What should I serve with mac and cheese?

We love pairing rich macaroni and cheese with a lighter side salad or roasted veggies. Some of our favorite side dish recipes : - Lemon Arugula Salad - Spinach Balsamic Salad - Lemon Roasted Broccoli - Cumin Roasted Carrots You can also pair this pasta with a heartier protein. Try our Maple Dijon Chicken , lemon garlic chicken , or the fall-apart tender beef roast from our crockpot french dip recipe .

What cheeses go well together?

There are so many good combinations of cheeses for mac and cheese. When making a 3 cheese mac and cheese, we like to follow this rule: - 1 flavorful cheese (like gruyere, smoked gouda, sharp cheddar cheese, or goat cheese) - 1 salty, sharp cheese (like parmesan cheese, asiago, or pecorino romano) - 1 creamy, mild cheese that melts well (like white cheddar cheese, cream cheese, fontina, or havarti) We tested this recipe with several different combinations of the above cheeses. They were all good, but the white cheddar + gruyere + pecorino romano blend was our testers' favorite! Learn more: The Best Cheese for Mac and Cheese . For more cheese blend inspiration, find some of our favorite 2-cheese combos in these recipes: - Mushroom mac and cheese (gruyere + goat cheese) - Jalapeno popper mac and cheese (white cheddar + cream cheese) - Smoked gouda mac and cheese (smoked gouda + white cheddar) - Spinach mac and cheese (parmesan + cream cheese)

Can I use heavy cream or half and half in this recipe?

You can use half and half or heavy cream in place of some or all of the milk here if you like, although we really don't find it's necessary to use such heavy dairy products here. If you do use heavy cream for this mac n cheese, just keep in mind that the béchamel will thicken more quickly, and you'll end up with a VERY rich sauce.

Why didn't my cheese melt?

Pre-shredded cheese is often coated with preservatives and anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting smoothly. For best results, buy a block of cheese and shred it yourself. If you ever have a cheese sauce that is grainy or clumpy, you can also zap it with an immersion blender for a few seconds to smooth it out (Learn more: immersion blender uses ).

Can I bake this stove top pasta?

Yes! For baked mac n cheese, undercook the pasta slightly (it will continue to cook in the oven). Make the sauce and assemble as directed, then transfer mac and cheese to a buttered baking dish and top with lightly toasted panko breadcrumbs . You can also skip the bread crumbs and bake this mac and cheese in a cast iron skillet (or a casserole dish) with just additional cheese on top, à la our spicy mac and cheese . See this method in action (along with step by step photos) in our smoked gouda mac and cheese recipe ,

Three Cheese Mac and Cheese Recipe (Homemade from Scratch)

Description

This creamy homemade mac and cheese uses a simple blend of three cheeses for a rich, complex sauce. Ready in under an hour!

Ingredients

Scale

3/4 pound pasta (we used radiatore)
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
3 Tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
¾ cup shredded white cheddar cheese (3 ounces)
¾ cup shredded gruyere cheese (3 ounces)
¾ cup shredded pecorino romano cheese (2 ounces)
Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Cook Mode Keep screen awake

Instructions

Cook pasta in very salty water until it’s al dente. Drain and set aside.
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour to form a roux and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until fragrant.
Whisk the milk into the roux a little at a time, making sure to work out all the clumps so you have a smooth sauce. Cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until milk has thickened, about 6-10 minutes.
Turn off the heat. Add all three cheeses, a pinch of kosher salt, and a few turns of black pepper; stir until cheese is fully melted.
Add cooked pasta to cheese sauce; stir to combine. Taste and add seasonings if needed. Top with a few more turns of cracked black pepper and serve immediately.

Notes

Additions and Substitutions. Add cooked protein (chicken, chorizo, diced ham, bacon) or veggies (broccoli, peas, spinach) to this mac and cheese to make it heartier. Top with toasted bread crumbs for additional texture.

Customize the cheese blend. Feel free to adjust the cheese blend to suit your tastes! We recommend using one strong or flavorful cheese (like gruyere, smoked gouda, or goat cheese), one sharp/salty cheese (pecorino romano, parmesan, or asiago), and one mild cheese that melts well (white cheddar, cream cheese, havarti, fontina).

For best results, shred your cheese yourself! Store-bought cheeses are often coated with preservatives that keep them from melting smoothly. If your cheese sauce is grainy or clumpy, smooth it out with an immersion blender before adding the pasta.