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This 3 Cheese Mac and Cheese is everything you want in a good Southern baked mac and cheese! Tender pasta gets smothered in a rich, velvety cheese sauce made with cheddar cheese, Colby Jack, and mozzarella, then layered with even MORE cheese and baked until bubbly and golden brown. And those gooey cheese pulls when you scoop into the pan? Honey, this is the kind of mac and cheese that’ll have folks fighting over the last spoonful!
For more homemade mac and cheese recipes, make my seafood mac and cheese, 4 cheese mac and cheese, or smoked gouda mac and cheese!
This 3 Cheese Mac and Cheese is the definition of cozy comfort food! It starts with a buttery, roux-based béchamel sauce and three main cheeses—cheddar, Colby Jack, and mozzarella—with a little cream cheese for extra richness. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love a good custard-based mac (just look at my grandma’s mac and cheese), but sometimes you’ve gotta switch things up! Whether you’re team custard or team béchamel, honey, there’s room for both at my table!
3 Cheese Mac and Cheese Recipe Overview
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🧀 Cook Time: 40 minutes
- 🧑🍳 Total Time: 55 minutes
- 👪 Serves: 12
- 🧀 Made With: Campanelle pasta, sharp and mild cheddar, Colby Jack, mozzarella, cream cheese, evaporated milk, heavy cream, and Cajun seasoning
- 🍽️ Why This Recipe is the Best: This creamy baked mac and cheese starts with a silky, homemade cheese sauce, gets layered with plenty of freshly shredded cheese, and finishes with a golden, bubbly top. A little chicken bouillon adds extra savory flavor, while evaporated milk helps keep the sauce smooth and creamy.
- 🍗 Best For: Sunday dinners, Thanksgiving, Christmas, potlucks, and family gatherings.
👉 For an extra-creamy version that doesn’t require baking, try my stovetop mac and cheese recipe.
Table of contents
Key Ingredients
The full list of ingredients and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
- Campanelle pasta: Those little ruffled edges and pockets catch all that creamy cheese sauce! You can also use elbow macaroni or cavatappi.
- Cheddar cheese: I use both sharp and mild cheddar for the perfect balance of bold flavor and creaminess. Sharp cheddar brings the flavor, while mild cheddar helps mellow everything out.
- Colby Jack and mozzarella: Colby Jack melts beautifully and adds a buttery richness, while low-moisture mozzarella gives us those gorgeous, stretchy cheese pulls.
- Heavy cream and evaporated milk: My favorite combination for a rich cheese sauce! Heavy cream adds richness, while the concentrated milk proteins in evaporated milk help the sauce stay smooth.
- Cream cheese and sour cream: Cream cheese adds body, while sour cream brings a subtle tang that balances all that cheesy richness.
- Chicken bouillon paste: My little secret for flavorful pasta! I add it to the cooking water, then toss a little more with the drained noodles. You don’t have to rely on the cheese sauce to do all the seasoning!
- Dijon mustard and Cajun seasoning: Dijon enhances the savory cheese flavor without making the sauce taste like mustard, while Cajun seasoning adds a little extra kick.
Substitutions and Variations
- I prefer salted butter, but if you only have unsalted butter, that’ll work just fine. Taste as you go and adjust the seasonings as needed.
- Add a breadcrumb topping! Melt butter in a skillet and toast bread crumbs (or panko breadcrumbs for extra crunch) until golden brown. Sprinkle on top of the assembled mac and cheese before baking.
How To Make 3 Cheese Mac and Cheese
Step 1: Shred the cheeses. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Freshly shred the cheeses and combine them in a large bowl.
Step 2: Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 3 teaspoons of chicken bouillon paste, and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and toss with the remaining bouillon paste, salt, and pepper.
Step 3: Make the roux. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, Cajun seasoning, seasoned salt, and black pepper. Cook for 3–5 minutes, stirring constantly. Gradually whisk in the heavy cream and evaporated milk, then simmer for 5–7 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
Step 4: Make the cheese sauce. Stir in the cream cheese and Dijon mustard until smooth. Remove the pot from the heat, then gradually stir in half of the shredded cheese until melted and velvety. Finish with the sour cream. Britney’s Tip: Don’t boil the sauce after adding the cheese! Too much heat can cause the proteins to tighten and the sauce to turn grainy.
