Four Cheese Sauce

This is an absolutely fantastic recipe. However, you HAVE to use quality ingredients. That means using *Heavy whipping cream* (36%+ butterfat), as opposed to light/medium whipping cream or half/half (10%-25% butterfat). The higher butter fat content found in heavy whipping cream is necessary to produce a thick, creamy sauce, so don’t even bother with milk. Also, use real butter, not hydrogenated “butters,” such as Country Crock, or I Can’t Believe Its Not Butter. Preferably, use a cultured butter (also known as European-style butter), instead of common sweet cream butter. Cultured butter also has a higher butter fat content, and makes for creamer sauce. You can buy this type of butter at most high end grocers. Look for Keller’s Creamy’s Plugrá butter at Trader Joe’s and Whole Food Market. Lastly is the issue of cheese. Good cheese = good sauce. Instead of using only four cheeses, I found that using six cheeses adds great depth to this recipe. The easiest way to do this is to buy a bag of already mixed cheese. I suggest Sargento’s 6 Cheese Italian mix, which includes mozzarella, smoked provolone, asiago, parmesan, romano, and fonita cheeses. This blend makes an incredible sauce, especially over pasta.

This was an excellent sauce! The 4 cheeses really compliment each other nicely. I added some oregano, tarrogan, parsley, garlic salt, and black pepper for some extra flavor. It is definitely worth the try to make, and it was easy too!

I made this dish for a few friends and they all loved it! I used angel hair pasta with chicken and brocolli added in, it was a definite winner, although one friend thought it was too cheesy, everyone else loved it! Also, it was easy to make coming from a beginner cooker!

Wonderful recipe! Very smooth and tasty, made enough for 4 servings, so I froze half. Best cheese sauce my husband and I have ever had :) Thank you!

very easy, very good. i made it with what was on hand. guessed at quantities. half & half, butter, grated cheese, spices. a little whole weat flower at the end. came out soooo good!

A truly gourmet white cheese sauce. A bit on the rich side, however, so make sure you cook a *lot* of pasta to put under it.

This recipe is simple perfection. I have made it exactly as is, and have also made it by omitting the mozzarella cheese, and adding a pinch of pepper and a tsp of dried basil; it's wonderful both ways. Good recipes (like this) are easily tailored to individual tastes. Try it!

Incredibly easy and delicious. Like Olive Garden's sauce!!!

Holy Cheesy Pasta Batman! Alchemy-yes, just like magic. My boyfriend had been begging me to make a sauce like the 3-cheese at our favorite restaurant. I made this last night and WOW!-FANTASTIC! Very easy and was as good if not better than DiBella's! Not exactly "good-for-you" but will definately make again for special occassions. Dominic, you're a great wizard! Thanks for the great sauce!!

This was a good base cheese sauce, but it definitely needs some spices added. Garlic powder, onion powder, basil, pepper and salt will give it some flavor.

I LOVE THIS IT"S SOOOOOOO GOOD!! IT'S DELICIOUS!!!!

I was intrigued by the base for this cheese sauce, so I made as directed but with mostly cheddar and a handful of Parmesan to go with nachos. I halved the cream/butter but still felt it needed the full 2 cups cheese. The cheddar went stringy on me, but following a tip off an article on this site I added a sprinkle (~tsp) of lemon juice and it magically became smooth again. The sauce was nice and creamy, much easier than making a butter and flour roux. I will definitely make again, especially when I just need a quick sauce for vegetables or nachos. Thanks so much for sharing.

Mmmm...can you hear that? That's the sound of my arteries clogging! And you know what? I just don't care, because this is magnificent! The only change I made was to throw in a little fresh chopped marjoram from my garden, as I like to eat something I've grown with every meal. Really lovely!

