Name: The BEST Mac & Cheese
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 lb elbow macaroni; 8 oz white cheddar (freshly grated); 8 oz sharp cheddar (freshly grated); 8 oz gouda (freshly grated ); 3 cups heavy cream; 1 cup whole milk; 4 oz cream cheese; 2 tsp white pepper; 2 tsp fine sea salt; 2 tsp garlic powder; 2 tsp onion powder; 2 tsp paprika; 8 tbsp butter (unsalted); 1 shallot (finely diced); 6-8 cloves garlicky (minced); 3 tbsp all-purpose flour; 8 oz cheddar (divided); 1 tsp freshly chopped chives (optional )

The BEST Mac & Cheese

November 5, 2024
4 Comments
Dinner

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This is genuinely the only recipe you’ll need for the rest of your life. This is my go-to recipe for a rich, creamy mac and cheese.

Today, we’re making a Three Cheese Mac & Cheese – and I truly mean this with my entire heart: your search for the perfect mac and cheese recipe ends here. The flavor and cheese blend in this recipe is delicious, and it’s my go-to recipe anytime I need or want to make macaroni and cheese. I can’t wait for you all to try it!

Few tips:

The biggest question I get with Mac & cheese is how to keep it from splitting or getting that grainy texture – so that’s what we’re focusing on today:

Before you add your cream mixture to the roux, make sure it’s gently simmered. Cold cream can mess up the texture (when you add it to your obviously hot roux) and can make things grainy, so bring it up to a light simmer first, then whisk it into your roux for a smooth base.
Also, dont skip out on the roux!! Cheese on its own can split or get oily when it melts, but a roux stabilizes everything, so the cheese blends right in without turning grainy.
I can’t stress this enough! Freshly grated cheese melts way better than store-bought shredded. The pre-shredded stuff has additives (example: potato starch) so that the cheese shreds don’t all stick together in the package – which in return can make your mac and cheese grainy.
High heat can make cheese separate. Keep it on low to medium and let everything melt together gradually.
Adding cheese a bit at a time helps it melt evenly without clumping up or turning grainy. Stir between each handful to keep it smooth.
After the cheese is melted in, turn the heat off. Extra heat after the cheese is fully melted can lead to splitting.

Loose cheese sauce!!

Having a loose cheese sauce for mac and cheese is really important because it thickens as it sits. We don’t want it to be too thick from the start since baking will make it even thicker, and it won’t have that nice, creamy texture.

I also get asked often why mac and cheese splits or gets oily the next day when reheated in the microwave:

It’s not from the butter like you may think! It’s actually because of the fat from the cream and also the cheese! Mac and cheese is best the first day after baking with any recipe, but to prevent the fat from separating as much, reheat it in its original baking tray in the oven and not in the microwave (microwave heats it up unevenly)!

Here’s a video to guide you along the process:

@mxriyum
The BEST Mac & cheese 🧀⏲️🎞️ Important to check out the full blog post for helpful tips and step-by-step instructions that go beyond the video — they’re there to make this recipe as easy as possible for you !! Ingredients you’ll need: Pasta✮⋆˙ • 1 lb elbow macaroni Cheeses✮⋆˙ • 8 oz white cheddar freshly grated • 8 oz sharp cheddar freshly grated • 8 oz gouda freshly grated Cream mixture✮⋆˙ • 3 cups heavy cream • 1 cup whole milk • 4 oz cream cheese • 2 tsp white pepper • 2 tsp fine sea salt • 2 tsp garlic powder • 2 tsp onion powder • 2 tsp paprika Roux base✮⋆˙ • 8 tbsp butter unsalted • 1 shallot finely diced • 6-8 cloves garlicky minced • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour Layering cheese✮⋆˙ • 8 oz cheddar divided
♬ original sound – Mxriyum

Process:

The BEST Mac & Cheese

Today, we’re making a Three Cheese Mac & Cheese. This is my go-to recipe for a rich, creamy mac and cheese.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Total Time 40 mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Ingredients

Pasta✮⋆˙

1 lb elbow macaroni

Cheeses✮⋆˙

8 oz white cheddar freshly grated
8 oz sharp cheddar freshly grated
8 oz gouda freshly grated

Cream mixture✮⋆˙

3 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
4 oz cream cheese
2 tsp white pepper
2 tsp fine sea salt
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp paprika

Roux base✮⋆˙

8 tbsp butter unsalted
1 shallot finely diced
6-8 cloves garlicky minced
3 tbsp all-purpose flour

Layering cheese✮⋆˙

8 oz cheddar divided

Garnish✮⋆˙

1 tsp freshly chopped chives optional

Instructions

First things first✮⋆˙

Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Boil the macaroni in a large pot of salted water until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water (to prevent it from cooking further) , and set aside. (it will continue to cook later in our cheese sauce)

Lets Make our Cream mixture✮⋆˙

in a saucepan over low heat, combine heavy cream, whole milk, cream cheese, white pepper, fine sea salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Simmer gently, stirring until the cream cheese melts and the mixture is smooth. Set aside. do not bring to a full boil

Start the roux✮⋆˙

Using the same pot you boiled the pasta in, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and sauté for 3–5 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic, cooking for 30 seconds – 1 minute until fragrant.
Sprinkle in the flour, stirring continuously to form a roux. Cook for 2–3 minutes until it turns a golden hue and smells nutty.

Combine the sauce ✮⋆˙

Slowly pour the warm cream mixture into the roux, whisking until smooth. Lower the heat, and add the cheeses (white cheddar, sharp cheddar, and gouda) a handful at a time, stirring until each batch melts completely.

Add the Macaroni✮⋆˙

Fold the cooked macaroni into the cheese sauce, stirring gently until the pasta is evenly coated.

Layer the Mac & Cheese✮⋆˙

In a baking dish, add half of the macaroni and cheese. Sprinkle 4 oz of freshly grated cheddar over the first layer. Top with the remaining macaroni and cheese, then sprinkle the remaining 4 oz of freshly grated cheddar on top.

Bake and Broil✮⋆˙

Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Switch to broil on high for about 2 minutes, watching carefully, until the top is golden and bubbling. Keep a close eye—broilers can go from perfect to burnt in seconds.