months. This is also one of the most popular options for mac and cheese because it has a light, mildly sweet profile that's very easy to like — plus, it has very little smell, so there is not a strong scent that can be a deterrent for some people. And, to top everything else off, it melts very well.

I recommend using mild cheddar by itself or, potentially, with cream cheese if you want something creamier. My personal favorite mix-ins for mild cheddar mac and cheese are bacon crumbles, ground sausage, and other rich umami options.

Colby jack is a marbled combination cheese popular in America that includes colby and Monterrey jack. This is another popular mac and cheese option for its easy melting and mild flavor profile — however, colby jack is creamier than cheddar variants and therefore melts faster.

Colby jack pairs well with nearly any cheese if you want to create a layered macaroni dish. Pair with pepper jack for something with mild spice, or with sharp cheddar for something tangy but not too tangy. My favorite mix-ins for colby jack mac and cheese are ground hamburger and lightly grilled tomatoes as it creates a dish embodying the American cheeseburger.

You may not think parmesan and buttered noodles is macaroni and cheese, but if you want to get technical, it is — after all, parmesan is a thin, flaky cheese with a rich, pungent taste profile that goes great with spaghetti. That being said, parmesan is best used as a layering cheese to elevate the flavor profiles of other types.

Pairing parmesan with mozzarella will create gooey, melting perfection with a lightly sharp taste. If you go this route, I recommend mixing in diced pepperoni and a small can of tomato sauce for a pizza-esque dish. Alternatively, pair parmesan with sharp cheddar for an extra rich, pungent mac and cheese dish. For this, I recommend skipping mix-ins and allowing the cheese flavors to shine through.

Gruyère imparts a mild nuttiness and light buttery tones to your mac and cheese that many (myself included) really enjoy. Plus, this cheese melts so well that it's used for fondue, making it an easy choice for your next cheesy dish.

Adding a spoonful of butter to the warm noodles with some salt and pepper before adding the cheese here really elevates the natural buttery tones of the Gruyère. Consider pairing it with parmesan for a small bite and add wilted spinach, tomato, and ground hamburger for a full meal. Or, leave the cheese to shine as a delicious meal accompaniment.

Feta is a sharp, pungent cheese traditionally made from goat's milk but can also be made with sheep's or cow's milk. That being said, this cheese has a nice sharp smell to go with the taste, which some people may not enjoy — but, once you get used to it, it's far from the strongest smelling cheese.

Feta is best used on its own in mac and cheese if you want to create a strongly flavored masterpiece, but adding truffle butter can elevate that taste. While it may sound like a broken record at this point, grilled tomatoes are an excellent add-in — for me, there's something special about tomatoes, cheese, and macaroni that's unrivaled. But, if you want to skip the tomatoes, consider shredded gyro meat; add thinly sliced onion last so it doesn't cook too much.

Gouda is a nutty cheese with buttery notes and an ingrained creaminess that's mouthwatering — but smoked gouda takes this one step further by adding a smoky overlay to the already delicious cheese. If you're looking for the perfect mac and cheese option for hickory-smoked barbecue, gouda is the pairing you need.

I recommend using gouda alone to make a pulled pork mac and cheese. Create your basic gouda mac, and then add barbecue pulled pork for a fantastic main dish that will keep people coming back for more. Alternatively, pair two parts smoked gouda with one part Gruyère and one part cream cheese for a creamy, nutty side dish.

If you enjoy the popular colby jack, chances are high you'll enjoy Monterey jack, which is one of two cheeses in the marbled option. It has a buttery flavor with defined yet subtle sweet notes throughout, and a creamy texture that lends itself well to melting — these qualities together make it an excellent option for your next mac and cheese dish.

To accentuate the creaminess of your mac and cheese, consider pairing two parts Monterey jack with one part cream cheese. Or, layer the flavor profiles by combining it with asiago and mild cheddar. Due to its mild sweetness, sweet bell peppers, sweet Italian sausage, and tomatoes are the best pairings here.