ROCK ON!!! I did not have Provolone, so I used white cheddar in its place.. added a little garlic salt , pepper, and a pinch of dry mustard.. yummy low carb!!! put a couple pounds of broccoli in it.. I want to use it as a base for a soup... mmmmmm

I served this on shrimp and grits... it got an A++ by my family :-)

White cheese sauce on white dishes? Please! I can't tell where the sauce ends, so I have to lick the whole plate. So unladylike. I was thrilled that I was able to skip the whole béchamel step with this recipe. This is a fool-proof cheese sauce that all your pasta-eating friends and family will love you for. I used whole milk, cream cheese, mozzarella, fontina and lastly, freshly grated Romano cheese. Nothing was measured, I just eyeballed the whole thing. I also tossed 2 minced garlic cloves into the pot, which gave it such a lovely boost, along with a little paprika, a pinch of cayenne and some salt and pepper. The only change I made to the process was to build the sauce with the 3 soft cheeses, holding the Romano until the very end. I added it just before serving, gave it a couple of quick turns with my whisk, and served it with Italian grilled chicken, bow tie pasta and a chopped salad. My sauce was very creamy and lusciously smooth. This was a company-worthy dinner that I will happily make again. HUGE hit. HUGE!

Oh so cheesy and delicious!! Use a little of the butter to saute some very finely chopped onion and garlic before adding the creme and spice it up with some fresh ground black pepper.

Evaporated milk works just as well. I've been doing this with just Parmesan and Romano and tossing some Fettuccini and sauteed shrimp or chicken in it for years! I can't wait to try it with the other cheeses as well. Think I'll use a spiral or shell noodle with it so the noodles will hold onto more of the cheese per bite! Sounds ultra yummy!

Absolutely delicious. We use it when we make homemade gnocchi. However, after settling, it does tend to get separate and get a bit greasy. Not good to keep as a leftover.

So good!! I didnt have fontina and provolone so i added 1/2 cup of sharp cheddar, 1 cup mozzarella, and 1 cup parmesan and added it to rotini noodles, broccoli, and chicken and it made an amazing mac and cheese!! My husband loves the mac and cheese from Yard House and he said it tasted just like it!! Would definitely make this again!

My family loved this sauce. I used quality ingrediants, i.e. REAL butter and REAL cheese (none of that pre-shredded Kraft stuff). It turned out great. The hardest part was shredding/grating the cheeses. I served it over angel hair pasta and chicken. Even my picky kids loved it. The only change I made was tossing in a little parsley, salt, and pepper.

Good but very rich

Fantastic. Finally a cheese sauce that tastes great without nutmeg. A must for those who are like my family and rather starve than have nutmeg loaded cheese sauce.

I cut the recipe down to 1/4 as I only needed a small quantity to drizzle over some veggies and perogies. I used margarine instead of butter and a blend of mozzarella/(yellow)mild cheddar/Swiss/cottage cheese. I also added 1/4 teaspoon each of ground black pepper and parsley. Good, but very 'gooey' unlike other sauces.

Great sauce!! i used it over chicken and rice with steamed brocoli, and it was to die for! this one is a keeper

This was delicious! hubby asked not to make it again because it's fattening and he can't stop eating it!

This was very good. We made it and poured it over 2 boxes of pasta. It got a little thick for leftovers, so we added some milk and extra mozzarella and it turned out fine. We also did not use the exact cheese the rescipe calls for. We used a mix of provolone, mozzarella, and parmesan.

I really enjoyed this. I did add some extra standard italian seasonings like parsley and basil. Fresh and quality cheeses make a big difference. Thank you for the recipe :)

This is MY SAUCE! When I say that, I mean it in terms that this is ALL I use for cheese sauce. It is THAT good! ITA, you do have to use quality ingredients, you have to be ready to do a lot of stirring in the sauce pan, but it is WELL worth it. PS) It makes A LOT!! This is NOT a 2 person sauce recipe. Plan on having lots of leftovers, but plan on them all being eaten!

