The Best Mac & Cheese for Summer

Everyone has a mac and cheese recipe that they love and swear by. This is mine when it comes to a dish that can stand up as a side dish to the bold flavors of the grill, spices and bbq sauce. It’s creamy, smoky and cheesy with just enough other flavors that support the boldness of the cheeses used in this recipe. It’s truly a go-to when it comes to a perfect side when the weather heats up, right next to my Zesty Italian Pasta Salad.

If you want to keep the flour out of this mac and cheese recipe, substitute the half and half for Heavy cream and reduce the butter by half. The heavy cream will thicken as it cooks and give you a rich, creamy mac and cheese.

Now I know how ya’ll like to tussle with us food bloggers about how much we write about the recipe (even when it includes the answers to the questions you will ask!!), so I’ll go ahead and drop the recipe. Let me know if you make it by tagging me online or leaving a review/comment below!

Summer’s Best Mac & Cheese

A creamy, cheesy, smoky mac and cheese that stands up to the flavors of the grill and satisfies even the toughest mac & cheese critic!

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Southern

Servings 8

Ingredients

  

• 8 oz Sharp White Cheddar
• 4 oz Smoked Cheddar
• 4 oz Smoked Gouda
• 2 oz Butterkase or Havarti
• 2 oz Fontina
• 2 cup Half & Half
• 1, 12 oz can Evaporated Milk
• 1 herb bouquet parsley, bay leaf, thyme
• 1/2 onion
• 1 clove Garlic smashed
• 2 tbsp Butter
• 1 1/2 tbsp Flour
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire
• 2 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
• 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
• 12-16 oz Elbow Macaroni cooked

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 400. If using a separate pan, butter your baking dish and set aside.
• Using a box grater or a food processor with the grate attachment, shred cheeses and toss together to combine. Set Aside
• In a saucepan over low heat, put together half and half, evaporated milk, herb bouquet smashed garlic and onion. Keep warm, but do not boil.
• In a deeper, oven safe skillet on medium low heat, melt butter . Whisk in flour and continue to whisk in pot to cook out raw flour taste, making sure not to brown. About 2 mins.
• Remove onion, garlic & herbs from milk mixture. Slowly stream in a little of the milk, while whisking to get smooth and remove lumps. Sauce will “tighten up” continue to whisk while adding in remaining milk.
• At this point, whisk to remove lumps. If the lumps persist, use an immersion blender or a traditional blender to smooth lumps, then return to pot and continue.
• Whisk in worcestershire, pepper, paprika, cayenne, mustard, garlic powder and onion powder. Switch to a spoon from a whisk, and stir constantly, about 5-7 mins.
• When sauce can coat back of spoon, add 2/3 of the cheese mixture and continue to stir until melted. At this point, taste the sauce and adjust for seasonings, including salt. Turn off the burner.
• * If making ahead, allow cheese sauce to cool completely. Store cheese sauce separately from noodles in an airtight container. To assemble later, combine noodles, cheese sauce and pasta water, 1tbsp at a time, until loose enough to coat.
• Add in 1/2 of the noodles and stir to coat and combine. Add more noodles as needed, stiring to fully incorporate.
• Press in cubes of the fontina cheese throughout the mac and cheese to create “cheese pockets”. Top with remaining 1/3 of cheese on top.
• Bake 25-30 mins, or until bubbly and browned. Rest for 15 mins, then serve. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

To make without a flour, substitute heavy cream for half and half and reduce butter to 1 tbsp

Keyword bbq, bbq sides, cookout food, side dish