Baked 3-Cheese Beer Mac and Cheese
Two of the greatest guilty-pleasures combined into the ultimate cheesy, flavorful guilty pleasure – Beer Mac and Cheese! This Beer Mac and Cheese features a cheese sauce that is spiked with a Pale Lager, providing that slightly malty , yeasty flavor that pairs wonderfully with cheese. This Beer Mac and Cheese features the two kings of cheeses – old cheddar and gruyere, for their strong and distinctive flavor profiles. As well, a nice helping of mozzarella, for it’s spectacular melting qualities! And we can’t forget that parmesan panko topping, which perfectly finishes this already perfect dish.
How to Make the Perfect Cheese Sauce
If you’re like me, and have made mac and cheese sauce before just to have it be grainy and kind of separated looking, then this section is for you!
• Slowly add the milk (and beer) into the roux (flour + butter mixture). This just ensures that no lumps or chunks happens, and that you’re left with a smooth bechamel sauce.
◦ After all the liquid has been added to the roux, and well-combined, cook on medium-low for 2-3 minutes. When the bechamel is ready, it should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon – this is called nappe consistency – similar to full-fat buttermilk consistency.
• Remove the bechamel from the heat, and add in all the cheese at once. DO NOT return the sauce back to the heat. Just let the cheese slowly melt in the residual heat from the hot bechamel sauce. Return the sauce back to the heat is usually the main culprit for a grainy cheese sauce! And it is important to add all the cheese at once so that they melt evenly.
What Type of Beer?
My preferred type of beer for Mac and Cheese is definitely a Pale or Blonde Lager. There are a few reasons for this choice. First, convenience. These types of beers are easy to find and also relatively cheap. Second, they are not overwhelmingly hoppy or bitter in flavor. Their flavor is actually quite mellow with a very clean taste. Lastly, they tend to be a little lower in alcohol content, which is great for when you’re cooking with them. That being said, you can most likely use any type of lager-style beer, as most tend to be not too overwhelming. As well, you can use a blonde ale, as they tend to be quite similar to lagers. I guess as a general rule, use a beer you like to drink – because the flavor of the beer will definitely come through in the sauce.
Making the Beer Mac and Cheese
1.Make the panko topping: In a small bowl, combine melted butter, panko, and parmesan together. Set aside.
2.Cook the macaroni: Cook the macaroni in a pot of large salted water. Cook the macaroni according to the box instructions minus 1 minute.
3. Make a roux: While the macaroni is cooking, add butter to a medium saucepan and melt it. When the butter just begins to bubble, add in the flour and whisk to combine. Allow the roux to cook until it begins to bubble (this should happen very quickly).
4. Add milk and beer to roux: Pour the milk and beer in slowly (to prevent clumps) while whisking the mixture. Cook the mixture (bechamel) until it begins to bubble and has thickened. This should take about 3-4 minutes.
5. Add the cheese: Remove the bechamel from the heat, add in the cheeses, then stir lightly with a spatula. Allow the cheese to melt in the residual heat from hot bechamel sauce – it should be melted within 3 minutes. After all of the cheese has melted, give the cheese sauce a good stirring to evenly distribute everything.
6. Combine cheese sauce and macaroni: Add the macaroni and the cheese sauce to a baking dish, and fold until each noodle is well-coated in sauce.
7. Top with panko topping & bake: Sprinkle the panko topping across the top of the beer macaroni and cheese. Then place into the oven to bake. When done, the cheese should be bubbling and the panko should be golden brown.
Substitutions & Variations
• If you do not wish to bake the Beer Mac and Cheese, you can easily make this to be a stovetop version by increasing the amount of noodles to 12oz.
◦ The cheeses are easily substitutable, just that you substitute the strong cheese (i.e. the cheddar and gruyere) with other strong cheeses, while you substitute the melting cheese (mozzarella) with another quality melting cheese.
Get the Recipe: Baked Beer Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup Panko
- 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter,, melted
- 2 tbsp Very Finely Grated Parmesan
- 8 oz Macaroni or Cavatappi
- 1/4 cup Unsalted Butter
- 1/3 cup All Purpose Flour
- 1 ½ cup Whole Milk
- 1 cup Pale Lager
- 1 cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar
- 1 cup Shredded Gruyere
- 1 cup Shredded Mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, combine melted butter, panko, and parmesan together until well-combined and panko is well-coated. Set aside.
- Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and turn down to medium-high heat. Cook according to box instructions less one minute.
- Meanwhile, add butter to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted starts to bubble, add the flour, then whisk together to combine. Once the roux begins to bubble, slowly poor the milk and beer in, whisking as you pour.
- After all the milk and beer has been added, continue to heat the bechamel, while continuously whisking. Heat the bechamel until it begins to bubble and has thickened to the consistency of full-fat buttermilk. Remove from the heat, then add all the cheese and stir lightly. Set aside to let the cheese melt.
- After 3 or so minutes, stir the cheese sauce to evenly combine. Add noodles and sauce to a 9” cast iron skillet or a rectangular baking dish, then fold the noodles and sauce together until each noodle is well-coated in sauce.
- Sprinkle the panko topping over top of the mac and cheese, then place into the oven to bake for 25 minutes, or until the panko topping is golden and the cheese sauce is boiling.