I love making white sauces! This sauce is absolutely amazing. The four cheese combination (I purchased already combined from Trader Joe's) was fantastic and had tons of flavor. We ate with penne pasta and grilled chicken. Just fantastic!

Delicious! My boyfriend is raving about how good this recipe is! We tried the "Quick and Easy Alfredo Sauce" from this site and were horrified at how bad it was with how high of a rating it had - it tasted like milk and cream cheese! This sauce on the other hand is divine and even easier than the "Quick and Easy Alfredo Sauce". I followed another reviewers suggestion and just got the "Sargiano's Six Cheese Italian Blend" and it worked wonderfully - I also added 1/2 tsp garlic powder and a dash of basil and a dash of oregano.

I've never written a review here but this sauce was so great that I had to. I made it for my husband and he loved it. It tasted like sauce from a restaurant. I'll make it again.

Simple, delicious and tasty! I just added a bit of freshly grated nutmeg and served atop fettuccine. I garnished with toasted chopped walnuts and fresh basil. Served with French bread and green salad. Easy, but wonderful weeknight meatless meal.

Perfect ending for a long day - or perfect beginning for a lovely evening. Served over bed of fettucini topped with sliced, grilled chicken. Added little basil, garlic and black pepper while cooking. And sprinkle of smokey paprika on the top when serving. Very good to put the left over sauce (if there is any) over broccoli in/on a baked potato. Thanks Dominic!

YUMMY! My boyfriend's daughter was over today and she wanted macaroni and cheese so I decided to make this for her. I halfed the recipe because I didn't need that much and used only cheddar cheese. I boiled shell noodles, drained and then poured the cheese sauce on top, and she LOVED it! My boyfriend and I loved it too.

Success! I had mozzarella and white cheddar on hand, so that is what I used (8 oz of each) and about 1/3 cup of grated parmesan cheese. I also added a little nutmeg and pepper before adding cheese. I added the cheese off the burner returning only to aid in the melting process. Sauce held up great and was not stringy in the least. So easy (it does make a lot, so I used a whole 16 oz box of pasta) will make and experiment again.

I tried using different cheeses as I searched google for this recipe and there are SO many variations. I tried Provolone (150g), gorgonzola (½ cup), parmesan (100g), bocconcini (½ cup) The gorgonzola ended up overpowering the flavour of everything, although it still tasted great! Next time I may use Romano cheese but in 90% of every recipe I read it used gorgonzola. Great recipe, hopefully I can master which cheese I should use :)

Excellent!

My family loves this recipe. I made it to use with left over fettuccini and it was better then the first sauce. Thanks!

Easy and wonderful flavor.

This is always a huge hit when I make dinner for friends. They can't believe how easy it is! I like to add a few extra spices to taste, try adding your own favorites!

Excellent!

Excellent! I used milk and added cheese balls to thicken it

I've made this about 50 times now, be careful, it's seriously addictive!

I love this sauce. I just spent a couple weeks in Europe and had a pasta dish while I was there that was just wonderful! This sauce is almost identical, it is wonderful to be able to now fix it for my family and have them share! The only different that I do is mix in some parma ham right at the end! Gives a terrific salty bite!

This sauce is great. I love it with angel hair noodles and shrimp

It were pretty good. I are a nice cook, and I thot p that

I love this and add fresh seafood, shrimp, scallops etc. I just used a package of shredded italian mix cheeses. Put over any pasta you perfer.AWESOME.

I used an 8 oz package of cream cheese instead of cream also have used light cream cheese! Both ways are very good!

This was really good!! I served this sauce on top of Chicken Breasts with Herb Basting Sauce, which I found on this website. I also served with garlic mashed potatoes and Italian Zucchini Boats, also found on this web site. I added some parsley just for color to the sauce. Very Yummy!!!

The sauce is wonderful! If you chop up a little bit of garlic and put that in it, it makes it ten times better. All around at the end when your done with the sauce you kind of have to put in some seasonings.

Simple, and easy to add in your own ingredients!

