This Truffle Mac and Cheese is restaurant quality, but made with every day ingredients! This easy dinner is rich, creamy, and loaded with bacon — what’s not to love?!
I am absolutely obsessed with this truffle mac and cheese. Why? Because it tastes like a gourmet pasta dish from a high-end restaurant, but it’s insanely easy to make. The saying “if it’s too good to be true” does not apply here. 😉
What is truffle mac and cheese?
Truffle mac and cheese is a pasta dish made with a cream sauce that has been flavored with cheese and truffle oil.
What does truffle mac and cheese taste like?
Truffle mac and cheese tastes like a restaurant quality, ultra creamy pasta dish with an incredible earthy, woodsy, umami flavor.
Ingredients
This mac and cheese may be restaurant quality, but it’s made with every day pantry staples.
Truffle Mac and Cheese
A rich, creamy custard-like mac and cheese made with simple ingredients!
- Bacon – provides a smoky flavor and a chewy, yet crispy texture to the otherwise rich, creamy mac and cheese. Because we’re chopping the bacon before sautéing it, use a thick-cut high quality bacon — it’s easier to cut raw. If you need to keep this dish vegetarian, feel free to omit the bacon and replace with 1/2 cup unsalted butter.
- Yellow Onion – yellow onion is used in the recipe, but feel free to use white onion, red onion, or even shallots. Yellow, red onions, and shallots will yield a sweeter flavor whereas white onion will have more of a “bite” to it.
- Flour – all-purpose flour is whisked into the bacon grease to create a “roux”. This not only helps to create a thick sauce, but also one that’s silky smooth and free from lumps!
- Milk – the base of our cheese sauce. This recipe calls for whole milk, but essentially any milk like evaporated milk or half-and-half will work. Keep in mind: the lower the fat content (skim), the less rich and more thin the final sauce will be.
- Seasonings: Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Dried Mustard – a simple blend of spices to add that little extra “something something” other recipes lack. The seasonings are kept so simple, because we want the flavor of the cheeses and truffle oil to really shine.
- Sour Cream – provides a creamy texture and slightly tangy flavor to offset the richness of the cheeses. Be sure to use room temperature sour cream and whisk it in slowly to avoid lumps.
- Cheeses: Sharp Cheddar, Smoked Gouda, and Parmesan – the perfect blend of cheeses for macaroni. Sharp cheddar is classic to mac and cheese, smoked gouda pairs beautifully with the bacon, and parmesan adds a great, nutty, sharp flavor. Be sure to grate your own cheese; pre-shredded cheeses are coated in an anti-caking agent which may yield a gritty sauce.
- Truffle Oil – the star of the show! Black truffle oil is olive oil that has been infused with black truffles. Read your labels: not all truffle oils are created equally. Be sure the oil you’re purchasing is made using real truffles, not synthetic ingredients.
- Pasta – we chose cavatappi pasta (they look like little corkscrews), but feel free to use any “short” pasta such as macaroni or medium shells. Whatever pasta you choose, be sure to cook it al denté according to box directions, because this dish is baked, it’s especially important to not overcook the pasta.
Panko Topping
A simple topping that provides some serious crunch to offset the custard-y mac and cheese!
- Butter – provides a rich, buttery flavor and also promotes browning and crisping in the panko.
- Truffle Oil – is used again in the topping for one more hint of truffle flavor. A little goes a long way, so add slowly — you can always add more, but you can’t take it out!
- Panko – essentially super crunchy breadcrumbs! Panko is also made with white bread, but are much drier than breadcrumbs. They absorb less oil, so they become ultra crispy.
- Seasonings: Salt and Paprika – again, we’re keeping the seasonings simple to let the truffle flavor really shine. The paprika provides a hint of sweetness while also providing a beautiful red color.
How to make
Truffle Mac and Cheese
- Cook bacon over medium heat in a large stockpot. Remove, but leave bacon grease, then sauté onions until tender.
- Slowly sprinkle on flour, whisk for 60 seconds, then slow pour in milk, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and mustard powder.
- Turn heat to low then stir in sour cream and cheeses, then remove from heat and gently stir in truffle oil, cooked pasta, and bacon.
