If you love comfort food, this prosciutto mac and cheese is for you! It's loaded with crispy prosciutto, five different cheeses, and has a delicious breadcrumb topping with crispy french onions that makes every bite seem like a piece of heaven!
This prosciutto mac and cheese recipe is an elegant twist on a classic side dish. It has all of my favorite cheese from Murray’s Cheese - gruyere cheese, white cheddar cheese, gouda cheese, smoked mozzarella cheese, and asiago cheese for the ultimate mac and cheese!
The combination of cheeses makes for a deliciously decadent flavor that is just out of this world. On top of that, there's crispy chopped prosciutto mixed in and topped with panko breadcrumbs and french onions for a side dish that will leave your guests in sheer awe.
My husband told me that this is the best macaroni and cheese that he's ever eaten. Then my neighbors came by for a bowl and agreed that this macaroni and cheese recipe was absolutely incredible and that they only want this mac on their thanksgiving table from now to eternity.
What can I say, when you have a five cheese mac and cheese with prosciutto and all of the cheeses are from Murray's Cheese - it's bound to be incredible.
Ingredients
Pasta: I use elbow macaroni pasta or cavatappi pasta. You can also use a bunch of different shapes, but I'm a purist and like to stick to the basics.
Chicken Broth: this is to season the noodles. My mom always boils her macaroni in chicken broth, so therefore I do the same. Trust me, it sounds crazy but makes a world of a difference in the flavor department.
For the Custard
Whole Milk and Heavy Cream: The mix of these two make for a nice and creamy mac and cheese without weighing down the dish. It mixes with the cheese to make a cheesy sauce in the pan while baking in the oven.
Butter: the butter does not go into the mac and cheese, it simply is used to grease the casserole dish. You'll only need 2 tablespoons of the butter. Of note, adding butter to mac and cheese can cause it to separate and become too oily. We don't want that.
Sour Cream: for a little added tang flavor! It really enhances the flavors of the cheese.
Cream Cheese: this creates pockets of gooey cheesy goodness that gives this mac that melt in your mouth texture. Don't skip this one!
Seasonings: ground mustard, thyme, onion powder, and cayenne pepper for the tiniest bit of heat. Of course you'll also need a little kosher salt and black pepper too.
Cheeses
Cheese: the most important ingredients of all. All of my cheeses are from Murray's Cheese - which sells the best cheeses from around the world to customers across the U.S.! These cheeses are LEGIT ya'll. I seriously had to stop myself from gobbling all of the cheeses as I was grating them. When they bake down in the oven, it creates such a deliciously creamy sauce that coats every noodle like a warm hug. Ok enough rambling - You'll need:
Asiago Cheese - asiago is very similar to parmesan cheese, but has a bit more sharpness and character. It goes exceptionally well with the saltiness of the prosciutto!
Gruyere Cheese - this is not your typical cheese for mac and cheese but when I tell you that you'll be adding it to all to your mac from here on out - I mean it. It's nutty and has hints of brown butter and fruit. It's my new favorite cheese and I cannot recommend this one enough.
White Cheddar Cheese - this white cheddar cheese has a bit of a sweet tang and while still maintaining the richness and familiarity of a traditional cheddar cheese.
Smoked Mozzarella - Ok seriously. Don't walk, but run and get this cheese. If you love smoky flavors, this smoked mozzarella will rock your socks. That flavor goes SO well with the saltiness of the prosciutto.
Gouda Cheese - there's something about this gouda that makes me do the happy food dance. It has a caramel-y flavor and melts so beautifully into the mac and cheese to give it that je ne sais quoi. You'll understand when you make it!
Breadcrumb Topping
Breadcrumb mixture: you'll need a cup panko bread crumbs, crispy french onions (I used the store bought kind), and butter.
Prosciutto: Not only does Murrays specialize in cheeses, but they also make cheese's best friend - prosciutto! There are no additives, no sulfates. What's their secret? "Sea salt, time, and air" - don't you just love eating clean products where you can pronounce all of the ingredients?! Their prosciutto is rich in flavor and has a nice balance of salty and savory notes.
Tips
- This recipe really doesn't call for much additional salt. The salty prosciutto along with the salt from the cheeses suffices so use salt sparingly and taste before adding additional.
- Be sure to grate your own cheese. I do not recommend buying pre-shredded cheese as it prevents the cheese from melting together nicely. This is meant to be a creamy mac!
- Snag your cheese from Murray’s Cheese - Murray’s has three shops in New York City, plus a mac and cheese shop (Murray’s Mac & Cheese) and full service bar and restaurant. (Cheese Bar, located in Long Island City) They can also be found at 1,000 cheese counters across the U.S. in Kroger and Kroger-owned stores and at murrayscheese.com for nationwide shipping!