I put it on elbow macaroni and it was absolutely fantastic. A very rich cheese flavor suitable for a high-class restaurant. It was the best mac and cheese I have ever had!!!

I really liked this sauce.

My boyfriend basically licked it off the plate..the only thing I added was pepper :c)

this was fabulous! I couldn't find romano cheeses so I stuck with Parmesan and Mozzarella and it still came out fabulous! My friend loved it and said she has to come back for dinner since she knows a chef :)

Excellent recipe...because I was short on time, I used Kraft 5 cheese mix which included all cheeses mentioned in the recipe. This was easy to make and delicious, husband says it is definately a keeper and an alternative to cheddar macaroni.

I varied a bit with the cheeses, used parmesan-reggiano, asiago, mozzarella, and provolone. Followed everything else as it was quite simple. Fried up some pancetta to make my fav "pancetta bits" and tossed it all. Was a huge hit, but the flavor with the pancetta was amazing.

This is definitely not the proper consistency for a cheese sauce... it was stringy and stretchy instead of smooth and silky. This recipe tries to use lots of cheese to make it cling to the pasta instead of using a roux for thickening. I don't think the shortcut was successful and I'll go back to a roux. It definitely requires some seasoning... salt and pepper... maybe some garlic? I would also pick a more flavorful blend of cheeses.

Everyone loved it. Great recipe. I will keep this one.

I needed a cheese sauce for a Philly cheese steak so I halved the cream and butter to thicken it up a bit. Amazing.

Great recipe. I made a roux before adding my cream and cheese. (Melted the butter, and added a couple tblps flour.) I also used whole milk instead of the cream. This was great on veggies, and there was enough leftover to pour over veggies the next night. Yum! :)

Amazing! I didn't have any romano, so I just used extra parmesan. I put the leftover in the fridge and melted it over my pasta the next day, and ir was just as good. Very easy and simple yet delicious.

The best sauce we've ever found.

ALL HAIL THE SAUCE KING/QUEEN. This recipe was so simple and so good! I did not use all the cheeses listed simply because I didn't have them so I only used mild chedder and a 1/4 of parmesan and it was FANTASTIC. I did not have to make a roux or add any cornstarch/flour and it thickened up just fine. This is such a no brainer, my daughter could probably make this and have no problems at all...she's six!

Good taste, but way too runny. Sauce doesn't thicken much while standing as recipe suggests.

Make this tonight and it turned out great. I had frozen some heavy cream, which I defrosted in the microwave. I was concerned that it would get watery, but it didn't. I also didn't have the exact cheeses the recipe called for, so I used a combination of parmesean, swiss, smoked gouda, & feta along with a touch of garlic powder & black pepper. It turned out beautifully...which says a lot for me. (I'm not that good at altering receipes.) Put it over a comination of Radiatore pasta and steamed asparagus. The Radiatore pasta held the sauce perfectly. This kept my 15 & 3 year old boys happy with a new pasta combination. The other plus with this recipe is that it was very easy & quick to put together on a busy karate night for our family. Thank you so much for the recipe!!!!!

Not what I was expecting but was still good. This one will be a keeper. Made with 5 cheese blend from kraft it was guick and the kids liked it.

It was a wonderful discover, I served it at Christmas dinner and it was a blast. Everyone who taste it were yummy. It is a must!!!

This recipe is wonderful! I just wish there was a way to reheat this and keep its creamy consistency!

The flavor of this sauce is nice. It's mild, but flavorful. However, it was extremely thin. I used half and half, but reading other reviews, maybe it would be better with heavy cream. I used good cheese and it melted fairly well. Good enough to try again, but with cream next time.

Excellent!

if i don't serve asap can i just reheat to thin back up or do i have to add more cream and re heat

Excellent recipe! I did not change a thing! The cheeses taste great together!!

