Baked Beer Mac and Cheese
Cheesy, creamy, with a touch of beer, this Baked Beer Mac and Cheese features a crispy panko parmesan topping and a delicious beer-infused 3 cheese sauce.
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.