Three Cheese Mac and Cheese Recipe - Chisel & Fork (2024)

Loaded with sharp cheddar, Gruyère and Parmesan cheese, this three cheese mac and cheese recipe is rich and creamy and loved by both children and adults.

Have you ever asked anyone if they like macaroni and cheese and their answer is no? Well it might not be a question that you've thought of, as everyone likes mac and cheese. I mean who wouldn't love this as a side with smoked beer can chicken. It has been around for quite some time and some believe Thomas Jefferson made it popular in America.

It's comfort food 101. I've made few different versions myself - from smoked gouda bacon mac and cheese to pesto goat cheese mac and cheese to Tuscan chicken mac and cheese to white cheddar mac and cheese and this three cheese mac and cheese recipe is the latest and greatest.

Well all macaroni and cheese recipes are great, but the sharpness you get from the cheddar and Parmesan and creaminess you get from the Gruyère makes this recipe tough to beat.

This recipe is great on its own or as a side so give it a try. If your mouth isn't already watering, I'm not sure what to tell you!

Ingredient Notes

• Macaroni - it is a macaroni and cheese recipe for a reason.
• Roux - by melting butter and then adding flour, you make a roux which thickens the milk as it continues to cook.
• Cheese - with any mac and cheese recipe, the cheese is the star and I like to use a combination of cheddar, Gruyère and Parmesan.

Ingredient Swaps

Like any recipe, you can swap out some of the ingredients. Some variations include:

• Macaroni is my go-to most times for this pasta dish, but other types of pasta like orecchiette, penne or ziti are good substitutes.
• I always use whole milk for sauces, but you can use low fat or skim milk.
• As far as cheese, I like the combo of cheddar, Gruyère and Parmesan, but you can use any three you want - from gouda to mozzarella to havarti and fontina.

Step-by-Step Photos

Grate the cheddar and Gruyère cheese and mix in a bowl. Melt butter in large pan and then stir in flour, dry mustard and pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until well combined.

Add the milk slowly and cook until the mixture is smooth and thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add cheddar/Gruyère cheese mixture as well as Parmesan cheese. Whisk until smooth before stirring in the cooked pasta.

Pour half of the pasta into a baking dish. Add 1 ½ cups of the remaining cheese mixture. Top with the remaining pasta before adding the rest of the cheese mixture. Bake at 400°F for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is golden brown and bubbly.

FAQs

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

• No overcooked pasta –cook the macaroni al dente according to the package instructions. The pasta will finish cooking in the oven while it’s in the sauce.
• Freshly grated cheese –don’t use pre-shredded cheese. It doesn’t taste as good and also has addition ingredients that you don’t need.
• Stir constantly–once the milk is added, you must stir constantly as it heats up and becomes thick. Otherwise you’ll have burnt milk on the bottom.
• Lots of sauce –who likes a dry macaroni and cheese? At first when making this, you’ll think it is too much sauce but believe me when that the macaroni soaks it up.
• Create layers –you’ll notice only have of the cheese goes in the sauce. When preparing the macaroni and cheese, you add only half of the pasta to the baking dish then 1 ½ cups of cheese. You then add the remaining half of the pasta before topping with the remaining cheese.

Other Mac and Cheese Recipes

If you’ve tried this three cheese mac and cheese recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow meonFacebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.

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