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A scoop of truffle mac and cheese being held up over a casserole dish by a large silver spoon.

Truffle Mac and Cheese

40aprons.com/truffle-mac-cheese/
Creamy and decadent, this rich truffle mac and cheese instantly elevates a classic side dish in a super easy way.
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 45 minutes
Total 1 hour
Recipe Makes (Approximate): 12 servings

Equipment

  • stovetop
  • Large pot
  • Large wooden spoon
  • colander
  • 9x13 baking dish
  • neutral-tasting spray oil or butter, optional
  • Oven optional
  • Medium bowl
  • medium saucepan
  • whisk

Ingredients

For the Pasta

  • 16 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt (or sea salt)
  • 1 pound uncooked elbow pasta

For the Cheese Sauce

  • 3 cups shredded fresh white cheddar (see Notes)
  • 3 cups shredded fresh smoked gouda (see Notes)
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups half-and-half (at room temperature)
  • 2 cups whole milk (at room temperature)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt (more or less to taste)
  • ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper (more or less to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon truffle oil (see Notes)

Instructions

For the Pasta

  • Fill large pot with 16 cups water and place pot on stovetop over high heat. Bring water to rolling boil.
  • When water begins to boil rapidly, add 1 tablespoon kosher salt and stir to incorporate. Bring water back to rolling boil.
  • Once salted water begins to boil rapidly, add 1 pound uncooked elbow pasta and stir to incorporate. Boil pasta 1 minute less than time indicated on package instructions, then pour pasta and water into colander. Drain pasta well, then set aside.

For the Cheese Sauce

  • Optional: If baking mac and cheese, preheat oven to 325° Fahrenheit. Lightly grease 9x13 baking dish with butter or neutral-flavored cooking spray. Set aside.
  • Add 3 cups shredded fresh white cheddar and 3 cups shredded fresh smoked gouda to medium bowl. Mix cheeses together by hand until well blended. Set aside.
  • Place medium saucepan on stovetop over medium heat. Add ½ cup unsalted butter to saucepan and let butter melt completely.
  • Once butter has melted, sprinkle ½ cup all-purpose flour over melted butter. Whisk butter and flour together vigorously to combine, then cook roux 1 minute, whisking frequently.
  • After 1 minute, remove saucepan from heat. Add 2 cups half-and-half in small increments, whisking constantly. Continue until all half-and-half has been added to saucepan and mixture is mostly smooth.
  • Add 2 cups whole milk to mixture and whisk well until milk is fully incorporated and mixture is completely smooth, with no lumps remaining.
  • Return saucepan to medium heat and simmer, whisking often, until mixture becomes very thick, approximately 5 minutes.
  • Once mixture has thickened, remove saucepan from heat and let cool slightly. Add 1 ½ teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, and 1 teaspoon truffle oil and whisk to incorporate.
  • Once seasonings are incorporated, add 3 cups of shredded cheese blend, stirring constantly until cheese has melted and is fully incorporated.

If Baking Truffle Mac & Cheese

  • Add 1 ½ cups of remaining cheese blend to saucepan in small increments, melting cheese completely after each addition and stirring to incorporate until mixture is smooth. Set remaining 1 ½ cups of cheese blend aside.
  • Transfer al dente pasta to saucepan and stir well until pasta is fully incorporated into cheese sauce.
  • Transfer pasta mixture to baking dish, spreading pasta mixture evenly across entire dish. Cover pasta evenly with remaining 1 ½ cups shredded cheese blend, then place baking dish in preheated oven.
  • Bake mac and cheese 15 minutes or until cheese sauce is bubbly and cheese on top pasta has melted. Remove baking dish from oven and let stand 5 minutes, then serve warm.

If Not Baking Truffle Mac & Cheese

  • Add remaining 3 cups shredded cheese blend to saucepan in small increments, stirring until cheese is completely melted and mixture is smooth.
  • Transfer al dente pasta to saucepan and stir well until pasta is fully incorporated into cheese sauce.
  • Transfer pasta mixture to baking dish, spreading pasta mixture evenly across entire dish. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

  • Cheeses: Buy blocks of cheese from the deli section and shred them yourself. Don't use pre-packaged shredded cheese for this recipe! The flavors and textures will not turn out right!
  • Cheddar Cheese: You can replace the white cheddar with 3 cups of shredded mozzarella, or you can use a blend of white cheddar and mozzarella.
  • Smoked Gouda: You can replace the smoked gouda with shredded regular gouda or shredded gruyère, or you can use a blend of 2 or 3 of these.
  • Truffle Oil: Different varieties and brands of truffle oil vary substantially in strength and aroma. I also recommend starting with just ¼ teaspoon and working your way up incrementally to your desired strength. You can't remove the oil once it's added!

Nutrition Information (Approximate)

Serving Size: 1servingCalories: 633calProtein: 29gFat: 40gSaturated Fat: 24gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 135mgSodium: 1600mgPotassium: 301mgTotal Carbs: 38gFiber: 1gSugar: 6gNet Carbs: 37gVitamin A: 1062IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 728mgIron: 1mg
Recipe By: Cheryl Malik
https://40aprons.com/truffle-mac-cheese/