Step 5: Combine and layer. Fold the cooked pasta into the cheese sauce until every noodle is coated. Spread half into a 9×13-inch baking dish, sprinkle with half of the reserved cheese, then repeat with the remaining pasta and cheese.
Step 6: Bake until golden. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, until bubbly around the edges. Remove the foil and broil for 2–3 minutes until the top is golden brown. Keep a close eye on it! Let the mac and cheese rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Britney’s Pro Tips
- Cook the roux long enough. Let that butter and flour mixture bubble for at least 2 minutes to cook out any raw flour taste and create a smooth, flavorful base.
- Shred your own cheese. I know it’s an extra step, but trust me, it makes a difference! Pre-shredded cheeses often contain anti-caking ingredients that can affect how smoothly they melt. Freshly shredded cheese gives you that silky, velvety sauce we’re after!
- Cook the pasta until just al dente. This prevents the pasta from becoming mushy while baking in the oven.
- Season the pasta before the sauce. Tossing the cooked noodles with salt, pepper, and chicken bouillon adds savoriness from the inside out. No bland bites here!
- Watch the salt. Between the chicken bouillon, Cajun seasoning, seasoned salt, and cheese, there’s plenty of seasoning going on. Taste before adding extra salt.
Serving Suggestions
This 3 Cheese Mac and Cheese deserves a spot at every dinner table! Serve it alongside crispy buttermilk fried chicken, BBQ ribs, or juicy roasted Thanksgiving chicken. Honey, you really can’t go wrong!
For Sunday supper or the holidays, round out your plate with slow cooker collard greens, old-fashioned candied yams, and grandma’s buttermilk cornbread. And if a little sweet potato syrup gets mixed into your mac and cheese? Whew, don’t even get me started!
3 Cheese Mac and Cheese Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! Monterey Jack, Gouda, Gruyère, and Fontina are all delicious options. Just choose cheeses that melt well and keep a good balance of sharp, flavorful cheeses and mild, creamy ones. I recommend shredding your own cheese for the smoothest sauce!
The biggest culprit is overheating the cheese sauce! High heat can cause the cheese proteins to tighten and the fat to separate, leaving you with a grainy texture. Always remove the pot from the heat before adding your shredded cheese, and stir gradually until smooth. And trust me, freshly shredded cheese makes a difference!
Add a splash of milk or heavy cream, cover the dish, and warm it in the oven at 300°F until creamy again. For single servings, microwave on 50% power with a little extra cream.
You sure can. Let it cool completely, wrap it well, and place into an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently with a little extra cream to bring it back to life.
Absolutely! Assemble the mac and cheese up to a day ahead, cover tightly, and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake. The pasta will absorb some of the sauce as it sits, so add a splash of milk or heavy cream to keep everything nice and creamy. Bake until heated through and bubbly, allowing a little extra time if it’s coming straight from the refrigerator.
More Homemade Mac and Cheese Recipes
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Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese
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Creamy Stovetop Mac and Cheese
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If you make this 3 Cheese Mac and Cheese, please leave a star rating on the recipe card and a comment below! You can also tag @BritneyBreaksBread on Instagram and use #britneybreaksbread so I can see your beautiful creations.
Happy cooking, y’all!
