This decadent Four Cheese Truffle Mac and Cheese is creamy and delicious with a crispy topping! Four kinds of cheese, truffle oil and a panko topping make this the dreamiest mac and cheese you have ever had!
For this post I partnered with Fred Meyer for the #TasteofItaly. Opinions, as always, are all my own! Thank you for supporting the brands that support Fox and Briar! For more information, see my disclosure policy.
So excited to bring you my second #TasteofItaly recipe today! I was so excited when one of the Taste of Italy products I received from Fred Meyer was truffle oil. I only recently discovered the joys of having a bottle of truffle oil at home, and it is life changing, people. I started thinking of all the ways I could use it, and my mind kept going to truffle mac and cheese. If I ever go to a restaurant ans see truffle mac and cheese on the menu, I want to order it, But I’ve never made it at home. If you aren’t a fan of truffle oil (why???) this mac and cheese is pretty great on its own too. It uses four kinds of cheese and has a crispy topping, so you really can’t go wrong.
Now, I will admit that I occasionally turn to the comforting box of mac and cheese when the craving strikes. But there is really nothing like homemade. It is more work than opening the box, but the result is so worth the effort.
Despite this recipe seeming complicated, it is really pretty simple – the most difficult part is making the roux. A roux is just a mixture of fat (butter in this case) and flour, cooked together, that is used to thicken sauces. The main thing that makes it a bit finicky is that once you mix together the butter and flour, you need to add the milk very slowly to keep it from turning into a lumpy mess. I always add just a little milk at a time, then whisk to fully incorporate before adding more milk.
Once all the milk is added the sauce will be more stable and you can start adding cheese. I like to add a handful at a time, then whisk until it is fully incorporated into the sauce before adding more. And don’t forget the truffle oil! Then mix everything together, pour into a baking dish and top with that crispy panko. A final drizzle of more truffle oil makes this creamy, dreamy mac and cheese complete.
Do you love truffle oil? How do you like to use it?
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Four Cheese Truffle Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta I used penne
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 3 cups milk
- 8 ounces grated Fontina cheese
- 8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 4 ounces mascarpone cheese
- 2 ounces grated parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons white truffle oil
- 4 garlic cloves pressed or finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- kosher salt to taste, I used 1/2 teaspoon
- pepper to taste, I used 1/4 teaspoon
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- fresh thyme optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 9x12 baking dish, set aside.
- Cook pasta to al dente, according to package instructions. Drain and toss with a little olive oil to keep from sticking. Set aside.
- In a large pot over medium heat, melt the four tablespoons of butter. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Sprinkle flour over butter and whisk together. Continue to whisk for 2-3 minutes.
- Very gradually, pour in milk while whisking. Start by adding a little milk at a time, then whisking to combine before adding more. This needs to be done slowly to keep the sauce from getting lumpy.
- Once all milk is added, add the paprika, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Whisk to combine. Add the mascarpone and whisk until incorporated. Start adding the grated fontina, cheddar and parmesan, a handful at a time. After adding one handful, whisk until cheese is fully incorporated before adding more. Continue this until all cheese has been added. Add 2 tablespoons of truffle oil, whisk until fully incorporated.
- Add the cooked pasta and stir to fully coat pasta with cheese sauce.
- Pour noodles into prepared baking dish. Top with panko breadcrumbs. Drizzle remaining truffle oil over the breadcrumbs.
- Bake in oven for about 35 minutes, until breadcrumbs are golden.
- Remove from oven and allow to sit for about five minutes before serving.
**TIP: Use truffle salt to really enhance the truffle flavor.
For this post I partnered with Fred Meyer for the #TasteofItaly. Opinions, as always, are all my own! Thank you for supporting the brands that support Fox and Briar! For more information, see my disclosure policy.
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Melanie says
Bland and disappointing.
