Some Comfort Food Never Goes Out of Style
Ultra-creamy baked mac and cheese with three cheeses and a golden, crunchy breadcrumb top — the ultimate family-table dish.
Some comfort food never goes out of style. Baked mac and cheese is the dish everyone lines up for — creamy and stretchy underneath, crisp and golden on top. This recipe uses a silky three-cheese sauce that stays smooth, even as leftovers.
The secrets to creamy mac
- Undercook the pasta by 2 minutes — it finishes in the oven.
- Grate your own cheese. Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking starch that makes sauces grainy.
- Warm the milk before adding it to the roux for a lump-free sauce.
- Add cheese off the heat so it melts gently and doesn't split.
Best cheese blend
Sharp cheddar for flavour, Gruyère for nuttiness and mozzarella for that famous stretch. A pinch of mustard powder makes the cheese taste "cheesier".
Serve it with
A crisp green salad with a sharp vinaigrette, warm dinner rolls, or roasted broccoli to balance the richness.
The recipe
Three-Cheese Baked Mac & Cheese
Prep20 min
Cook30 min
Serves8
LevelMedium
Ingredients
Tap to tick off as you go.
- 450 g elbow macaroni
- 60 g butter
- 40 g all-purpose flour
- 950 ml whole milk, warmed
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 250 g sharp cheddar, grated
- 150 g Gruyère, grated
- 150 g mozzarella, grated
- For the topping: 60 g panko, 2 tbsp melted butter, 30 g parmesan, chopped parsley
Method
- Heat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Cook macaroni 2 minutes less than the package says; drain.
- Melt the butter, whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the warm milk and simmer until thick, 5–6 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Stir in mustard, garlic powder and three-quarters of the cheeses until smooth. Season well.
- Fold in the pasta and pour into a buttered 23 × 33 cm baking dish. Top with the remaining cheese.
- Mix panko, melted butter and parmesan and scatter over the top.
- Bake 25–30 minutes until bubbling and golden. Rest 10 minutes, garnish with parsley and serve.