3 Cheese Mac and Cheese Recipe
Equipment
- Large Pot or Large Saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 lb Campanelle Pasta , (you can also use elbow macaroni or cavatappi)
- 4 tsp Chicken Bouillon Paste
- Salt and Pepper, (to taste)
3 Cheese Sauce
- 8 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese, (buy the block cheese and shred)
- 8 oz Mild Cheddar, (buy the block cheese and shred)
- 16 oz Colby Jack Cheese, (buy the block cheese and shred)
- 8 oz Low Moisture Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese, (buy the block cheese and shred)
- 4 tbsp Salted Butter
- 4 tbsp All Purpose Flour
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 1/2 tsp Cajun Seasoning
- 3/4 tsp Seasoned Salt
- 3/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 2 cups Heavy Cream
- 12 oz Evaporated Milk
- 4 oz Cream Cheese
- 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard, (or 1 tsp dry mustard powder)
- 2 tbsp Sour Cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Shred the colby jack cheese, mozzarella cheese, mild and sharp cheddar cheese into a large bowl. Set aside. 8 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese 8 oz Mild Cheddar 16 oz Colby Jack Cheese 8 oz Low Moisture Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese
- Bring a large pot or large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add 3 tsp of chicken bouillon paste to the boiling water and whisk together until dissolved. Add pasta and cook until al dente, according to package directions. Drain the noodles add to a large bowl. Add a generous pinch of kosher salt, black pepper, and remaining 1 tsp of chicken bouillon paste and toss until evenly coated. Set aside. 1 lb Campanelle Pasta 4 tsp Chicken Bouillon Paste Salt and Pepper
- As the pasta cooks, make cheesy creamy sauce. In a large pot or dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour and add garlic powder, onion powder, Cajun seasoning, seasoned salt, and black pepper. Whisk constantly for 3-5 minutes, until slightly thickened and a paste begins to form. Slowly pour in the heavy cream and evaporated milk while whisking to avoid lumps. Bring the cream sauce to a gentle simmer and cook until slightly thickened, stirring frequently, about 5-7 minutes. 4 tbsp Salted Butter 4 tbsp All Purpose Flour 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder 1/2 tsp Onion Powder 1 1/2 tsp Cajun Seasoning 3/4 tsp Seasoned Salt 3/4 tsp Black Pepper 2 cups Heavy Cream 12 oz Evaporated Milk
- Add the cream cheese and dijon mustard, stirring until combined. Remove from heat and add half of the cheese mixture. Stir until completely melted and velvety. Stir in sour cream. 4 oz Cream Cheese 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard 2 tbsp Sour Cream
- Add the cooked pasta to the cheese sauce and toss gently until every noodle is coated.
- Pour half of the mac and cheese into a 9×13 baking dish or casserole dish. Sprinkle the half of the remaining cheeses on top, then add the remaining mac and cheese and sprinkle all of the remaining cheese on top.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes, until bubbly around the edges. Remove the foil, then broil for 2–3 minutes (longer if needed) for that crisp golden brown top. Keep a close eye so it doesn’t burn! Allow the mac and cheese to cool for 10 minutes, then serve. Add a dash of paprika on top for color (optional).
Notes
- Avoid using pre-shredded cheese, Shred the cheese yourself. I know, this may seem like an extra step, however, it makes the world of a difference! The pre-shredded cheeses have anti-caking agents that prevent the cheesy from melting properly. So buy the block of cheese and shredded your own cheese!
- Cook the pasta until just al dente. This prevents the pasta from becoming mushy while baking in the oven.
- Season the pasta before the sauce. Tossing the cooked noodles with salt, pepper, and chicken bouillon adds savoriness from the inside out. No bland bites here!
- Cook the roux long enough. Let that butter and flour mixture bubble for at least 2 minutes to cook out any raw flour taste and create a smooth, flavorful base.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I used this recipe instead of our regular mac and cheese recipe for Thanksgiving this year. At first sight my family was weary but it was love as first bite! Not a noodle was left in my house (I made 2 batches). This recipe is so simple yet so so good! I’ve gotten requests for more and it’s safe to say, we’ve got a new favorite thanksgiving dish ❤️
Hello Britney,
I made the 3 Cheese Macaroni casserole. It was so delicious and creamy. My husband, father and son loved it! The only ingredient I left out was the chicken bullion and I used elbow macaroni. It heated up nicely today with our leftover Thanksgiving dinner. Thank you so much for your recipes.
Happy holidays,
Sherlyn
Happy holidays to you too, thank you!