How to make Prosciutto Mac and Cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Boil a large pot of salted water and chicken broth. Cook elbow pasta until al dente according to package directions. Drain macaroni and set aside. (Image #1)
Cook prosciutto. Chop up the prosciutto slices and add to a small frying pan over medium-low heat. Drizzle olive oil into the pan. Slightly crisp prosciutto, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. (Image #2)
Add grated cheeses to a large mixing bowl. Then add milk, heavy cream, seasonings, and sour cream. Mix until all ingredients are fully incorporated. (Image #3)
Grease a 9x13 pan with butter. Add cooked elbow macaroni to the buttered baking dish. Pour the cheese mixture onto the cooked pasta and mix together. Then add cubed cream cheese and fold into the macaroni - it doesn't have to be fully incorporated, it'll melt in the oven.
Fold the prosciutto into the macaroni. Taste for salt and add more as desired. Sprinkle with additional mozzarella. (Image #4)
Make the breadcrumb topping by melting 4 tablespoons butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Add breadcrumbs and toss together. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle on top of the mac. (Image #5)
Bake in the oven for 40 minutes to an hour, until the top of the mac is golden brown. Top with crispy french onions.
What to serve with Macaroni and Cheese
I've almost always eaten mac and cheese for family gatherings on a huge plate of soul food. Whether it's holiday dinners, birthdays, prom, celebrations etc. here's a list of recipes to serve with this prosciutto mac and cheese:
I also have to note, this recipe is exceptionally delicious by itself with a glass of wine. There's something about prosciutto, red wine, and cheese that is just *chef's kiss*.
Recipes FAQs
Can you freeze macaroni and cheese?
Yes! Store mac and cheese in an airtight freezer safe container. Freeze for up to three months! When you're ready to eat it again, let it thaw in the fridge and warm it up in the microwave.
Can you use almond milk for macaroni and cheese?
I do not recommend using almond milk for macaroni and cheese. It has a very low fat content and is akin to water. If you'd like to swap out whole milk and heavy cream, I recommend using cashew milk and vegan/dairy free heavy whipping cream. This will provide the best flavor.
Can you use buttermilk in macaroni and cheese?
You can! Buttermilk has a lot of tangy flavor and fat that can really enhance mac and cheese.
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This prosciutto mac and cheese is loaded with crispy prosciutto, five different cheeses, and a breadcrumb topping with crispy french onions.
Serving: 12
Prep Time: 30 minutesmins
Cook Time: 40 minutesmins
Total Time: 1 hourhr10 minutesmins
Calories: 744kcal
Ingredients
16ozElbow Macaroni Pasta
4cupsChicken Broth
8 ozWhite Cheddar Cheese(grated)
8ozSmoked Mozzarella Cheese(grated)
6ozGruyere Cheese(grated)
4ozAsiago Cheese(grated)
4ozGouda Cheese(grated)
4ozGruyere Cheese(grated)
1cupWhole Milk
1cupHeavy Cream
½cupSour Cream(room temperature)
8ozCream Cheese(room temperature)
2tspGround Mustard
2tspOnion Powder
1 ½tspDried Thyme
½tspCayenne Powder
⅛tspNutmeg
6ozProsciutto(cut into chunks)
2tbspsSalted butter(room temperature)
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Bread Crumb Topping
1 ½cupsPanko Breadcrumbs
4tbspsSalted Butter(melted)
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Crispy French Onions
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Boil a large pot of salted water and chicken broth. Cook elbow pasta until al dente according to package directions. Drain macaroni and set aside.
Cook prosciutto. Chop up the prosciutto slices and add to a small frying pan over medium-low heat. Drizzle olive oil into the pan. Slightly crisp prosciutto, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add grated cheeses to a large mixing bowl. Then add milk, heavy cream, seasonings, and sour cream. Mix until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
Grease a 9x13 pan with 2 tbsps of butter. Add cooked elbow macaroni to the buttered baking dish. Pour the cheese mixture onto the cooked pasta and mix together. Then add cubed cream cheese and fold into the macaroni - it doesn't have to be fully incorporated, it'll melt in the oven.
Fold the prosciutto into the macaroni. Taste for salt and add more as desired. Sprinkle with additional mozzarella.
Make the breadcrumb topping by melting 4 tablespoons butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Add breadcrumbs and toss together. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle on top of the mac.
Bake in the oven for 40 minutes to an hour, until the top of the mac is golden brown. Top with crispy french onions.
So your neighbors got some? Can I live next to you?
This recipe makes me want to make it RIGHT NOW! What a beautiful, delicious looking mac n cheese! Thank you!