Easy Beer Mac and Cheese.
Is there anything better than macaroni and cheese? I mean… really?
I don’t think so either.
Sure, we can all make the argument for chocolate or bacon or broccoli (um, who are you and what are you doing on this website?), but in the end we know that mac and cheese is in a league of it’s own.
It’s a weapon, really.
You can get whatever it is that you want with the perfect dish of cheesy noodles. Except maybe like five million dollars, which I reallllly need because I have a lot of shoes to buy and a lot of bacon to fry. And thanks to the invention of the internet I can do both at once. Winning.
Remember the night that I made this beer mac and cheese and served it with BBQ portobello sliders and couldn’t stop talking about it for four days because it was an ohhh so good meal and everyone within close proximity just wanted me to shut my trap? No… you probably don’t. Because I only subjected my real life friends and family to such misery and not my invisible internet friends. I seriously have no idea how I waited so long to tell you about this but for some reason I found things like cookies and cupcakes and even breakfast to be more important. Oh, and I kind of forgot about it because I have sooo much on my mind, like wondering when the heck I’m going to get to see Crazy Stupid Love (waiting is getting ridiculous) and really – I mean REALLY – are Ari and Mrs. Ari going to get back together (?!?) because they only have like, three more weeks. I can’t even take this.
But in the meantime… have you ever had beer cheese soup? It’s only one of the most delicious bowls of comfort you will ever taste and is always an essential part of my Octoberfest feast, which lasts much longer than just October. This pasta is like beer cheese soup… WITH CARBS. And crunch.
Hello heaven.
So yes. I’m fully convinced that a good bowl of mac and cheese can score you an engagement ring or maybe even just a free movie ticket or something. If anything, it makes the day that your credit card statement appears in the mail about a billion times better. Betcha Judy Blume never told you that.
Easy Beer Mac and Cheese
[inspired by my cousin, who mentioned beer mac on vacation last month]
serves 4-6
2 1/2 cups uncooked whole wheat elbow noodles
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
8 ounces milk
8 ounces beer (I used an amber beer – it was what I had on hand)
8 ounces freshly grated cheddar cheese
4 ounces freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
pinch of black pepper
pinch of nutmeg
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
10 large basil leaves, chopped for garnish
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Prepare water for pasta and boil according to directions, shaving 1-2 minutes off of cooking time since pasta will continue to cook in the oven.
Heat a saucepan over medium high heat and add butter. Once melted and sizzling, whisk in flour to create a roux and cook until bubbly and golden in color, about 2 minutes. Add milk and beer into saucepan whisking constantly, then add cheeses and stir until melted. Turn heat down to medium and continue to stir, cooking for 5-6 minutes while mixture thickens. It will most likely NOT thicken like regular mac and cheese because of the beer, but you want it to thicken a little bit. Stir in pepper, paprika and nutmeg.
Add noodles (once cooked and drained) to a casserole dish, then pour cheese over top, mixing gently to combine. Top with panko bread crumbs and an additional sprinkle of cheese if desired. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.
Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes, then top with fresh basil.
There is only one way this can get better: bacon.
374 Comments on “Easy Beer Mac and Cheese.”
Man oh man….i wish I had seen this before today! I made mac and cheese last night!! We will definitely try this next time!
I am totally trying this…with bacon! yummmy
I’m pretty sure I could get my guy to mow the lawn, clean the tub, take out the trash and then some if I made this! Beer, cheese, pasta, and adding bacon….guy magnet and or bribing tool! I need to make this soon, my place could use some sprucing up haha.
Ugh…bookmarking this one for sure!
mac n cheese with bacon…duh! :)
You probably think I am a stalker or weird or nuts, but I think I love you…..you make cupcakes…..you cook bacon…..now mac cheese WITH beer?? Oh man where have you been all my life.
Gonna double up this recipe for 17yr DS and he just may, just may talk to me again, in English ( I don’t get what he means when he says: hrumph gghh ddbbblllluuhyhyyh, do you???) :-)
I’m making this RIGHT NOW. I literally cannot even wait to eat it!! ahhh sooo excited! I’ll instagram a pic!
SOOOOOO AWESOME! I made this for dinner this evening and it was a huge success! So amazingly yummy & gooey. My boyfriend didn’t ask me to marry him, but the little extra effort for an amazing side dish was worth it. Thank you!
Yay! So glad you liked it. :)
Ok, this is just brilliant, Jess! (I think I say that every single time I leave a comment, but it’s always true). Bookmarking this one for football season!
I see a bit of green on top… that counts as a veg. Reminds me of the best pub grub ever. Yum!
I love mac and cheese. And I love Judy Blume. You should eat this while reading “Forever” or “Are you there God…” That’s what I would do.
How do you think bud light would taste? That’s what I have in my fridge.
Hahah I actually think it would work, but I’m not beer connoisseur.
My thanks to you and your cousin!
to answer your initial question… *no* nothing better! this sounds so delicious and the photos are so graphic, I could lick the screen on my laptop. right now. in public.
Adding bacon to this mac & cheese… excuse me. I need a moment~
Love the addition of beer to mac & cheese. Definitely gives it a richer flavor!
