3 Cheese Baked Mac and Cheese

• servings: 6 servings
• active time: 15 minutes
• total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound macaroni (cooked al dente, see note)

1/3 cup Italian panko breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground mustard powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (see note)

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

4 cups whole milk (see note)

4 cups sharp white cheddar (freshly grated, 10 oz, see note)

2 cups gruyere cheese (freshly grated, 5oz, see note)

1 cup brie cheese (rind removed, cut into chunks, 6oz after rind removed, see note)

1 tablespoon freshly chopped Italian parsley to garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Prepare pasta in salted water boiling water, according to package instruction to al dente. Do not overcook. Drain and set aside.

In a small bowl add Italian panko bread crumbs and 2 tbsp melted butter. Stir with a spoon until bread crumbs are coated in butter. Set aside.

While pasta is cooking, in a large cast iron skillet (12") or high walled skillet over medium heat, add 4 tbsp unsalted butter. Once melted and bubbling, add in 3 tbsp of flour. Whisk until flour is absorbed into the butter. Add in the ground mustard, cayenne, nutmeg, pepper, and salt. Whisk to combine into the roux.

Slowly begin pouring in whole milk while whisking. Continue whisking till there are no lumps. Allow to come to a gentle bubble, then turn the heat off. First add in the brie cheese chunks and whisk until melted. Next, a few handfuls at a time, add in the gruyere and cheddar, stirring till melted, then repeat with remaining cheese. Sauce should be completely smooth.

Add in the al dente macaroni, and stir until fully coated and submerged in the cheese sauce. If using a cast iron skillet, sprinkle buttered breadcrumbs over the top then place in oven. If not using an oven safe skillet, transfer to a baking dish, then top with buttered bread crumbs.

Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until breadcrumbs are golden. Remove from oven and top with freshly chopped parsley. Allow macaroni and cheese to rest and set for 5-10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Nutrition

• Calories: 1076 kcal
• Total Fat: 65 g
• Saturated Fat: 37 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 19 g
• Trans Fat: 0.5 g
• Cholesterol: 197 mg
• Sodium: 1147 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 71 g
• Dietary Fiber: 3 g
• Total Sugars: 11 g
• Protein: 52 g