I had a lot of trouble getting the cheeses to melt without being clumpy and it was bland for my taste, but then again, it may not be possible to make an exciting "plain" cheese sauce. =}

This recipe never fails to get the kids to eat their veggies. Any cheese can basically substituted and it turns out great.

This is very, very, very good!

Very creamy and flavorful. Much better than processed cheese product any day!

Awesome. Who said white cheese bland? I added a 1/4 cup pepper jack white cheese to dis!!!

It tastes great with garlic bread !

I used this sauce for a chicken, rice and spinach casserole. Used a 2 cup bag of shredded (HEB store brand name) six cheese Italian blend. Only added a few spices, salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder. Poured it over cooked rice, cooked cubed chicken, and about a cup of frozen spinach (microwaved for 3 min, and dried excess moisture first). I sprinkled it with bread crumbs and baked it for about 27 min at 350. Turned out great, nice and brown on top. My family loved it. Very easy to make.

What can I say...simply delicious.

I used milk instead of heavy cream because that's all I had and the sauce never got thick. When I added the cheese, it didn't melt properly either, but just stayed in little clumps. I added some tomatoe paste to thicken it so it ended up being like a rose sauce. I know I changed some things, but the taste should have been about the same, but overall, I wouldn't waste the ingredients on this beause the taste was realy blah. I had to add a lot of spices just to make it edible. Sorry.

This is close to the classic Quattro Formaggi in Italy. I used gorgonzola instead of mozzarella and taleggio instead of Romano to keep it creamy when cool as well as enhance the flavour. Thank you for the recipe.

Loved the dish, my husband commented before dinner was over,that we need to have this again. Followed recipe exactly, then added shredded cooked chicken and steamed broccoli. This is a keeper.

I needed a cheese sauce for a Philly cheese steak so I halved the cream and butter to thicken it up a bit. Amazing.

Added pancetta and didn’t have any provolone so just added more of each of the other 3 cheeses. Delicious! Will make many more times again! Thank you!

After going to Venice and having an amazing 4 cheese gnocchi there, my husband was craving some more. I made this cheese sauce and while it wasn't as good as Italy's, it was satisfactory. Next time I use it I will make my own gnocchi instead of store bought, and I think it will be even better

I absolutely love this sauce, it´s simple to make, super tasty, and great consistency. I made it with gnocci piamontese, juste delicious!!!

I made this cheese sauce to compliment another recipe and it worked wonderful. the sauce was the star of the dish success.

This sauce is a hit in my family. I've made it several times and serve it over pierogies instead of pasta. I add a little pepper and garlic powder to spice it up some. Last time I made it I accidently added 1 cup too much cheese but it still turned out pretty good.

To me this is like an alfredo sauce but with more than just parmesan in it. Super creamy and thick. I used about half a bag of that Kraft Italian cheese blend, which was mozzarella and parmesan. Then I used about 1/4 C of provolone (didn't have enough) and then another 1/4 cup of fontina. Then I added another 1/4 cup or so of extra parmesan. Served over rigatoni with Garlic Chicken. Watch out--very rich! We loved it!

I'm really surprised this has any good reviews at all. My sauce never thickened. It was grainy, and lumpy, and it kept separating. Ruined dinner. If I could give no stars, I would. All directions were followed, and all ingredients were top quality. Should be called cheese soup.

If you like (well more like if you love) cheese, then this will be the sauce for you. But, you have to really really love a cheesy sauce otherwise it will just be too much- too much cheese, too rich, too creamy. I love cheese, so this is a great sauce for me that I've incorporated into other non pasta dishes and found it goes well with other dishes- chicken, veggies, etc.

This was pretty good, although I used shredded Romano cheese instead of grated, and found that the sauce melted a little clumpy.

No I didnt make any changes it was delicious the way it was.

This is amazing!! I've searched for the perfect Four-Cheese sauce for years and although the Romano cheese was difficult to find, this recipe was worth it.

Amazing and super easy!

Very Yummy! just used 2 cups of mixed cheese i had left over. Used it to top broccili