- Taste and season with more truffle oil and/or salt, if necessary, then transfer to prepared baking dish.
Panko Topping
- In a small bowl, stir together melted butter, truffle oil, panko, salt, and paprika.
- Sprinkle evenly over the macaroni and cheese, bake in preheated oven, cool, serve, and enjoy!
What pasta to use
The original recipe calls for cavatappi pasta aka little corkscrews, but feel free to use any “short” pasta such as macaroni or medium shells.
Whatever pasta you choose, be sure to use 1 (16 oz) box and cook it al denté according to box directions. Because this dish is baked, it’s especially important to not overcook the pasta.
What cheese goes with truffle?
You really can’t go wrong with cheese and truffles; so feel free to use your favorites! This recipe uses a combination of sharp cheddar, smoked gouda, and parmesan cheese. I prefer relatively mild flavored cheeses so the flavor of the truffle can really shine, but you could go as bold as blue if you’d like.
- Sharp Cheddar: the classic macaroni and cheese flavor. Substitute with white cheddar or fontina.
- Smoked Gouda: adds a smoky, creaminess that is so nice with the bacon and truffle. Substitute with gruyere or havarti.
- Parmesan Cheese: provides a nutty, sharp flavor to contrast the rich, earthiness of the truffle. Substitute with asiago or romano.
Where can you buy truffle oil?
Truffle oil can be found at any local grocery store in the oil section. You can also buy online from stores like Amazon. I bought this Black Truffle Oil from the company Truff (we’re obsessed with their hot sauce, so thought we’d give their oil a try).
Whatever truffle oil you buy, be sure to use a black truffle oil that’s made with REAL black truffles. Many truffle oils are unfortunately made with synthetic ingredients. Real black truffle oil will be more expensive, but it’s worth it!
What to serve with truffle mac and cheese
This mac and cheese is very rich, so I like serving it next to a lean protein, a salad, bread, and some extra veggies!
- Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
- Pear, Blue Cheese, Candied Pecan Salad
- Garlic Bread
- Balsamic Roasted Vegetables
How to store
This baked mac and cheese can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
To re-heat: thaw, if frozen, then microwave or heat on the stove until warm. Splash in some milk if it’s too dry. If the truffle flavor has been lost, drizzle on a touch of truffle oil before re-serving.
If you prefer a crispy topping, feel free to re-heat leftovers in the oven at 350 degrees F.
– Jennifer
Truffle Mac and Cheese
Equipment for this recipe
Ingredients
Truffle Mac and Cheese
- 1 (12 oz) package thick-cut bacon roughly chopped
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 ½ cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste, if necessary
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried mustard powder
- 1 (8 oz) container sour cream room temperature
- 1 (8 oz) block sharp cheddar cheese grated
- 1 (8 oz) block smoked gouda cheese grated
- 1 cup finely grated parmesan
- 1 ½ tablespoon black truffle oil*
- 1 (16 oz) box cavatappi cooked al dente to package directions, then drained
Panko Topping
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- ½ tablespoon black truffle oil*
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
Instructions
Truffle Mac and Cheese
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Cook bacon over medium heat in a large stockpot. Once crispy, remove, but leave bacon grease.
- Sauté onions until tender, about 5-10 minutes.
- Slowly sprinkle on flour, then whisk for 60 seconds.
- Slowly pour in milk, whisking constantly, then stir in salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and mustard powder.
- Turn heat to low then stir in sour cream and cheeses, little by little (I do a handful at a time), letting the cheese melt before adding more cheese. Keep adding cheese and stirring constantly until all the cheese has been added and melted.
- Remove from heat and gently stir in truffle oil, cooked pasta, and bacon.
- Taste and season with more truffle oil and/or salt, if necessary, then transfer to prepared baking dish.
Panko Topping
- In a small bowl, stir together melted butter, truffle oil, panko, salt, and paprika.
- Sprinkle evenly over the macaroni and cheese, then bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
- Cool for 10 minutes then serve and enjoy!
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Notes
Nutrition Information
*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.
Myra
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
Myra
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy