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.”
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holy crap! I can’t believe how delicious this is! its like pub fondue with noodles! Thanks for the great recipe.
Pretty sure I’m going to swim in this sauce. If I win the lottery…pool full of beer cheese sauce it is! I’m thinking of topping it with bacon once its out of the oven!
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this was, without a doubt, the best, most flavorful, mac and cheese i’ve ever had. i could only eat half a serving, it was so filling. i’ll be using this recipe a lot more often!
About how many servings would you say this recipe makes? It looks amazing, but I need to feed about 15 people.
I just made it last night for 12 people and there was about 1 serving left over. I tripled the recipe, so you may want to quadruple it. I also served salad, bread, and dessert. Hope that info helps. :)
I have listed in the recipe that it will serve 4-6, so I think you should definitely double or triple it.
I followed the recipe exactly and it filled a 9 x 13 glass dish. For 15?..I would probably make 2.
Thanks for the recipe! It’s delicious with a little sriracha squirted on top. Next time I’m definitely going to add some bacon to it.
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This was great! I skipped the nutmeg and basil but other then that I followed it perfectly.
Well I was really excited about this, as was my husband. It was really soupy before I put it in the oven, but I followed the recipe to a T (used Old Brown Dog Ale from Smuttynose brewery and sharp cheddar/parm). I got it out of the oven and it was really dry. :( Tasted a lot of the beer and nothing of cheese. Needless to say I was dissapointed. I will probably just stick with my go to mac and cheese recipe from martha.
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I made this for my craft beer party about a month ago and it was an absolute hit. It was gone in about 10 minutes. I am making it again this weekend for a get together I’m having with my friends. Thanks for sharing!
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Thank you SO much for introducing me to this, it was delicious! I made it this weekend with Heinken Light and added lump crab meat. This will definitely be a regular in my house!
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A good bowl of mac and cheese did get me an engagement ring…okay, maybe it was my cooking/baking in general. He so lovingly always tells me that the only reason he’s marrying me is for the food. :)
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I have this in the oven now. Double batch, due to there being 4 17-22 year olds eating. The beer was Stella Artois. Added bacon =D
My daughter made this and was very disappointed. She said the beer made it taste funky. I wonder why?
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I was going to try to bring for Father’s Day. I need enough for 20 people, so I am going to times the recipe by 4. But my question is if I make it on the morning, cover it and leave in the fridge till cook time, will it be ok?
I think so – just make sure to take it out of the fridge early enough before cooking so the pan doesn’t crack in the oven.
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I just found your blog! So awesome. I totally get it!
Can not wait to make this. Sounds and looks so yummy! Definitely on my TO DO list
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So I made this tonight and my beer and mac&cheese loving husband was salivating over the oven while it baked. We dug in and both dropped our forks. It was…awful. All I could taste was the beer. I used Sam Adams pale ale, his favorite. Maybe it was the beer. I was sure this would be a winner…two of his favorite things…but he politely asked me never to make it again. :(
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Sooooo I loved this last year when I made it for a fantasy football draft. It gets better everyday. My problem right now is I am redoing my WHOLE kitchen and am surviving with a grill and crockpot right now. Thoughts on how to do it in a crock pot? Thanks!
This looks stunning and easy!
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This is incredible. I don’t even like beer that much and I’m in love with this dish. THANK YOU!!!
I’m gonna make this right away! Love your blog.
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I’ve been a long time fan of your blog and have made dozens of your recipes without feeling the neede to let you know, but I just had to tell you that I made this for dinner tonight using pumpkin ale and it was amazing!
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I made this last night to heal the aching hearts of my friends after the tragedy last week. It was perfect. Thank you for sharing.
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I have made this many times–always delicious. Tonight I used corkscrew pasta and Fat Tire’s Snow Day beer—OMG. BEST. EVER.