I don't recommend using cream cheese alone to make your macaroni dish, but I do recommend adding it to almost any other cheese as a way to layer the flavor and enhance the creaminess. Alone, cream cheese has a mild sweetness to it, but the flavor isn't terribly defined. The texture is what makes this one of the absolute best cheeses for mac and cheese.

Personally, I like pairing two parts of each cream cheese and mild cheddar with one part pepper jack. This creates a creamy, sweet dish with the tiniest kick of spice. Consider baking the mac and cheese after you've made it to create a firmer textured macaroni and a nice crisp top layer of cheese.

Mozzarella is best known as what tops standard pizza, so you'll already know about its superior melting qualities. With a mild milky flavor accented with salty notes, it's best served with other cheeses if you're looking for a more robust flavor profile in your mac and cheese.

My personal favorite pairings here are three parts mozzarella to one part asiago and one part parmesan. This creates a very Italian feel to the dish that works well with mix-ins like pepperoni, ground Italian sausage, wilted spinach, tomato, and finely chopped onion. Alternatively, combine mozzarella with harder cheeses to level up the flavor profile while allowing this cheese's creaminess to shine through.

If you're looking for a spicy mac and cheese, pepper jack will be the star of your show. This is a variant of Monterey jack that has finely diced jalapeño peppers included for some heat. It melts just as well as its parent cheese, but has a more defined, peppery flavor on its own.

To bring ultimate heat, make a spicy three cheese mac and cheese recipe by combining pepper jack, extra sharp cheddar, and parmesan. But, if you want only a little heat, combine one part pepper jack with two parts Monterey jack. Then, add one spicy mix-in and some balanced no-heat options.

Blue cheese is another one of those cheeses I wouldn't generally recommend using for mac and cheese alone. It has a very pungent smell that can be overwhelming if not balanced with other flavor profiles. However, I do absolutely recommend combining macaroni and blue cheese with a buffalo chicken dip recipe to create the most delicious spicy buffalo mac.

Another idea is to combine one part blue cheese with two parts pepper jack cheese and your favorite mix-ins to create a balanced spicy mac and cheese. My favorite mix-ins for this are ground chorizo, diced portobello mushrooms, and sliced sweet peppers — the red and yellow bell peppers are especially great here.

Chèvre is goat cheese, and it comes with an extra soft, ultimately creamy texture. The flavor profile is tangy and earthy, with a moderate smell, and may have hints of sweetness or buttery tones, depending on the exact type you get. Use chèvre to create a creamy, full-bodied mac and cheese.

I personally enjoy using chèvre alone and mixing in finely chopped broccoli before topping with breadcrumbs and baking. Some freshly chopped parsley makes an excellent garnish on top. Looking for something a little more umami? Add finely chopped bacon or shredded chicken to the other ingredients, or swap out the broccoli for these.

Brie is an ultimately creamy cheese that's so soft I've heard people claim it's nearly a liquid. The flavor here can vary, but I'm specifically recommending aged cow's milk. Besides a luxurious texture, you'll also receive a buttery, nutty flavor profile that often has the lightest hints of a mushroom-y earthiness.

Thanks to these earthy notes, mushrooms are an excellent pairing choice for a brie mac and cheese — I personally like white or portobello mushrooms. If you want to layer your dish's flavors, combine two parts brie with two parts chèvre and one part cream cheese. This will create a creamy, melty dish with a robust flavor profile.

For a full disclosure, Velveeta isn't technically cheese, but rather a "cheese product." That being said, it can be used in all places where true cheeses can be, and so I believe it deserves a spot on this list. In many ways, the smooth, creamy, mildly flavored Velveeta is similar to mild cheddar — but with notes of American cheese mixed in.

Velveeta can be used fine on its own when crafting mac and cheese. However, I like to mix the Velveeta into the macaroni and layer it in a baking dish before topping it with mild cheddar and baking until the top is golden brown. You could consider mixing in any meats or veggies to upgrade this recipe.

