Ingredients
- 16oz elbow macaroni
- 4tbs butter (plus more for greasing baking dish)
- 16oz Velveeta cheese, cubed
- 6oz gouda cheese, fresh grated
- 6oz gruyere cheese, fresh grated
- 4oz sharp cheddar cheese, fresh grated
- 3 cups whole milk
- 2tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp finely ground black pepper
- salt to taste (about 1/2 – 1tsp)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Boil pasta until “just before” al dente. This usually means about 1 minute less than the package instructs. Scoop out 1/4 cup of the pasta water before draining and set it aside. Drain pasta and set aside.
- In large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add 3 cups of milk and heat until warm but not boiling, stirring occasionally.Â
- Reduce heat and add cubed Velveeta first, stirring until melted. Gradually add gruyere, gouda and cheddar until melted, stirring until sauce is smooth. Stir in the reserved pasta water as well.
- Remove sauce from heat and sprinkle in onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Then stir in the dijon mustard.
- Combine the sauce and pasta and gently mix well, ensuring the pasta and sauce are well incorporated.
- Grease a baking dish with butter and pour the macaroni and cheese mixture into the dish.
- Bake at 350°F for 25-35 minutes or until top is slightly golden and the edges are bubbly.
- Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Sauce will thicken upon standing.
Notes
The blocks of Velveeta are usually found on supermarket shelves in 8oz, 1lb or 2lb blocks. 2lb blocks seem to be the most common.Â
It will have a very thin, soupy consistency when the sauce and pasta are mixed. This is how it should be. It will also continue to thicken when it comes out of the oven.
After cooking macaroni and setting aside, you can stir in a half tablespoon of butter to keep the noodles from sticking together.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American