I love this Three Cheese Gruyère Macaroni Bake. This cheese dish is made with Gruyère, extra-sharp Cheddar, and Parmesan cheese. This is the trifecta of cheese and pasta flavor.
Ways to Make Macaroni and Cheese
There are a million ways to make Mac & Cheese but this three-cheese macaroni bake is the best but it is also the hardest to make. We are all aware of the infamous Mac & Cheese in a box but there are actually many ways to make it.
How to Store Three Cheese Gruyère Macaroni Bake
To keep macaroni and cheese, refrigerate it in shallow airtight containers. Properly stored, cooked macaroni and cheese will last for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it in covered airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bags, it will maintain the best quality for about 1 to 2 months.
History of Macaroni and Cheese
The exact origin of macaroni and cheese is unknown, though it most likely hails from Northern Europe, with the earliest known recorded recipe being scribbled down in 1769. Kraft Foods introduced its boxed macaroni and cheese in 1937. However, you cannot make this Three Cheese Gruyère Macaroni Bake without using Gruyère cheese which is exclusively made in Gruyères, Switzerland.
The City of Gruyères, Switzerland
Gruyères is a medieval town in the Fribourg canton of Switzerland. It’s known for the production of cheese of the same name. The 13th-century Château de Gruyères is a hilltop fortress with a multimedia history show and ornate rooms. Inside the small St. Germain Castle, the H.R. Giger Museum shows artwork relating to the film “Alien.” The Tibet Museum displays Buddhist sculptures and ritual objects of the Himalayas.
History of Gruyères, Switzerland
The region has been inhabited for thousands of years, Graves from the Hallstatt era and La Tène era (325-250 BC) as well as other traces from the Bronze Age were discovered in the area. The remains of a Roman-era villa from the 2nd-3rd century AD and an Early Middle Ages cemetery were also found nearby.
Tourism in Switzerland
Tourists are drawn to Switzerland’s diverse landscape as well as the available activities, which take advantage of the Alpine climate and landscapes, in particular skiing and mountaineering. The most visited Swiss tourist attractions are first, the Rhine Falls, second, the Berne Bear exhibit, and third, with over 1.8 million visitors: Zoo Basel.
Swiss Cuisine
Swiss cuisine is influenced by French, German, and Northern Italian cuisine, as well as by the history of Switzerland as a primarily agricultural country.
– Featured Dairy –
The Alpine Cheese Dairy
Place du Funiculaire 5, 1663 Moleson, Switzerland
OPENING HOURS: Open every day from Saturday, May 1 to Sunday, September 26th, 2021. The cheese dairy is closed in winter.
At the foot of the Moléson, surrounded by the fragrant Gruyère pastures, there sits the grey shingled rooftop of a 17th-century chalet: the mountain cheese dairy, the Fromagerie d’Alpage. With its traditional restaurant and its stalls full of artisanal specialties, the Fromagerie d’Alpage provides the perfect introduction to mountain cheesemaking during the summer months.
For those feeling active, the Cheese Dairy Trail leads hikers on a walk from the demonstration cheese dairy in Pringy to Moléson’s Fromagerie d’Alpage. Cheese Dairy Trail
How to Make Three Cheese Gruyere Macaroni Bake Recipe
This is not your Mac and Cheese in a Box. This recipe is a mix of white cheddar and gruyere cheese baked into a smooth and creamy macaroni dish with a crispy topping of breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.
Although it takes an hour to make this recipe is very easy to make and will have your entire family asking for seconds.
Ingredients Needed for Three Cheese Gruyere Macaroni Bake
Equipment
- 1 Sauce Pan
- 1 Stock Pot
- 1 Baking Dish
Ingredients
- 8 oz dried macaroni
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- 3 cups milk
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 ½ cups sharp white cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
- 1 cup Gruyere cheese, coarsely grated
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
Cooking Directions for Three Cheese Gruyere Macaroni Bake
Time needed: 1 hour.
Three Cheese Gruyere Macaroni Baking Directions
- Preheat the Oven
Preheat the oven to 375°.
- Prep the Baking Dish
Grease a 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Set aside.
- Boil the Pasta
Boil a large pot of water to cook macaroni according to package directions. But stop cooking about two minutes early. (Pasta should be slightly underdone.)
- Drain the Pasta
Drain and rinse pasta with cold water and set aside for later use.
- Make the Breadcrumbs
In a large saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter, and then add the fresh breadcrumbs. Stir until thoroughly coated then remove and set aside for later use.
- Heat the Milk
Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it becomes hot but not scalding and set aside for later use.
- Melt More Butter
Meanwhile, in the pan used for the bread crumbs, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. When butter is bubbling, add flour and stir until cooked, about 1 minute.
- Whisk in Hot Milk
Slowly whisk in hot milk, whisking continuously until all milk is incorporated and the sauce begins to thicken, for about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the Cheese
Remove pan from heat and stir in salt, black pepper, nutmeg, cheddar, and Gruyere cheese. Mix until all the cheese has melted.
- Add the Macaroni
Add the macaroni to the cheese sauce and mix well. Pour the mixture into the buttered casserole dish.
- Sprinkle the Breadcrumbs
Mix the parmesan cheese with the buttered bread crumbs and then sprinkle on top.
- Bake the Casserole
Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and the casserole is bubbling.
- Cool and Serve
Let sit for 5 minutes, then serve.
The most difficult part of this recipe is waiting for it to cool after you take it out of the oven.
If you liked this dish please Rate This Recipe and leave a comment.
Three Cheese Gruyere Macaroni Bake
Please Rate This Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Sauce Pan
- 1 Stock Pot
- 1 Baking Dish
Ingredients
- 8 oz dried macaroni
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- 3 cups milk
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 ½ cups sharp white cheddar cheese coarsely grated
- 1 cup Gruyere cheese coarsely grated
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese finely grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- Grease a 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Set aside.
- Boil large pot of water to cook macaroni according to package directions. But stop cooking about two minutes early. (Pasta should be slightly underdone.)8 oz dried macaroni
- Drain and rinse pasta with cold water and set aside.
- In large saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter.4 tbsp unsalted butter
- Add fresh breadcrumbs and stir until thoroughly coated. Remove and set aside.½ cup bread crumbs
- In a small sauce pan or microwave, heat milk until very hot but not scalded.3 cups milk
- Meanwhile, in the pan you used for the bread crumbs, melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. When butter is bubbling, add flour and stir until cooked, about 1 minute.¼ cup all-purpose flour
- Slowly whisk in hot milk, whisking continuously until all milk is incorporated and sauce begins to thicken, about 5 minutes.
- Remove pan from heat and stir in salt, black pepper, nutmeg, cheddar, Gruyere cheese until all the cheese has melted.½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg, 2 ½ cups sharp white cheddar cheese, 1 cup Gruyere cheese
- Add cooled macaroni to the cheese sauce and mix well. Pour the mixture into the buttered casserole dish.
- Mix the parmesan cheese with the buttered bread crumbs and then sprinkle on top.¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and casserole is bubbling.
- Let sit for 5 minutes, then serve.
Nutrition
Other Recipes That Go Well With Three Cheese Gruyère Macaroni Bake
Image Credits:
- By the Barbarian’s Guide to Cooking – Copyright 2022, All rights reserved.
- https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gruy%C3%A8res-main-street.jpg#/media/File:Gruyères-main-street.jpg
- By Johnw – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3610725
- By Paebi – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=347451
- By WWHenderson20 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17310069
- By Jmchugh at English Wikipedia – Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2076626
- CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1129507
