Easy Baked Macaroni and Three Cheeses

The traditional mac and cheese got updated with three types of cheese, some spice, and a golden top. You can have it ready in under 45 minutes!

Let’s go straight to this easy recipe for baked mac and cheese. Or is it stovetop? It’s both.

Comfort food that is fast and simple is the best. Mac and cheese is the best. And this recipe takes 30 minutes at the most to be in the table. So it can even be a last-minute addition to your holiday table. 

I came back with a few food memories from my two-year stay in California when I was young enough to go to middle school, a fact I shared with you when I recreated smitten kitchen’s recipe for homemade wheat thins.

The box with the orange mac and cheese was something I looked forward to. And then there was the non-cooking mother situation, a fact hard to overlook, which led to boxed and frozen everything whenever she could. And besides, I had nothing to compare to; the box of mac and cheese tasted amazing since it was my only shot at eating it.

Now that I think about it, maybe my mom was on to something, lower the food expectations of your household and the three things you do make occasionally will be talked about as if they were a freaking flavor sensation.

Back to our humble dish of pasta with cheese here, it was by accident that I made it. My last secret recipe club post was coming up, and being one with the memory of an elephant, I never looked up who my secret blog was. I just went and made a recipe from the one I was sure I had been assigned to.

Imagine my surprise when I realized I had made another recipe from last month’s blog; not because of the recipe, but because I had little time to actually make it on time to post what I had really been assigned.

That’s how you got the ham and cheese muffins and this baked macaroni and three kinds of cheese recipe. Lucky you. And the fact that it’s all about cheese doesn’t escape me either. Maybe it’s a regression to those teenage years. I hope not. Ha.

Anyway, the easy in the title is for real, since sour cream is involved, and that makes it creamy without trying. 

A sharp cheese is absolutely necessary, unless you want bland thrown into the equation; I use blue cheese because, well, I worship it, it’s one of my favorite flavors – a few hints here and there in this blog, the skillet blue cheese burgers, my mother’s legendary leftover pasta frittata, or the amazing pumpkin ricotta gnocchi with blue cheese butter.

What is mandatory is the au gratin part, fancy words for broiling it in the upper part of the over.
Because, my friends, mac and cheese with no crunchy part on the top is just not worth it. Said by the person who fought over orange macaroni and cheese with no crunch whatsoever.

That was then, this is now. I turned 46 a week ago, at least I can say my palate evolved.

Other similar recipes you might like:

Roasted Broccoli and Corn Pasta
Charred Asparagus, Corn, and Croutons Spaghetti
Crunchy Szechuan Pork and Carrots
Leftover Pasta Frittata
Orange Ricotta Cheesecake
Lemon Ricotta Pie
Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Polenta Cake
Bruschetta with ricotta, bacon, and tomatoes
Summer berry ricotta squares

Let me know if you make this recipe! I’d love to hear what you think about it.
Thank you for being here, I appreciate it! Let’s connect via Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Easy Baked Macaroni and Three Cheeses

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Paula Montenegro
• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 25
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 3 servings 1x
• Category: Pasta
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

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Description

The traditional mac and cheese got updated with three types of cheese, some spice, and a golden top. You can have it ready in under 45 minutes!

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup milk
• ½ cup shredded sharp parmesan or asiago cheese + ¼ cup for topping
• ½ cup cubed mozzarella cheese + ¼ cup for topping
• ½ cup crumbled mild blue cheese
• 1 cup elbow macaroni (cooked and drained)
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Dash of sriracha sauce or chili powder or whatever hot you like
• Large pinch of fresh thyme

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Have ready to medium individual oven ramekins.
3. Mix sour cream, milk, ½ cup parmesan, ½ cup mozzarella, blue cheese and onion in a bowl.
4. Add cooked macaroni, season with salt, pepper, thyme, sriracha and mix well.
5. Top with the rest of parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, dividing evenly.
6. Bake for 15 minutes, and lastly broil for 5 minutes, being careful not to burn it.
7. Eat immediately.

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Keywords: mac and cheese, baked mac cheese

adapted from Fantastical Sharing of Recipes

Paula Montenegro

A baker for more than 30 years, I love testing recipes and sharing the best of what I find. I'm mostly self-taught with some time spent in baking school. I believe we can all be bakers and cooks with the right instructions and simple ingredients. If you're craving easy recipes with amazing results, you're in the right place. Let's get into the kitchen!