Gruyère Mac and Cheese

Dish with gruyere mac and cheese baked in baking pan with serving spoon scooping up a serving.

4.96 from 25 votes

Up your basic mac and cheese with these ridiculously cheesy and creamy Cheddar Gruyère Mac and Cheese. Super simple to prepare, can be enjoyed baked or stove top. This is a perfect dish to make a meal or add as a side for a holiday or special gathering!

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time40

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 547kcal

Author: Lorie Yarro

Ingredients

1 lb short pasta macaroni, cavatappi, shells, etc.
5 T butter divided
¼ c flour
3 c whole milk
1 c heavy cream
½ teaspoon garlic powder or 1-2 cloves minced
¼ teaspoon ground mustard
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon pepper
4 c cheddar cheese freshly shredded
2 c gruyere cheese freshly shredded
1⅓ c breadcrumbs
1½ T olive oil or melted butter

Instructions

Prepare the Pasta: Prepare the pasta al dente according to package adding sea salt to boiling water before adding pasta. Drain and toss with 1 tablespoon butter and transfer to a bowl to cool slightly.
Prepare the Cheese Sauce: Combine all the shredded cheese and toss. Set aside 1½ cups for later. In a saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk consistently to combine, to create a roux. Whisk until a light golden brown.
Slowly pour in two cups of the milk, whisking constantly to make sure no clumping occurs. Once mixture is smooth, add in remaining milk and cream and stir until the mixture begins to thicken and very slightly bubble. It should thicken to about the thickness of a creamy soup.
Remove the pot from heat and stir in 2 cups of the cheddar gruyere mixture and stir to melt. Add in remaining 2 ½ cups and melt. Stir in the paprika, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper and stir to combine. You can serve like this or continue to next step for baking.
Bake the Mac and Cheese: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 inch pan or casserole dish. Pour the mac and cheese in and toss to make sure cheese is evenly distributed. Pour any remaining cheese sauce over top. Sprinkle with remaining 1 ½ cups of shredded cheese. Whisk the breadcrumbs and olive oil together and sprinkle over top of the cheese. (You can double this if you love the crunchy topping)
Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the cheese on top is melted and browning and the breadcrumbs are golden. Cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in an air tight container in the refrigerator for about 4 days.

Notes

Don't overcook the pasta. Overcooking the pasta will likely result in mushy noodles, especially if you end up baking this macaroni and cheese.
Stir the sauce consistently to avoid burning. You don't want to overcook the roux or any part of the sauce. Burned milk will come through in the flavor.
Don't skimp on fats. When it comes to a really good mac and cheese, its all about the real stuff. For all the flavor, use things like whole milk, full fat cheese, and cream, etc.
Shred your cheeses! I know this is an extra step, but skip the pre-shredded as it doesn't melt nearly as well. Bonus--cheese blocks are cheaper than pre-shredded cheese so you save some cash!

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Lemons + Zest makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition