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Irish Guinness Mac and Cheese
Irish Guinness Mac and Cheese with Irish Cheddar Cheese. A fun unexpected St. Patricks Day Party Food.
This is a perfect Irish Party Recipe made with a Guinness cheese sauce. I used a nice Irish cheddar cheese mixed with cream cheese so it melts into a yummy Irish cream sauce. You could also use this sauce as a yummy Irish appetizer or guinness cheese dip. Oh so good!
What are you going to cook this St. Patrick's Day?
Well.. after checking out this recipe, I’m pretty sure it will be my Irish Guinness Mac & Cheese. What?? Mac-n-Cheese for St. Pat’s Day? Yep….Irish Guinness Mac and Cheese with Irish Cheddar Cheese is a fun unexpected St. Patricks Day Party Food. The only thing that could make mac & cheese any better is the addition of Guinness cheese sauce, bacon and potato chips …don’t judge…haha…it’s so good!
This dish is festive because it adds the malted rich flavor of the Guinness Stout to the mac -n- cheese. The Stout combined with the creamy and sharp cheeses makes for an incredible, can’t get enough mac & cheese dish. I like it because it's fun and festive, but not over-the-top cabbage and corned beef festive. And since I believe I am Italian, the addition of pasta (Cervasi of course) is always a good thing.
This recipe is also perfect for entertaining. You can make it early in the day, pop it in the fridge, and reheat it when your friends arrive. They will be talking about this one for a loooong time.
Oh, on a side note, I'm excited to announce that I’m testing out a new recipe format. It's called my "cooking class recipes". I am answering all the questions my students usually ask me during my cooking classes. I'm adding all the questions and answers to the end of each recipe. Think…” how much salt do I add to the pasta water” kind of thing. So basically, you're getting a little cooking class (if you want it) as well as an amazing recipe. I'd love to hear what you think. For all the new cooks out there, is it helpful or not? Do you have any additional questions you would love to have answered on my blog? I love to hear from you all….it really brightens my day!
Irish Guinness Mac and Cheese
Equipment
- Large Deep Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- ⅔ cup Guinness or other stout beer
- 1 ½ cups milk at least 2%
- ½ cup half and half
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅓ teaspoon ground black pepper or more
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper or more
- 2 teaspoons dry mustard
- 3 ounces softened cream cheese cut into pieces
- 4 ounces grated Irish cheddar or another good melting cheese. Save a small amount to sprinkle on the top if desired
- 4 ounces grated gruyere cheese
- Optional Toppings when I say optional, I kind of mean mandatory ;
- 4 slices applewood smoked bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1-2 cups lightly crumbled potato chips.
Instructions
- Boil elbow macaroni in well-salted water and cook until a little before al dente. The pasta will still have a chewy bite.
- Before draining the pasta, reserve a cup of pasta water and set it aside.
- While pasta is cooking, prepare the cheese sauce: In large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together for a 2 minutes. While whisking, pour in Guinness, milk, half and half, salt, pepper, red pepper and dry mustard. Bring to a simmer and cook, frequently whisking until it thickens slightly. Note: a sauce won't thicken until it reaches a simmer.
- Add cream cheese, grated cheddar, and grated gruyere and stir/whisk until completely smooth. Add drained, cooked pasta and stir to combine. Let this mixture sit over low heat for a few minutes, stirring frequently so that the pasta can soak up some of the cheese. Add some of the saved pasta water, if needed, to create the desired consistency.
- To serve: Sprinkle with bacon and/or potato chips. Serve immediately or see below for how to make in advance.
Notes
- How much salt should you add to your pasta water?
- Using pasta water in your dishes will make your pasta a step above those that don’t. That cloudy liquid is filled with leftover starch from the pasta. This starchy water, when added to any hot fat or sauce results in a luxuriously smooth sauce. This is called emulsification.
- Saving pasta water can also fix a ton of pasta cooking issues. In the case of this recipe, if the macaroni and cheese thicken up too much for your taste, add some of the reserved pasta water to make it more creamy.
- When you are mixing the flour and the butter in the third step you are actually making what’s called a roux. A roux is a thickening agent for many dishes. It is oftentimes the first step to a great sauce.
- For the Guinness Mac and Cheese, the flour, butter, and liquid mixture needs to thicken to its’ full capacity. For this to happen, the butter and flour mixture needs to reach a simmer. Remember to always wait for your roux to reach a simmer before adding any more liquid or flour.
- You can make this early in the day and let it cool, then place covered in the refrigerator. Be sure to undercook the noodles a bit. When ready, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake covered until heated through and bubbling around the edges, about 35-45 minutes. Uncover and bake until the top is golden-brown, about 15 minutes more. Let sit 5 minutes before serving. Top with chips and bacon if desired.