Meghan says
Hi Melanie – I’m sorry you found it bland. It does say salt to taste, and that can be different for everyone. With 4 kinds of cheeses, garlic, truffle oil and spices, I’m not sure what else could have caused it to be bland.
steph says
Can you prepare this the night before up until baking it, put it in the fridge overnight and bake in the morning?
Meghan says
I haven’t done that but I think it would work just fine. I would just wait and put the bread crumbs on right before baking so they don’t get soggy.
Michelle says
At the end, when it sas to throw in the oven with panko on top and bake for 35 mins til panko is crispy — should it be put in- covered with tin foil …or
Do you cok uncovered?
Don’t wanna burn or make the noodles all hard
After all this hard work ??
Can’t wait to do soon for the holiday!
Meghan says
Hi Michelle,
I didn’t cover mine, but please remember that all ovens are different! I would advise keeping an eye on it and if it starts to look too brown on top, cover it with foil. Or you could cover it with foil and then uncover for the last 5-10 minutes to make sure that the top gets crispy and golden. I hope that helps! Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says
Truffle oil definitely elevates the flavors in a dish, especially in this delectable and comforting mac & cheese. Pass me some!!
E.A. says
This sounds delicious! I have found a few varieties of goat cheese recently, so I may alter the cheese & go for this yummy-sounding dish!!
I’ve never tried the truffle oil, but I’m certainly looking forward to experiencing it! Just—YUMM!
?????
Meghan says
Sounds great, can’t hear about how it turned out!
Adina says
Macaroni and cheese Romanian style was one of my favorite dishes as a kid. But after discovering this kind of American macaroni and cheese, I have never made the Romanian macaroni and cheese again. A bit more work – involved, but – God – I am drooling already. Using truffle oil and mascarpone sounds interesting, I bet it tastes great!
Meghan says
I would love to see what Romanian style mac and cheese is like, Adina! I really think any and all mac and cheese is great 🙂 The mascarpone does make is super creamy.
Natasha says
I do like truffle oil and cook with it, but there is an ongoing culinary debate about it. The purists consider it akin to a truffle knockoff… vile and overused and overpowering… and not true to what a truffle actually smells/tastes like. Maybe my palate isn’t sophisticated enough, but I do enjoy truffle oil (in moderation). Some restaurants also take advantage of people thinking it’s expensive stuff when in reality most truffle oil is synthetic and jack up the price of the meal to reflect that. So there’s pros and cons to it I guess. I was caught in the Google vortex of this debate months ago when I was doing some research on it haha. I love truffle fries… and truffle aioli… so as far as I’m concerned, truffle oil is good stuff 🙂 This mac and cheese looks so cozy and inviting!
Meghan says
Hahaha, I have no doubt that some people prefer real truffles – in fact, I might if I had the chance! But really, truffle oil has a great flavor in my opinion. I love truffle fried too! Thanks Natasha!
Dawn @ Girl Heart Food says
How decadent!! Woo hoo! 4 cheeses? UM, YES! Can’t get much better than this, Meghan! And then with the truffle oil? So good! Homemade mac and cheese can’t be beat. Wishing I had a big bowl of this right now. Pinned!
Have a fantastic weekend, girl!
Meghan says
Thanks so much friend!
Annie says
I’m ashamed to say I’ve never used truffle oil, but a cheese loaded dish is a great place to start. It’s also a good excuse to raid the *good* cheese bin at the Kroger.
Meghan says
Hahaha, Yes, that is where I always go for my cheese! You need to give truffle oil a try, Annie, it is totally addictive!
swayam says
Looks so good Meghan! Love mac and cheese, D’s fave meals. Love that you used truffle !
Meghan says
Thank you so much Swayam!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
Truffle oil and mac n’ cheese go together better than peanut butter and jelly if you ask me. They are just MADE for each other! Forget about the fact that I could drink truffle oil by the glass. hahaha. 😉 LOVE this mac, girlie! Seriously, now I am craving a big VAT of this! SO MUCH YUM! Cheers, chicka!
Meghan says
Haha, you and me both Cheyanne! Thank you friend!