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Table of Contents
- 🍽️ A Quick Look at the Recipe
- Why You’ll Love This Mac and Cheese
- Key Ingredients and Useful Tools
- How to Make Three-Cheese Baked Mac and Cheese
- Tips for a Creamy Sauce
- Creamy Southern Baked Three-Cheese Mac and Cheese Recipe
- Storage and Reheating
- What to Serve With Three-Cheese Mac
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Useful Tool From My Shop
- More AB Recipes for Your Gathering
- Save This Recipe
Sharp cheddar, Colby, and Monterey Jack coat elbow macaroni in a creamy sauce, with more cheese baked over the top. This Southern-style mac and cheese uses evaporated milk and sour cream for a rich side that belongs beside your holiday mains or Sunday dinner.
🍽️ A Quick Look at the Recipe
Recipe Name: Creamy Southern Baked Three-Cheese Mac and Cheese
⏱️ Ready In: About 1 hour 15 minutes total (estimated): 20 minutes prep, 45 minutes cooking, and 10 minutes resting
👨👩👧👦 Serves: About 12 side servings (estimated)
🥣 Main Ingredients: Elbow macaroni, cheddar, Colby, Monterey Jack, evaporated milk, sour cream
📖 Dietary Info: Contains wheat and dairy
🔥 Flavor Profile: Creamy, cheesy, and savory
⭐ Best For: Holiday sides and Sunday dinner
Why You’ll Love This Mac and Cheese
- Three freshly shredded cheeses flavor both the sauce and the topping.
- The pourable sauce coats the macaroni before it goes into the oven.
- A short rest lets the sauce thicken before serving.
Key Ingredients and Useful Tools
Elbow macaroni holds the cheese sauce. Butter and flour make the pale roux; evaporated milk and whole milk turn it into a smooth base. Sour cream adds richness. Sharp cheddar, Colby, and Monterey Jack are divided between the sauce and the topping. Garlic, onion, dry mustard, black pepper, and paprika season the dish. Find every amount in the recipe card.
Use a large pasta pot, colander, saucepan, whisk, cheese grater, and deep baking dish. Shred the cheese before starting the sauce so it is ready to add gradually.
How to Make Three-Cheese Baked Mac and Cheese
1. Prepare the pasta and cheese
Heat the oven to 350°F and butter the dish. Cook the macaroni 2 minutes less than the package’s al dente instructions, then drain without rinsing. Mix the shredded cheeses and divide them as directed in the card.
2. Make a pale roux
Melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1–2 minutes, keeping it pale. Slowly whisk in the evaporated milk and then the whole milk. Simmer gently for 3–5 minutes until the sauce lightly coats a spoon but still pours.
3. Finish the sauce off the heat
Season the sauce, remove the pan from the heat, and whisk in sour cream. Add the sauce portion of cheese a handful at a time, letting each addition melt before adding more.
4. Assemble, bake, and rest
Fold in the macaroni and transfer it to the dish without packing it down. Add the reserved cheese and paprika. Bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes, checking from 20 minutes onward. Look for bubbling edges and a lightly golden top, then rest for 10 minutes.
Tips for a Creamy Sauce
Keep the milk mixture pourable before adding cheese. Take the pan off the heat for the sour cream and cheese, and stir patiently between additions. Start checking the oven early so the macaroni does not overbake.
Summarize and Save
Creamy Southern Baked Three-Cheese Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter plus extra for greasing
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 can (12 fluid ounces) evaporated milk—not sweetened condensed milk
- 1½ cups whole milk
- ½ cup full-fat sour cream preferably at room temperature
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese freshly shredded
- 8 ounces Colby cheese freshly shredded
- 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese freshly shredded
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus salt for the pasta water
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika divided
Instructions
- Prepare the oven and dish. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a deep 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
- Cook the macaroni. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the macaroni 2 minutes less than the package’s al dente instructions. Drain well without rinsing.
- Divide the cheese. Combine the shredded cheddar, Colby, and Monterey Jack. Reserve one-third for the topping and use the remaining two-thirds for the sauce.
- Make the roux. While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1–2 minutes, whisking constantly. Keep it pale; do not let it brown.
- Add the milk. Slowly whisk in the evaporated milk, followed by the whole milk, until smooth. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3–5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce lightly coats a spoon. It should remain pourable.
- Season the sauce. Stir in the kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, dry mustard, black pepper, and half the paprika.
- Melt in the cheese. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Whisk in the sour cream until smooth. Add the sauce portion of the cheese a handful at a time, stirring until melted before adding more.
- Combine and top. Fold the drained macaroni into the cheese sauce. Transfer to the prepared baking dish without packing it down. Sprinkle evenly with the reserved cheese and remaining paprika.
- Bake. Bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes, until bubbling around the edges and lightly golden on top. Begin checking at 20 minutes to avoid overbaking.
- Rest and serve. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. The sauce will thicken slightly as it rests while staying creamy.
Notes
- Use evaporated milk, not sweetened condensed milk.
- Remove the sauce from the heat before adding the sour cream and cheese.
- Begin checking the bake at 20 minutes, then rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow containers within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F. Keep at 40°F or below and use within 3–4 days. Reheat covered to 165°F. See USDA leftover guidance.
What to Serve With Three-Cheese Mac
Serve it with Smothered Turkey Wings for a hearty main and Garlic Butter Creole Green Beans for a vegetable side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this recipe use eggs?
No. This version uses a roux-based cheese sauce with evaporated milk, whole milk, and sour cream.
Can I use sweetened condensed milk?
No. Use evaporated milk as specified; sweetened condensed milk would change the sweetness and sauce.
Useful Tool From My Shop
A SnG Food Thermometer helps check that reheated portions reach 165°F.
More AB Recipes for Your Gathering
Add Buttermilk Biscuits for a bread option, or serve Southern Pumpkin Pie after dinner.
Choose a main
Build your plate around Cajun Roasted Turkey Breast, Garlic Herb Brined and Roasted Chicken, or Honey Glazed Ham. Choose one that fits your guests and cooking schedule.
Add vegetables and a tart accent
Choose Green Beans and Bacon, Honey Balsamic Brussels Sprouts, or Southern Style Collard Greens and Potatoes Stew. Traditional Cranberry Sauce adds a tart option beside richer dishes.
Compare your hearty sides
For other menus, browse Creole Cornbread Dressing, Southern Baked Mac and Cheese, and Southern Candied Yams with Maple Syrup. These are separate recipes with their own methods, not substitutions for this card.
Potatoes, gravy, and bread
Choose Steakhouse Mashed Potatoes or Creamy Scalloped Potatoes if potatoes have a place on your menu. Make Ahead Turkey Gravy and Soft and Fluffy Dinner Rolls round out a meal that needs them.
Finish with dessert
Sweet Potato Pie with Three Topping Options and Holiday Peach Cobbler Two Ways give you two more dessert directions. Pick your favorites from these ideas; you do not need every dish on one table.
Save This Recipe
Save this three-cheese mac for the next time you need a creamy baked side.
