3 Cheese Mac and Cheese (No Flour, No Roux!)

A spoonful of 3 cheese mac and cheese lifted out of a baking dish.

3 Cheese Mac and Cheese (No Flour, No Roux!)

This 3 Cheese Mac and Cheese is ultra-creamy, ultra-cheesy, and requires no stovetop sauce-making. Just mix uncooked pasta with cheddar, mozzarella, and parmesan, pour over milk and cream, and bake. The result? Ridiculously creamy mac and cheese with minimal effort - ready in about an hour with only 5-10 minutes of hands-on time.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine North American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Resting Time 10

Total Time 1 5

Servings as a side

Calories 739kcal

Author Emmeline Kemperyd

Equipment

Measuring spoons*
Measuring cups (metric or US)*
Cheese grater*
Baking dish - round 6x2 inches (4 cups)/or 15x5 cm (1 liter) or similar size in another shape

Ingredients

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or other creamy, well-melting cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese or other flavorful, well-melting cheese
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese or other flavorful, well-melting cheese
½ teaspoon paprika powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1.5 cup macaroni pasta or gluten-free / 100% corn macaroni
1.5 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk or cream / half and half

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Bring out a round oven dish that's about 6x2 inches (15x5 cm) or a different shape but similar in size. Place the three types of cheese in the dish and mix well.
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
Season with paprika powder, salt and black pepper, and mix well.
½ teaspoon paprika powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Add macaroni pasta and mix again. Then use a spoon to even out the surface.
1.5 cup macaroni pasta
Pour in the cream and milk, then use a spoon to ensure all pieces of macaroni and cheese are submerged.
1.5 cup heavy cream, 1 cup milk
Bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes, then remove from the oven and mix gently. Place back in the oven for 15 more minutes and raise the heat to 400°F (200°C).
Remove from the oven and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Video

Notes

Make it vegetarian: Make sure all cheese you use are made without animal rennet.

Don't use pre-shredded cheese (or do so with caution). Pre-shredded cheese often comes with added ingredients to avoid clumping, and these will mess up your texture, making it grainy. Instead, shred the cheese yourself. Or, if you want to use pre-shredded cheese, make sure the ingredient list has no extra items - it should just be cheese.

What to Do with Leftovers

Storing: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Freezing: Freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Keep in mind that the consistency will not be the same, and let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

Reheating in the oven: Cover with aluminum foil and reheat in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 20-30 minutes, until heated through.

Reheating in the microwave: Reheat individual servings in the microwave in 30-second increments. If it looks dry, add a dash of milk or cream before reheating.

Nutrition