This grown-up mac and cheese is in a whole other galaxy than the stuff in the blue box. The creamy cheesy comfort of this dish makes it a classic, while the combination of cheese—gruyere, white cheddar, or fontina and a touch of parmesan give it sophistication.
What is even better is that this dish is perfect for potlucks and parties since it can be made in large batches and travels well. And if you need even more convincing, this cheesy pasta goes wonderfully with all sorts of main dishes, making it a perfect permanent guest in your recipe rotation.
Pasta Shapes for Grown Up Mac and Cheese
While elbow macaroni is the pasta shape made famous by the blue box for mac and cheese, it is not the only option available. And since we are making a more elegant version of this classic dish, I like to choose a more unique shape of pasta. You can interchange all kinds of short pasta shapes, just as long as there are plenty of nooks and crannies for the creamy cheese sauce to get caught in. (See this post for more information on choosing pasta types for creamy sauces.) This graphic shows some of the most common choices for macaroni and cheese.
What Cheese Should You Choose
The number one characteristic is that the cheese melts well. But we are looking for flavor as a close second. The combination of these three wonderful kinds of cheese makes this dish truly wonderful.
Gruyere
This hard cheese has a marvelous nutty flavor that can’t be beaten. It melts marvelously and has a delicious creamy texture that makes it perfect for cheese boards as well as the featured cheese cooking. There is a multitude of price points for gruyere, you can easily use a brand that is less expensive in this dish. I like to use it in a variety of recipes since gruyere plays so nicely with so many other cheeses.
White Cheddar
While you can choose a yellow cheddar in this dish, I prefer a white variety for a classy-looking sauce. Cheddar is the standard cheese in mac and cheese. It melts well and smoothly, and the flavor is classic. Since the cheese sauce needs to stand up to the pasta, I suggest a sharp cheddar so the flavor doesn’t get lost. But you can choose the cheddar type that you like best. You could even look at a white American cheese since that cheese melts so wonderfully. But I find that sauce is plenty creamy and want the stronger flavor of cheddar.
Fontina
This is another melting star, but fontina is so much more. It depends on the variety which ranges from mild-mannered like a mild cheddar all the way to a nutty and earthy profile that is closer to gruyere or Havarti cheese. And like gruyere, it is as wonderful on a cheeseboard as it is melted in a recipe.
Parmesan
The classic Italian superstar of cheeses, this type brings a salty flavor as well as a touch of umami. Don’t let the smaller amount fool you, it holds its own in this three-cheese combo.
While it may be tempting to use pre-shredded cheese, just say no. If you want to do a little scientific experiment, try an ounce of bagged shredded cheddar and then an ounce of the same variety of block cheddar and see what you think. It doesn’t even taste remotely similar. Build up your arm muscles and grate your own cheese.
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Grown Up Mac and Cheese
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
- Category: side, pasta
- Method: stovetop, baked
- Cuisine: American
Description
The creamy cheesy goodness of grown-up mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food. The combination of gruyere, white cheddar or fontina, and parmesan make this dish very sophisticated.
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta, (macaroni, penne, fusilli or cavatappi) cooked according to package directions until firm al dente
- 4 tablespoons butter (divided)
- 1/2 cup panko
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 3 cups milk, (do not use low-fat milk)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 5 ounces grated gruyere cheese (about 1–1/2 cups)
- 8 ounces grated white cheddar or fontina cheese (about 2 cups)
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/2 – 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Grease a 2-quart baking dish and set aside.
- In a 4-6 quart saucepan over high heat, bring salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta as directed until a firm al dente. (Make sure you undercook pasta by about 2 – 2-1/2 minutes since it will continue to cook in the oven and you don’t want mushy noodles.)
- While the pasta is cooking, in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Stir in the panko crumbs and mix until well coated with the butter and begins color and become crispy. Remove the crumbs from the pan for a small bowl and set aside.
- Return the medium saucepan to the heat and add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, and heat until the butter until it starts to foam.
- Whisk in the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes to form a pale roux.
- Warm the milk in the microwave for 30 seconds and stir to evenly distribute the heat.
- While whisking continually, slowly pour in the warmed milk. (The warmed liquid and even whisking will help prevent lumps from forming.
- Stir in the white wine vinegar, dijon mustard, garlic, thyme and pinch of cayenne pepper. Make sure you stir well when adding the vinegar and other ingredients to keep the milk smooth. Continue stir and let the milk mixture thicken for 3-5 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat, and gradually stir in the mixture of cheeses, a handful at a time until all the cheese has melted and the sauce is thick and creamy.
- Stir in the grated nutmeg and white pepper. Taste and add kosher salt as needed. (Remember the sauce should be seasoned enough to balance with all the pasta.)
- Drain the pasta and add it to the cheese mixture. Stir until the pasta is well coated.
- Pour the cheese and pasta into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the reserved panko crumbs evenly over the top of the dish.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until the pasta is creamy and the panko crumbs have turned golden brown.
- Remove the baking pan from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes to set up then serve.
Notes
Note: Store grown-up mac and cheese in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
You can also assemble and then freeze this dish for up to 3 months. You can bake it frozen as long as the pan is oven safe. Bake it covered with foil at 350°F for about 60 minutes, then remove the foil and continue baking for 15-20 minutes more until the edges are bubbly and the topping is brown and crisp.
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