Here’s The Only Authentic 3-Cheese Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe You’ll Ever Need
With this effortless one-pot method, you’ll forget that boxed corporate dinners even existed.
Skip the boxed stuff and those predictable baked casseroles that dry out in the oven. By cooking the pasta directly in a perfectly balanced mix of milk, sharp cheddar, and a pinch of spices, you get a glossy, decadent cheese blanket that clings to every single noodle. It comes together in a single pot in under twenty minutes, delivering that nostalgic, soul-warming fast-food flavor with zero processed junk and half the cleanup.
Here’s what you need: 200 g of pasta (small, preferably with holes), 130 g of mozzarella cheese, 500 ml of milk, 40 g of butter, 1 tablespoon of wheat flour, ground nutmeg, ground black pepper, salt to taste.
Make the béchamel sauce. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter, add the flour, stir quickly, and cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until golden brown.
Pour in some of the warm milk and whisk to prevent lumps from forming. While stirring, add the remaining milk. Return the saucepan with the sauce to medium heat and cook for about 5 minutes until thickened. Season the sauce with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Grate the cheese using a coarse grater. Set aside about a third for the top, and add the rest to the hot béchamel sauce. Stir until all the cheese has melted.
Bring 2 liters of water to a boil in a pot and add salt. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the package instructions. It is important to undercook the pasta by about 3 minutes.
Generously grease a deep baking dish with butter. Lightly sprinkle the buttered surface with salt and black pepper.
Drain the partially cooked pasta in a colander, then combine it with the cheese sauce in a saucepan and pour into the baking dish. Sprinkle with the reserved grated cheese.
Bake in the oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