This was absolutely delicious! I added a little bit of red pepper flakes (i like it spicyyyy) and it turned out AWESOME!!!
“Betcha Judy Blume never told you that.” Priceless. You crack me up!
You have just managed to combine my two favorite foods together.
I totally made this for dinner last night and my hubby LOVED it….so did I. Especially the part where it calls for 8 oz of beer and the bottle holds 12 so I couldn’t waste the remaining 4 oz, could I? Yes, I made the sacrifice and drank it while sitting the cheese into the sauce and was SO happy by the time I put it in the oven to bake!
I think I did that whole 8oz thing on purpose. ;)
Jessica – I read your blog daily and you inspire me! Half of my to-make-list items are from you :) I’m originally from Pittsburgh and because of you I HAD to go to Trader Joe’s when I visited last month.
This beer mac & cheese looks amazing! Also, go see Crazy, Stupid, Love right away. It’s hilarious!
Keep up the good work.
What could I use in place of beer?
Chicken stock. :)
You know what? I think you and me are simpatico. I was *just* talking about making some special stellar mac and cheese last night (I was thinking of adding bacon, too). I might have to make this happen tonight… which does nothing to make me feel better about not running since Monday. =P
Ok I honestly think we’re kindred spirits. Bacon is almost a religion for me and I would give up ALMOST all other foods to eat mac and cheese every day. I will now be forced to make this and eat every ounce of it. I just started reading your blog today and am officially hooked!! Keep up the great blogs and can’t wait to see what have to say/cook next!!
Thank you my foodie friend. You continue to delight on a daily basis !
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Um, this almost brings tears to my eyes….tears of happiness and pure joy. Beer + pasta + cheese?!? I don’t think it gets any better than that!
Wowzers! I’ve been dreaming about making some mac & cheese ever since I had some four cheese mac w/bacon at a steakhouse a week ago. Mind= Blown. The texture alone was out of this world. BEER mac & cheese? Heaven! I cannot wait to make this! You da man. I especially love that you used Leinenkugel’s.
I think this looks amazing…Please just dunk me in a vat of that mac and cheese!
Beer and mac and cheese??? Amazing!
Great post Jessica! My husband thinks Mac and Cheese is the end all, be all comfort food. It’s his favorite! I tried to make a spiffy “adult” version using exotic cheeses and he wasn’t as thrilled as I was. Totally unrelated, I had beer cheese soup at Flying Saucer (beer bar, chain) and fell in looooove. I tried to recreate it at home and wasn’t thrilled with my outcome. So, all that rambling to say I’m happy you posted this because it looks like something this husband and wife can agree on!
I’m a newcomer to your blog and I’m so glad I found it! I made the beer mac last night and added in some fresh veggies we had in the fridge, boy did it make one mean plate of mac! My hubby loved the fact that there was beer in it. And, leftovers for lunch today woo hoo! :)
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This sounds amazing!! I’ve been on the hunt for an awesome, off the wall, kind of mac ‘n cheese…totally takes the spot! I will be trying this soon!!
PS – I was totally thinking of adding in some crunchy bacon too before I read the entire post…YUM!!
AAaahh, I don’t even know what to say. I don’t even like mac and cheese or beer that much but this sounds so amazing. And with bacon, I can’t even imagine. I’ve got to make this happen sometime soon!
i tried this and my hubby loved it! thanks for sharing
Such a delicious dish, stunning photos as well. thanks ;-)
Looked great in the picture and what could be better than homemade mac n cheese. I made it for dinner tonite adding a bit of spanish onion to it – it tasted more greasy than cheesy using an expensive block of medium cheddar. Maybe I will have better luck with some of your recipes involving chocolate – Noooooooooo such thing as BAD chocolate!!
If I could eat cheese without, you know, feeling like I’m going to barf–I would totally eat this!
I am totally making this tonight for dinner! I have pale ale in the fridge…do you think that would work alright?
Mine is in the oven right now–I decided to double the recipe so we could eat it later too but I was short a bit on pasta… I found the best solution ever, use the excess sauce as fondue for a snack! (Ok that is the polite way of saying I stood over the pot with a slice of bread sopping up as much as I could because it was so good.) I am quite excited for dinner!
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Kudos to your very smart cousin for mentioning this and to you for bringing it to the masses!
Wow, I must try this. Haven’t had mac & cheese since years and surely will love this special version!
You’ve done it again! This is a masterpiece. I can’t wait to try it!
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Just had your beer mac and cheese for dinner it was delicious!
I made this friday night after a LONG day at work for my boyfriend and I. It was an inexpensive and remarkably easy dish to whip up. Bottom line: this dish is delicious!!! It was the most amazing dish to have on a friday night while watching a movie with my love. Way better than any takeout or gourmet restaurant that nyc has to offer. Thanks so much for this recipe!
I think I said “dish” one too many times! Lol it’s late. Thanks again and keep em coming! :)
Now this is my kind of mac and cheese. Must add this to my menu for the week!!
I *must* have this! Definitely on the menu for my next poker party. :)
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