Macaroni & Cheese Trifecta

I wanted to make mac & cheese to bring to a party, and couldn't decide what cheese to use, when I had a brilliant idea. Why not make 3 types, and assemble them side by side? I thought it would be fun for people to try each one individually and/or mix them together.  It was a bit of work but a huge hit at the party!

I decided to make a traditional Velveeta and cheddar version, a blue cheese version, and one with Gruyère, so I looked up a bunch of different recipes and modified them to my liking.

You will need 3 baking dishes for this. I made the pasta first, then the cheese sauces, assembled the three dishes, and baked them in the oven all at once.

Gruyère Mac and Cheese 

 
4 tablespoons butter
1 and1/2 cups milk
1 and1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese
2 cups grated Gruyère
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
3/4 cup Panko crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.

3. While whisking, slowly pour in the milk and cream. Continue cooking until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick, 8 to 12 minutes.

4. Stir in the salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 2 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyère, and mix until melted, then turn heat to low.

5. Cover a large pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Cook the macaroni until slightly underdone, about 5 minutes. Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir the macaroni into the cheese sauce.

6. Pour the mixture into a casserole or baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheeses and Panko crumbs over the top. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes (you may need to turn the heat up at the end, to really get it brown).



Velveeta and Cheddar Mac and Cheese

4 tablespoons butter
1 and1/2 cups milk
1 and1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups Velveeta cheese, cut into cubes
1/2 cup shredded Muenster cheese
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
3/4 cup Panko crumbs


Follow cooking directions above, making sure to reserve some of the cheese to sprinkle over the top.



Blue Cheese Mac and Cheese

4 tablespoons butter
1 and1/2 cups milk
1 and1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 1/2 cups blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 pound Penne pasta
3/4 cup Panko crumbs

Follow cooking directions above, making sure to reserve some of the cheese to sprinkle over the top.


Finished! Once all of the macaroni and cheese is cooked, removed the casserole dishes from the oven. I chose to serve them side by side on a serving dish (see below). I also considered serving this layered in a trifle dish.

The nice thing about macaroni and cheese is you can serve it hot or cold (though personally I think it tastes better warm!), so you can bring this to a party or BBQ, or serve it as a main dish at home.