Here is where we need another disclosure — technically speaking, American cheese is a "pasteurized cheese product" and not true cheese. But, like Velveeta, it's popularly used anywhere true cheeses are and deserves a place on this list. The best part about American cheese is it's not prone to curdling during the melting process, and it offers a smooth, creamy taste with the mildest artificial notes. All of this makes it well-suited in mac and cheese.

Combine American cheese with sharp cheddar and Velveeta for a creamy, bold flavor profile. Or, pair it with mild cheddar and cream cheese for a mild profiled dish. If you're going for bold, consider mixing in tuna for a delicious tuna mac. If going mild, consider apple slices and raisins — it sounds strange, but don't knock it until you try it.

This is another mild profiled cheese with a primary creaminess accented with mild nutty notes and the faintest earthy tones. Although this can be used in fondue, it's most often added to risotto. But, if you do choose to use it for the former, make sure you follow basic fondue etiquette so everyone can enjoy themselves.

Fontina pairs well with smoked gouda, chèvre, brie, and other soft cheeses. Or, layer the flavor profile with asiago or parmesan. My favorite mix-ins here are your standard crumbled bacon bits, quartered cherry tomatoes, and wilted spinach. You could even consider kale, collard greens, and other forms of greens.

Asiago is another hard Italian cheese that's often used in the culture's cuisine. Most often used in its grated form, it has a harder texture than parmesan and doesn't melt as well as mozzarella. With a nutty, buttery flavor profile, asiago can help you create a robust, rich mac and cheese dish.

I recommend pairing asiago with mozzarella and parmesan to create a mac and cheese embracing the flavors of Italy. Or, opt for something less cheesy and more like upgraded buttered noodles by using only one part asiago with two parts parmesan. I recommend adding a little extra butter to your noodles, along with salt, pepper, garlic, and Italian herbs if you choose the second route.

Not to be confused with parmesan, Parmigiano Reggiano is a harder, stronger-flavored Italian cheese that's been aged for no less than two years. The complex flavor profile is one of the sharpest on this list, with hints of fruit and nutty tones, all intermingled with a moderate saltiness. 

I think Parmigiano Reggiano is the best cheese for a more buttered noodles type of macaroni and cheese because it offers the sharpest flavor with the smallest amount of product. However, this is also an excellent option to add a more robust flavor to creamy mozzarella. Consider adding fresh Italian herbs or thinly sliced cold cuts to complement the cheese's natural flavor.

Havarti is another cheese with a mild flavor profile mostly consisting of buttery notes amongst the typical creaminess of this food type. The best part about Havarti is that you can find it in unique variations including additions like horseradish or chives.

I personally like using a horseradish Havarti and mixing in thinly diced roast beef for a classical pairing. But, you can also use the standard version and combine it with colby jack for a melty, mild mac and cheese dish. Consider adding chopped ham, and topping with Italian breadcrumbs and a sprinkle of dried parsley to elevate this dish's flavor.

Provolone is very similar to mozzarella, but to me, it has slightly stronger buttery notes and the faintest nuttiness that the other cheese lacks. Although popular for toasted and grilled sandwiches, I think provolone is one of the absolute best cheeses for mac and cheese.

My favorite way to use provolone in mac and cheese is to line the top with slices and bake in the oven until melty and lightly browned. For the base of this mac and cheese option, I recommend two parts shredded mozzarella and one part Parmigiano Reggiano for a more robust flavor. Perfect mix-ins include thinly sliced ham, green peas, carrots, or broccoli rabe.

Known by its distinctive orange rind, Muenster is another soft, creamy cheese. The taste profile is neither mild nor strong, with a milky creaminess laced with earthy notes and an overlying tang.

I like using Muenster alone for my mac and cheese, sticking to seasonings like salt, pepper, and parsley so the cheese gets a chance to shine. However, you could choose to combine two parts Muenster with one part mild cheddar and one part cream cheese for a complex, creamy dish.

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