Truffle Mac and Cheese is a creamy, delicious dish loaded with savory cheese and umami truffle flavor. This easy-to-make recipe will be your new favorite comfort food!
This post contains affiliate links. See our Disclosure Statement for more information.
Truffle Mac and Cheese seems like a dish that you would find at a fancy, upscale restaurant, but you can easily make it at home.
This recipe calls for truffle zest which is a powder that contains real truffles, rather than truffle oil which often does not contain any actual truffles.
The cheese sauce is a classic béchamel sauce with added white cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. The truffle zest is mixed in at the end so that you can control the strength of the flavor.
Other recipes that use truffle zest that you may want to try are Truffle Cauliflower Mac & and Cheese and Truffle Aioli. You can also sprinkle it on popcorn or french fries, add it to risotto or scrambled eggs, and so much more.
Why This Recipe Works
It’s a classic macaroni and cheese recipe with the addition of incredibly delicious umami truffle flavor added in. What’s not to love? You could also omit the truffle zest and use this recipe to make a more classic mac and cheese.
Pasta dishes are hearty and comforting. This mac and cheese can be served as a vegetarian main meal, or as a side dish. It’s a great choice for holiday dinners, as well.
You control the flavor. Add as much or as little of the truffle zest as you like. You can also simply sprinkle the truffle zest into your own favorite mac and cheese recipe.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry pasta: you can use any pasta type that you like. I prefer to use rotini, cavatappi or elbows for mac and cheese recipes.
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 pound mozzarella cheese (shredded)
- 1 pound sharp white cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 1 teaspoon truffle zest: I start with a teaspoon, then taste and add more as needed since the flavor can be strong. The fresher the jar of truffle zest, the stronger the flavor. You can add as much as you like and may find you need quite a bit more.
- salt (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
Chef’s Tip: it’s best to shred the cheese from a block rather than using pre-shredded bags of cheese. Pre-shredded cheese has added starch in it to prevent it from sticking to itself. This starch can make your cheese sauce grainy.
The entire recipe and instructions can also be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. You can also print the recipe from the card, if needed.
Prep!
Shred both cheeses and set aside.
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Create!
Prepare the pasta according to the instructions on the package. Drain and set aside.
Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.
Once the butter is melted, whisk in the flour. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the flour just starts to lightly brown, about 1-2 minutes.
Whisk in the milk, breaking up any lumps of flour.
Stir in the heavy cream and garlic powder. Raise the heat slightly and continue to cook and stir until the sauce is thick and bubbly, about 2-3 minutes.
Turn off the heat and stir in all but about 1/2 cup of each of the mozzarella and cheddar cheeses until fully melted and well blended. Set the remaining cheeses aside.
Mix in 1 teaspoon of the truffle zest. Taste and add more, if desired. You can also season with salt and pepper, if needed.
Stir in the pasta until fully coated in the cheese sauce.
Transfer the mac and cheese to a large baking dish. Top evenly with the reserved shredded cheese.
Chef’s Tip: rather than topping the mac and cheese with extra cheese, you can top it with bread crumbs if you’d prefer.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, then place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes to brown the cheese on top, if desired.
Present!
Garnish with minced fresh parsley or chives, if desired.
Serve hot.
Tips and Techniques
- Shred the cheese from a block for the best melting and texture. Pre-shredded bags of cheese contain starches that can make your cheese sauce grainy.
- Use more or less truffle zest to suite your own tastes. Keep in mind that the fresher the bottle of truffle zest, the more intense the flavor.
- You can swap in different cheeses that you like. Really good alternatives include mild cheddar, Colby Jack and gruyere.
- Instead of topping the mac and cheese with extra cheese, you can top it with bread crumbs.
- Store leftover mac and cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Consume within 3-5 days.
FAQ’s
Can You Freeze Mac and Cheese?
Yes, mac and cheese can be frozen prior to baking or after baking. Allow it to cool, if baked, then store in an airtight container or transfer to freezer bags before placing in the freezer.
You can bake from frozen, but will need about 35-40 minutes rather than 20. If you are reheating already baked mac and cheese in the oven or microwave, be sure that the internal temperature reaches 165°F on a food thermometer inserted into the middle of the casserole (not touching the bottom).
More Cheesy Pasta Recipes
Love this Truffle Mac and Cheese recipe? Follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook for more!
If you try this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would please leave a comment and star rating. Thanks!
Truffle Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry pasta (rotini, cavatappi or elbows)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 pound mozzarella cheese (shredded)
- 1 pound sharp white cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 1 teaspoon truffle zest:
- salt (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Prepare the pasta according to the instructions on the package. Drain and set aside.1 pound dry pasta
- Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.3 tablespoons butter
- Once the butter is melted, whisk in the flour. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the flour just starts to lightly brown, about 1-2 minutes.3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- Whisk in the milk, breaking up any lumps of flour.1 cup whole milk
- Stir in the heavy cream and garlic powder. Raise the heat slightly and continue to cook and stir until the sauce is thick and bubbly, about 2-3 minutes.2 cups heavy cream, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Turn off the heat and stir in all but about 1/2 cup of each of the mozzarella and cheddar cheeses until fully melted and well blended. Set the remaining cheeses aside.1 pound mozzarella cheese, 1 pound sharp white cheddar cheese
- Mix in 1 teaspoon of the truffle zest. Taste and add more, if desired. You can also season with salt and pepper, if needed.1 teaspoon truffle zest:, salt, pepper
- Stir in the pasta until fully coated in the cheese sauce.
- Transfer the mac and cheese to a large baking dish. Top evenly with the reserved shredded cheese.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, then place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes to brown the cheese on top, if desired.
- Garnish with minced fresh parsley or chives, if desired. Serve hot.
Notes
- Shred the cheese from a block for the best melting and texture. Pre-shredded bags of cheese contain starches that can make your cheese sauce grainy.
- Use more or less truffle zest to suite your own tastes. Keep in mind that the fresher the bottle of truffle zest, the more intense the flavor.
- You can swap in different cheeses that you like. Really good alternatives include mild cheddar, Colby Jack and gruyere.
- Instead of topping the mac and cheese with extra cheese, you can top it with bread crumbs.
- Store leftover mac and cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Consume within 3-5 days.
