Beer Mac and Cheese

Easy and addictive Beer Mac and Cheese! A Mac and Cheese Recipe so simple, yet so complex in flavor, you’ll find every possible occasion to make it.

I live in Beer City USA, Asheville North Carolina… for those of you who didn’t know.

Asheville is serious about its beer. So much so, that as much as I know about food, I often feel like a beer-reject.

Friends who home-brew (or at least consider themselves beer connoisseurs) talk about hops and barley, yet I just sip and smile.

Mmmm.

However, I can tell you about cooking with beer. Beer in food provides a rich malty quality that complements many savory ingredients like grains, cheeses, meats and vegetables.

Today we’re making a simple (and I do mean simple) mac and cheese recipe with a beer-based cheese sauce.

This lovely little 5 ingredient dish starts with a 3 ingredient cheese sauce using:

• Beer for Flavor.
• Cheddar Cheese for Flavor.
• Cream Cheese for Creamy Smoothness.

It’s important to pick a light crisp beer that you love to drink. If you don’t like beer, that’s ok… you’ll still love this dish. Just chose a light crisp beer that people you know love to drink.

Using a dark heavy beer will oversaturate the flavor and you’ll loose the cheesy goodness. I like to pair the beer with cheddar, but if you have another strong-flavored easy-melting favorite, feel free to substitute cheeses. The cream cheese, however, is a must. It provides the rich sauciness that coats the pasta evenly.

Whisk the beer, cheddar, and cream cheese over heat until smooth and melty. Then toss in cooked macaroni and stir to coat.

The only thing that could make this simple beer mac and cheese recipe one step better, is to add a little bacon.

Ahhhh! There you go.

Enjoy beer mac and cheese as a main dish, a side dish, and definitely with a friend and a couple pints.

…Or enjoy it alone at midnight when no one is looking. I won’t tell.

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Beer Mac and Cheese Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Easy and addictive Beer Mac and Cheese! A Mac and Cheese Recipe so simple, yet so complex in flavor, you'll find every possible occasion to make it.

Servings: 8

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

• 1 pound DeLallo macaroni noodles
• 12 ounces bottled beer I used an IPA
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1 pound shredded cheddar off the block (not pre-shredded)
• 1 cup crumbled bacon

Instructions

• Place a large pot of salted water on the stove to boil. Once boiling, cook the macaroni according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, pour a bottle of beer in a second large pot. (Choose a light crisp beer that you like to drink.) Place the pot over high heat, and add the cream cheese. As the beer starts to simmer, break the cream cheese into pieces with a whisk and whisk into the beer.  Add the shredded cheddar. Warm and whisk until completely smooth.
• Once the pasta is cooked and drained, pour it into the cheese sauce. Reduce the heat to low, then stir and cook another 3 minutes to thicken. Salt and pepper to taste.
• To serve, scoop the beer mac and cheese into bowls and sprinkle with crumbled bacon.

Notes

If you let the mac and cheese sit too long and it firms up, place back over heat and stir in a little water to loosen the sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 581kcal, Carbohydrates: 47g, Protein: 29g, Fat: 29g, Saturated Fat: 16g, Cholesterol: 89mg, Sodium: 733mg, Potassium: 335mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 725IU, Calcium: 466mg, Iron: 1.3mg

Course: Main Course, Pasta

Cuisine: American

Author: Sommer Collier

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