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–+ servings
A bowl of rigatoni pasta in a creamy White Cheddar sauce, garnished with chopped parsley, sits on a dark marble surface with pieces of cheese scattered around.
This ultra creamy mac and cheese blends white cheddar, Gruyère, and Brie for a gourmet twist on a classic comfort food—perfectly melty, rich, and satisfying.

White Cheddar Mac & Cheese

Ingredients 

  • 1 lb elbow macaroni or any pasta shape you love
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 6 oz white cheddar shredded (1 ½ cups), English white cheddar is my favorite
  • 6 oz Gruyère shredded (1 ½ cups)
  • 4 oz Brie rind removed, cut into small pieces (½ cup to ⅔ cup)
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard optional, but really good with Gruyère
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Pinch of nutmeg optional, but it adds a nice warmth

Instructions

Cook the pasta

  1. Boil in heavily salted water just until al dente (it'll cook a little more in the sauce).
  2. Drain and toss with a tiny bit of butter or oil to keep it from sticking. Set aside.

Make the roux

  1. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat.
  2. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until it smells a little nutty (you’re cooking out the raw flour taste).

Add the milk and cream

  1. Slowly whisk in the milk and cream. Keep whisking so it’s super smooth.
  2. Bring to a gentle simmer (not a hard boil) until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. The optimal temperature is 180℉. If you heat the cream much more than this, the cheese will break and get grainy when start adding it.

Melt the cheese

  1. Lower the heat to low.
  2. Stir in the Dijon mustard (if using), a pinch of salt, pepper, and a little nutmeg.
  3. Add the cheddar, Gruyère, and Brie a handful at a time, stirring until each batch melts before adding the next. (If the Brie is stubborn, just keep stirring gently.) Be sure not to let the mixture start to boil at all, or the cheese will separate and get grainy. At most, there should only be small bubbles around the edge of the sauce. (This is a sign that the mixture is about 180℉.)

Combine pasta and sauce

  1. Add the pasta into the sauce.
  2. Stir gently to coat everything evenly.

Nutrition

Calories: 627kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 461mg | Potassium: 329mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1191IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 519mg | Iron: 1mg
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