Beer Mac and Cheese is made with tender pasta, crisp bacon, and cheesy beer-flavored sauce.
Everyone loves the classic creamy mac and cheese, but sometimes everyone wants a little change. That is where this beer cheese mac and cheese comes in. Adding beer to a cheddar cream sauce truly takes this basic recipe to the next level.
The Best Beer Cheese Mac and Cheese
- This mac and cheese recipe has all the amazing flavors of beer cheese dip or beer cheese soup in a creamy sauce tossed with noodles.
- Adding the bacon fat into the sauce will give this final dish a deeper and more robust smoky flavor.
Ingredients & Variations
BEER: For the best subtle flavor, choose a light beer or a lager. This type of beer has a mild flavor and won’t overpower the cheesy sauce.
NOODLES: The classic elbow macaroni noodle is the go-to for most mac and cheese dishes. However, rotini is also a great option.
SAUCE: The secret to good homemade mac and cheese is in the sauce. In this case, it is made from white roux.
Melted butter, is cooked with some onion, and a little flour. Then milk and cheese are added. The added flavoring for this recipe is the bacon and of course the beer!
VARIATIONS: Change up the cheese. Replace the cheddar cheese with sharp aged cheddar. For an extra crispy dish, try topping the final dish with some Panko breadcrumbs!
How to Make Beer Mac and Cheese
Homemade mac and cheese beats any store-bought brand, hands down.
- Cook noodles and bacon.
- Make the roux (per the recipe below) and simmer.
- Stir in the cheese, then bacon and pasta.
For the perfect meal, serve with some jalapeno cornbread, cheesy breadsticks, or a healthy and easy broccoli salad.
Tips for Creamy Mac and Cheese
- It is important to continuously stir the roux when preparing it to avoid a lumpy sauce.
- To add the cheese, remove from heat first then stir in the cheese. If the cheese boils it gets too hot which can cause separation, making for a grainy and unpleasant sauce.
Leftovers?
When it comes to leftovers it is best to store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to enjoy, reheat following one of our easy methods below!
- Reheat in the oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F, and place the leftovers in a buttered dish. Mix in 1 tablespoon of milk for every cup of leftovers. Mix and heat for 20-30 minutes.
- Reheat on the stove: Add to a pot, stir in 1 tablespoon of milk per cup of leftovers, and heat. This method is a little quicker than the oven method.
More Mac and Cheese Recipes
- Mac And Cheese Hot Dog Casserole – A kid’s favorite
- Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese – With a little zest
- Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese – A classic
- Mac and Cheese Waffles– Crispy, golden, and cheesy
Beer Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 16 ounces macaroni noodles
- 6 slices bacon cooked and crumbled, reserve some of the bacon grease for the recipe
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 12 ounces beer
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese shredded
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta to al dente, drain, and set aside.
- Cook bacon in a saucepan until crisp, remove bacon but leave the grease.
- Add butter to the pan once it is melted, add the onion and cook until transparent (3-5 minutes).
- Add the flour to the butter/onion mixture and stir until it becomes paste-like and a light golden brown.
- Whisk in the mustard and beer, stirring constantly.
- Slowly add in milk and stir constantly.
- Simmer over medium heat until the mixture is smooth and thick (5-10 minutes).
- Mix in the cheddar and parmesan cheese and stir until completely blended.
- Stir in bacon bits and pasta.
Video
Notes
- To avoid lumpy sauce, be sure to continuously stir the roux when preparing it.
- When adding the cheese, remove from heat first then mix in the cheese. The cheese can separate and make for a grainy and unpleasant sauce if it gets too hot or boils.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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Hi Sandy, you can click this Beer Mac and Cheese link for the recipe!
So I have a friend who is living with me and she is allergic to mustard seed so she can’t have like mayo mustard some BBQ Sauces etc. This recipe looks amazingly yummy but I was wondering if I would be able to make this recipe without the Dijon mustard and still taste good or if there’s something else I could use that may taste the same but not have mustard seed in it possibly!