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Cheesy baked mac and cheese made with three different types of cheeses. Parmesan, cheddar and colby jack cheese are all used in the pasta to create a delicious flavor combination. This creamy and cheesy mac and cheese is the perfect comfort food side dish to serve along with any meal. You can even make this pasta dish into a main meal by adding some chicken into the pasta. Or you can make it as something different for the holidays than the traditional mac and cheese.
For the pasta, I used rotini pasta, but elbow pasta or any other small shaped pasta will work with this dish. To make the creamy cheese sauce, melt butter in a large saucepan and whisk in flour to create a thick dough. Pour milk in along with all three of the cheeses, saving half of both the cheddar and colby jack cheese to be used for the topping. Cook the cheese sauce until it is fully smooth and has thickened. Mix the sauce with the cooked pasta and spread it out into a baking dish. Top with the remaining shredded cheeses. Bake until all of the cheese has melted and the pasta is heated through.
Baked Three Cheese Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 16 oz. rotini pasta
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 2 cups shredded colby jack cheese, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and place into a large bowl.
- Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and let cook for a minute to brown. Pour in milk and add in grated parmesan cheese, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese and 1 cup shredded colby jack cheese.
- Season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened and smooth. Mix sauce with pasta. Spread pasta out into a large greased baking dish.
- Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese and 1 cup shredded colby jack cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes.