Description
Recreate Applebee’s iconic mac and cheese with this foolproof three-cheese blend recipe, delivering rich, creamy comfort food right from your kitchen.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound elbow macaroni or cavatappi
- 8 oz sharp white cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- 6 oz Monterey Jack cheese, freshly grated
- 4 oz American cheese, cubed
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk, warmed
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- Salt and white pepper to taste
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook pasta 1–2 minutes short of package directions, reserve 1/2 cup pasta water. Drain and set aside.
- Melt butter in a saucepan, whisk in flour and cook 2–3 minutes to form a roux.
- Slowly whisk in warmed milk, then add cream. Simmer 5–7 minutes until thickened.
- Remove from heat, add American cheese first, then Monterey Jack, then cheddar, stirring after each addition until smooth.
- Whisk in Dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and white pepper. Stir in pasta. Add reserved pasta water if needed for consistency.
- Mix panko with melted butter and Parmesan. Pour mac and cheese into a greased baking dish, top with breadcrumb mixture.
- Bake at 375°F for 15–18 minutes until golden and bubbly. Rest 5–10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Use freshly grated cheese for best meltability. Add roasted cauliflower for extra nutrition or Greek yogurt for protein boost. Avoid overbaking to preserve creaminess.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Comfort Food
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 485
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 620mg
- Fat: 26g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 90mg