Truffle Mac and Cheese

There aren’t any magic tricks for truffle mac and cheese, just a basic macaroni and cheese recipe with a little adding truffle, which automatically elevates any meal.

 

Why You’ll Love This Truffle Mac and Cheese Recipe

A creamy mac and cheese that is packed full of truffle flavor and easy to make- what’s not to love!

• Elevated version of a classic – Mac and cheese is a comfort food that everyone loves. Make it even more desired but adding that truffle flavor.
• Great for special occasions – If you’re hosting a dinner party or family for the holidays, this is a great dish to make things extra special.
• Simple ingredients – Besides the truffle oil, the ingredient list is super accessible and easy to find at your local grocery store.

What are Truffles?

I happened to have a whole article dedicated to giving you a rudimentary education on the secret world of truffles, but I have one tidbit you probably do need to know.

This (and most truffle recipes if they are decently priced) use black summer truffles, which are sometimes farmed and otherwise much more widely available and therefore less expensive.

This is the variety used to make pate and truffle oil, which aren’t cheap, but also don’t cost hundreds of dollars. Watch out for “truffle flavoring” this isn’t real truffle oil. It will still taste good, it just isn’t authentic. There are a lot of fakes out there!

All of the products are used in extreme moderation, so make sure to check out our other truffles recipes to use the rest.

Truffle Mac and Cheese Recipe Ingredients

You only need a handful of ingredients to make this creamy mac and cheese recipe.

• Elbow pasta – I like this particular shape because it grips the cheese sauce and has lots of nooks and crannies for it to hide. If you use a different shape, I highly recommend using something else that will accomplish the same goal.
• Unsalted butter – I like to use unsalted so I can control the saltiness, if you do use salted butter, you’ll likely omit the additional salt.
• Flour – All purpose flour is used to make a roux to thicken the cheese sauce.
• Milk – Whole milk is certainly the best for flavor and richness, but lower percentages can be used.
• Truffle oil/pate – I prefer pate, but oil can be used. You can use black truffle oil or white truffle oil.
• White cheddar – This creates the perfect white blanket for the cheese sauce but with loads of flavor.
• Aged gouda – Same goes with gouda. You can use all cheddar or all gouda if you prefer.
• Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper – For seasoning, use to personal preference.

Variations

There are plenty of ways you can make this truffle mac and cheese recipe your own. Here are a few suggestions.

• Pate vs oil – You can use either truffle oil or truffle pate. This might depend on the exact product you choose and forward the flavors and aroma are. Truffle oil is the most commonly used and is sometimes tossed on dry pasta before adding to the sauce, added directly to the cheese sauce or drizzled on top after it is assembled.
• Pasta – I like using anything with ridges, shape and structure. While the traditional is elbow macaroni, you can use cavatappi, rotini, fusilli, shells or any other pasta shape you prefer.
• Cheese – Gouda and white cheddar cheese are perhaps my favorite cheeses for a base sauce. They are melty and mild in flavor. You can substitute one of them for a truffle laced cheese. This will also give you those lovely black flecks. Gruyère cheese is also delicious.
• Lobster – Want to get even fancier? Add lobster to the mix! Buy a steamed lobster at the store, pick it for meat and simply toss it in when you toss the pasta with cheese sauce.
• Topping – Sprinkle toasted golden brown bread crumbs to the top- either Italian style or panko or even more aged Parmesan cheese also take this comfort food up another notch.
• Protein – You can also add shrimp, crab or chicken at this stage to make this a hearty side dish or full entree.
• Mushrooms – Some people also like to include chopped mushrooms, already sweated out to half their size, too. I personally like cremini mushrooms.

How to Make Truffle Mac and Cheese

Homemade mac and cheese takes a little longer than the boxed version, but the end result is so worth it.

1. Boil pasta. Boil pasta in a large pot of water according to box instructions. Drain but do not rinse.
2. Make roux. In a large, heavy bottom saucepan, melt the butter. over low heat. Whisk in the flour until a paste forms. Continue to cook until the paste turns a light brown.
3. Add milk and truffle oil. Whisk in the milk until smooth. Add the truffle oil/pate.
4. Add cheeses. Whisk in the shredded cheeses until smooth.
5. Stir pasta into cheese sauce. Using a pasta spoon, toss the cooked pasta with the cheese mixture.
6. Season. Test for seasoning and then add Kosher salt or cracked pepper sparingly. This will vary based on how salty your cheese was.
7. Garnish and serve. For serving, drizzle with another dab of truffle oil or top with pea shoots (pictured) or fresh parsley.

What to Serve with Truffle Mac and Cheese Recipe

This dish is robust enough to be a main entree, but if you are trying to pair with something, it does well with chicken, fish and beef.

I like it with my pan fried steak and crab imperial filet mignon as well as French baked chicken and pastrami style salmon.

Storage and Freezing

How to Store Truffle Mac and Cheese

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can make this ahead of time.

If you are making ahead, PLEASE make sure the pasta is al dente so when you reheat it, it doesn’t just fall apart and get mushy.

Reheating

To reheat on the stove, place in a heavy bottom saucepan with an additional 1/4 cup heavy cream or milk. Heat over low heat and toss with a pasta spoon until hot.

To reheat in the oven, place in a large baking dish, top with additional cheese (if you have it) and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. You can even top it with breadcrumbs, panko or crushed crackers, potato chips or croutons, if you want.

Can I Freeze Truffle Mac and Cheese?

Unfortunately, I don’t recommend freezing this one. The sauce thaws out grainy and often separates.

More Mac and Cheese Recipes

Mac and cheese is the way to my heart- and there are so m any ways to make it! Here are a few of our favorites.