Rich, silky and creamy, this is not your ordinary mac and cheese. It’s decadent, loaded with not one, but three types of gorgeous cheese covering and filling those tender little tubes of pasta. With an extra handful – or three – of shredded cheese covering the top along with crispy, buttery breadcrumbs, the dish is baked just until hot and bubbly. Amazing.
We’re one week out from Christmas, it’s crunch time and I’m in need of a midweek break, compliments of some cheesy goodness! My kitchen is covered in multiple types of sugar, dusted with remnants of flour with a few crumbs left by the engineer sneaking one more cookie. So I take a break, clear off a counter and pull out the ingredients for Emily’s Triple Cheese Mac and Cheese recipe.
The lead in the sauce is Fontina cheese, with a wonderful lightly sweet and nutty flavor. Followed by Gruyere, also nutty but a bit more salty and finished with a medium sharp cheddar.
All three are blended into a classic white sauce made with butter and whole milk then spiced with a touch of paprika, cayenne pepper, dry mustard, and freshly grated nutmeg.
Take this luscious sauce and toss it with a pound of tubular pasta so that the sauce not only coats the pasta but sneaks inside just waiting for you to give it a bite!
Go ahead, take a break, grab a fork, curl up and relax – for just a bit!
Emily’s Triple Cheese Mac and Cheese
8 tablespoons butter, divided
½ cup flour
5 cups milk, warmed
3-½ cups shredded Fontina cheese, about 8-ounces, divided
2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese, about 6 ounces, divided
1-½ cups shredded medium cheddar, about 4 ounces, divided
¾ teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for cooking the pasta
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound large macaroni or your favorite tubular pasta
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Melt 6 tablespoons of the butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. When the butter is hot and bubbly, whisk in the flour. Cook the flour and butter about 5 minutes, whisking occasionally to keep the roux smooth.
Pour in the warm milk and continue cooking over medium heat, whisking frequently until the sauce starts to thicken, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low then add 3 cups of the Fontina cheese, 1-½ cups of the Gruyere and 1 cup of the cheddar cheese along with the nutmeg, paprika, cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and black pepper.
While the cheese melts, cook the pasta in boiling water that has been salted with about a handful of kosher salt. Follow the suggested cooking time on the package of the pasta, taking care not to overcook. The pasta will continue to cook as it bakes in the oven.
Drain the cooked pasta and add it to the cheese sauce, stirring to coat and mix well.
Turn the cheese and pasta out into a 9” x 13” baking dish that has been sprayed with a cooking spray. Cover the top of the pasta with the reserved cheese.
Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Toss in the panko breadcrumbs and cook until the crumbs are lightly brown, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top of the mac and cheese.
Bake in a 350-degree oven for 15 minutes until hot and bubbly.
Serves 8 to 10.
Emily’s Triple Cheese Mac and Cheese
Equipment
- Two large stockpots
- 9" x 13" baking dish
- Small skillet
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons butter, divided
- ½ cup flour
- 5 cups milk, warmed
- 3-½ cups shredded Fontina cheese, about 8-ounces, divided
- 2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese, about 6 ounces, divided
- 1-½ cups shredded medium cheddar, about 4 ounces, divided
- ¾ teaspoon dry mustard
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for cooking the pasta
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound large macaroni or your favorite tubular pasta
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Melt 6 tablespoons of the butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. When the butter is hot and bubbly, whisk in the flour.
- Cook the flour and butter about 5 minutes, whisking occasionally to keep the roux smooth.
- Pour in the warm milk and continue cooking over medium heat, whisking frequently until the sauce starts to thicken, about 10 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low then add 3 cups of the Fontina cheese, 1-½ cups of the Gruyere and 1 cup of the cheddar cheese along with the nutmeg, paprika, cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and black pepper.
- While the cheese melts, cook the pasta in boiling water that has been salted with about a handful of kosher salt. Follow the suggested cooking time on the package of the pasta, taking care not to overcook. The pasta will continue to cook as it bakes in the oven.
- Drain the cooked pasta and add it to the cheese sauce, stirring to coat and mix well.
- Turn the cheese and pasta out into a 9” x 13” baking dish that has been sprayed with a cooking spray. Cover the top of the pasta with the reserved cheese.
- Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Toss in the panko breadcrumbs and cook until the crumbs are lightly brown, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently
- Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top of the mac and cheese then bake in a 350-degree oven for 15 minutes until hot and bubbly.
