Classic Three Cheese Macaroni and Cheese
Classic Three Cheese Macaroni and Cheese is the creamy, rich comfort food you’ll want on your table.
Ooh, man I love this recipe! It is so cheesy. So good. So classic. It’s Classic Three Cheese Macaroni and Cheese! This is one of my family’s favorite recipes. While there are several moving parts, this is by no means a hard recipe to make! It’s incredible for Thanksgiving, a holiday table, or a cozy night in. Serve it as a side or as a main dish with a salad!
The best pasta for Three Cheese Macaroni & Cheese
You’ll start with boiling pasta. You can use any kind of short pasta you like for this macaroni and cheese. Of course, macaroni is the classic, but also consider:
- Shells
- Penne
- Bowtie
- Rigatone
Making a roux
A roux! What is it? Is it hard to do? And why is there a silent X at the end? Making a roux is actually really simple and just serves to thicken the cheese sauce. It’s made from butter and flour with continuous whisking over heat. That’s it! From there’s it’s just adding in hot milk and cheese. The roux is the base that keeps things thick and creamy. Thats what she said.
What 3 cheeses go together?
Can you go wrong with cheese? No! For macaroni and cheese, though, I think I’ve found the winning trio. I go with:
- Cheddar (extra sharp, please!)
- Gruyere (pro tip: pronounce it groo-yare)
- Fontina (super melty)
These three melt really nicely and the flavors balance one another well. I love that this recipe is a classic base for macaroni and cheese. You can get creative and add your favorite mix-ins, though! Bacon, peas, spinach, mushrooms, broccoli…anything you like.
Adding a Panko Topping
A Panko bread crumb topping adds the most perfect crunch! This recipe is 95% done on stove top, and then finishes in the oven as an optional final step. You can eat as is without doing the bread topping and baking! I love that final step, though. I think it makes it look so nice on the table too!
Classic Three Cheese Macaroni and Cheese
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Oven baked
Description
Classic Three Cheese Macaroni and Cheese is the creamy, rich comfort food you’ll want on your table.
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta (use any short noodle, penne, bowties, shells, etc)
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 cups shredded gruyere cheese
- 2 cups shredded fontina cheese
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs (can use any type of breadcrumb or crushed Ritz crackers)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt to the boiling water then cook pasta according to the package. If you plan to bake it in the oven, cook the noodles for 1-2 minutes less than the directed time, because the noodles will continue to cook in the oven. Drain noodles and set aside.
- Meanwhile, pour milk into a small/medium saucepan and heat over low heat.
- In another large pot melt 6 tablespoons butter over low heat. Add the flour and whisk constantly for about 2-3 minutes until smooth.
- Whisk in hot milk, about 1/2 cup at a time, whisking constantly until sauce slightly thickens. Turn off heat and stir in all the shredded cheese. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
- Combine the cheese sauce with the cooked noodles and pour into a baking dish.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and combine it with the panko. Sprinkle over the macaroni and cheese and bake for 25-30 minutes until cheese is bubbly and the crumbs are lightly golden.
When you try a recipe, use the hashtag #lifeisbutadish on INSTAGRAM for a chance to be featured in my stories! Follow Life is but a Dish on PINTEREST | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM for all the latest content and behind the scenes!
Remember to subscribe to my free Life is but a Dish Weekly Newsletter and receive easy recipes delivered to your inbox every week!
Made this for Thanksgiving – a big hit! FYI – used a combo of shredded cheese that was available at Trader Joe’s the day I shopped which included cheddar and Quattro Formaggi – it didn’t fully melt into the sauce but it did when baked. I also made it ahead and the next day covered it with Ritz cracker crumbs and some butter baked it off on Thanksgiving Day. Thank you for an easy, delish, indulgent recipe that everyone enjoyed!
Mmmmmm that topping sounds amazing!
This was SO good. My family couldnβt believe I made it : ) I will definitely be making this dish again. Thank you!
That’s the best!!
A long overdue review! Have made this many times & itβs always a hit! The perfect recipe for a crowd & so easy to prep ahead of time.
SO glad you love it, Erin!
My family loves this recipe!! My kids request it at holidays. I have made it many times. It is delicious!
Perfect for the holidays!
My family loved this. I have never been a big fan of mac and cheese, and even I loved it. I made it with Ritz crackers instead of the panko crumbs since I had to use some up. The only change my daughter requested was more of the crumbs on the top. I followed the steps exactly, and it was some work, but it wasn’t difficult. The resulting dish was well worth the effort.
Yum! Love the idea of using Ritz!!
This is the best Mac and cheese! My kids love helping me make this and even better will actually eat it!
Such a win win!!
I made this for Christmas Eve dinner. There were definitely lots of moving parts but it all came together easily. I used gluten-free ingredients and it was delicious. Everyone in the family enjoyed it.
Best Mac & Cheese ever! This was the perfect Christmas dish!! Creamy, delicious & so satisfying!
SO happy you loved it!
Can you use a milk sub to make DF? One that you recommend?
I haven’t tried it, not sure this is the best recipe for a DF version
I doubled the recipe but realized the number of tablespoons of butter used for making the roux wasnβt adjusted proportionally in both the 2x and 3x recipes.
MY FAMILY IS OBSESSED AND THIS IS GONE IN SECONDS
Hooray!!
Hi! this looks delicious. I am thinking of making ahead for thanksgiving and waiting to bake until day of– should I plan to increase the bake time since it will be cold out of the fridge? thanks!
Yes, you can even let it come to room temp for a bit before baking
Can I use pre-shredded cheddar cheese? Thatβs probably the only one I think I can find pre-shredded. Does Trader Joeβs carry gruyere and fontina cheese?
Yes you can and yes Trader Joes carries it all!