This isn’t your typical mac ‘n cheese recipe! This recipe takes ordinary macaroni and cheese and takes it up a level. While macaroni is often thought of as a kids food, this blue cheese mac ‘n cheese recipe is made for adults, full of bold flavors!
This recipe is my FAVORITE mac and cheese. It’s SO GOOD! It has a creamy sauce, which is complimented perfectly by the crunch from the baked bread crumb topping and blue cheese crumbles ribboned throughout. It is delicious through and through.
You can choose your favorite noodle for this recipe, but I prefer to use cavatapi. They’re the best option for this recipe because the sauce really coats all the spirally noodles and even gets inside the noodles – I cannot stress enough how good this recipe is, I’ve been making it for years!
I know not everyone is a blue cheese lover (I personally don’t love blue cheese by itself usually), but in this mac ‘n cheese recipe, even those most leery of blue cheese will find themselves loving this dish. Since I like to call this an adult mac ‘n cheese, it deserves a bold spirit pairing: my husband recommends scotch because of its smoky notes!
But, if scotch isn’t your thing, make yourself your favorite tasty cocktail; I’d suggest a tasty old fashioned.
If you’re going to an dinner party or potluck, I’d totally recommend bringing this dish (and if you need more ideas, I share 18 potluck dish ideas at the bottom of this post). This is also a great recipe to make and then have as a side to some grilled meat, like a nice juicy steak. Ok, now I’m drooling.
When making this mac ‘n cheese, I love using my Le Creuset casserole dish. I use it ALL the time (side note – if you’re shopping at Williams-Sonoma, you definitely need this grill basket, it’s amazing – used to to make these grilled balsamic veggies!!)
Blue Cheese Mac 'N Cheese Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb cavatappi pasta
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ pint heavy whipping cream (1 cup)
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 2 cups milk
- 1 ¾ cups extra sharp cheddar I like to use white cheddar, shredded
- 10 oz blue cheese chopped/crumbled, and divided
- ½ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
Instructions
- Cook cavatappi pasta (I like to use these spirally noodles because they sop up the cheese) according to package instructions and strain and leave the pasta in a colander while you make the sauce.
- Preheat oven to 400
- In the same pot used to cook the pasta that is now empty, melt the butter and as soon as it is almost melted add in ½ pint of heavy whipping cream. Whisking occasionally and let the butter and cream come to a slow boil, add the flour and garlic salt in and whisk until combined.
- Next add the milk, and whisking occasionally let the milk come to a boil (about 3-5 minutes). As soon as you start seeing bubbles (the mixture will rise in the pot a little) add the shredded cheddar and while whisking occasionally the cheddar will melt and then you’ll add 5 oz of the blue cheese crumbles (1/2 of the blue cheese) and let it melt. Turn the heat off. Add the cooked pasta back into the sauce pot and stir the pasta to coat it with sauce.
- Spray a baking dish with cooking spray and spoon sauced pasta into it, sprinkle remaining blue cheese on top of the pasta and sprinkle Italian bread crumbs on top. Lightly run a spoon through the topping to push some of the cheese and bread crumbs down.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Alex says
what size dish do you use to bake?
Sweetphi says
I use a bigger size casserole dish – I think a 13 x 11 would be perfect 🙂
C. Corbett says
Dont know where they got 45 minutes, they have a distorted conception on time. Plan for 1.5 hours easy.
Sweetphi says
Thank you for your feedback. The recipe has 15 minutes of prep time and 45 minutes of cook time listed, sometimes it takes a little longer or a little less depending on individual cooking ability and ovens. Glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Karen says
Has anyone made this dish ahead of time? If so, any special instructions?
Thank you
Sweetphi says
That’s a great question – I’ve made it ahead of time once and just didn’t bake it, then day of I baked it 🙂 hope that helps
Maria says
This is my second go-to homemade mac & cheese recipe! I LOVE mac & cheese and i tried blue cheese for the first time a few days ago. And i HAD to look up a recipe that had blue cheese and stumbled upon by this and I’m IN LOVE with this version omfg ????
Sweetphi says
So happy to hear this Maria, thank you for the amazing feedback 🙂
Jessica says
This looks SO good! We love blue cheese!
Sweetphi says
Blue cheese is so yummy in this mac n cheese, I think you’ll love it!
Little Cooking Tips says
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY GUYS!!! You look so happy in the wedding photo, we loved it! As for the recipe, you had us already when you said “This recipe is my FAVORITE mac and cheese” 🙂
Thank you for another FANTASTIC recipe dear Phi! Sending you all 3 our love!:)
Sweetphi says
Thank you! We had such a great wedding, it’s crazy how time flies! This definitely is my favorite mac n cheese 🙂
Sues says
I loveeee blue cheese, so this is most definitely up my alley! It looks and sounds so decadent and delicious 🙂
Sweetphi says
This is definitely suuuuper decadent and delicious, now I’m craving it again lol, I think you’ll love it!
Kelli martone says
I made this las year but topped it with panko bread crumbs!Even my son loved it.Making it again for Thanksgiving ??it is seriously delicious
Sweetphi says
I’m so happy to hear how much you liked this recipe, love that you made it with panko bread crumbs! Happy Thanksgiving:)