This restaurant style Mac and Cheese recipe combines a tangy blend of beer and two cheeses for a perfect gooey bite. Top it off with homemade pretzel crumbles.
Beer Mac and Cheese
Mac and Cheese is the quintessential comfort food. I love a gourmet version (like our Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese), made from scratch with ooey-gooey cheese sticking to the fork of each bite. I am also not opposed to the box variety; it got me through college and it still gets me through a bad day. But our Beer Mac and Cheese was conceived out of our love for traditional bar appetizers. It has a more developed flavor to appeal to an adult palette. Like our Beer Cheese Dip, it makes a great appetizer or party snack.
Whip it up in just 45 minutes and serve with an Umami Burger or some Baby Back Ribs.
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Ingredients
- PASTA: we used elicoidali pasta for this recipe. Its shape and ridges hold the cheese sauce well. You can also use rigatoni, pasta shells, elbow macaroni, or penne.
- BUTTER: salted butter or unsalted butter
- FLOUR: AP flour (all purpose flour) to thicken the sauce
- BEER: we used a craft style IPA beer for that bitter, hoppy flavor. A stout, lager, or pilsner will also work, depending on your taste.
- MILK: we like 1% milk, but any milk will do (skim milk, whole milk)
- MUSTARD: we like a coarse-ground mustard for optimum flavor
- CHEDDAR CHEESE: buy a block of sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese and shred it yourself.
- MONTEREY JACK CHEESE: Monterey jack cheese, shredded
- PRETZEL: soft pretzel (or pretzel bun) diced into ¼" pieces
*see recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Boil pasta according to directions on package. Drain and set aside
- In a sauce pan, melt 2 tablespoon butter and mix in 2 tablespoon flour and cook for 2 minutes over medium heat.
- Add beer and stir until combined
- Add milk and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until slightly thickened, stirring frequently.
- Add cheese and mustard and reduce heat to low. (if too thick you can add more milk or beer). You want a medium thickness to the sauce.
- In a separate pan, melt 2 tablespoon butter and add chopped pretzels to coat with butter.
- Combine cheese sauce and pasta and transfer to an oven safe container and bake in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle with pretzel pieces and return to oven to bake for 15 more minutes.
- Serve and enjoy.
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Top tip
Do not use store-bought shredded cheese. Shred the block of cheddar cheese yourself for optimum quality and flavor.
Storage
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in a sauce pan over medium heat (or in microwave), adding a splash of milk if necessary.
🧀 More Mac and Cheese Recipes
- Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese: made with smoked gouda cheese and crispy bacon bits, this elevated mac and cheese recipe is creamy comfort food for adults.
- Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese: inspired by our favorite sandwich, this cheesy recipe with a kick of hot sauce is a family favorite.
FAQ
To prevent mac and cheese from becoming dry, ensure the cheese sauce has a creamy consistency before combining it with the pasta. Adding extra milk or cream to the sauce can help maintain moisture. Also, avoid overcooking the pasta, as overcooked pasta can absorb more liquid and become dry.
You can use a variety of cheeses to make mac and cheese. While cheddar is traditional, you can experiment with different cheeses like Gruyère, mozzarella, or fontina, or gouda for unique flavor profiles. Just do not use pre-shredded cheese. Shred the block yourself.
Styles such as pale ale, IPA (India Pale Ale), stout, porter, or lager can work well in beer mac and cheese. Choose a beer style that aligns with your taste preferences.
Yes, you can make beer mac and cheese without alcohol by using non-alcoholic beer substitutes or other flavorful liquids such as broth or cider.
We used elicoidali pasta for this recipe. Its shape and ridges hold the creamy cheese sauce well. You can also use traditional macaroni, shells, penne, or fusilli.
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Mac and Cheese recipe
This restaurant style Mac and Cheese recipe combines a tangy blend of beer and two cheeses for a perfect gooey bite.
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 8 oz dry pasta (we used elicoidali)
- 4 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 6 oz beer (we used an IPA)
- ¼ c milk
- 1 tbsp coarse-ground mustard
- 6 oz sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 3 oz shredded Monterey jack cheese (shredded)
- 1 C soft pretzel, diced into ¼" pieces
Instructions
- Boil pasta according to directions on package
- Drain and set aside
- In a sauce pan, melt 2 tablespoon butter and mix in 2 tablespoon flour and cook for 2 minutes over medium heat.
- Add beer and stir until combined
- Add milk and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until slightly thickened, stirring frequently.
- Add cheese and mustard and reduce heat to low. (if too thick you can add more milk or beer). You want a medium thickness to the sauce.
- In a separate pan, melt 2 tablespoon butter and add chopped pretzels to coat with butter.
- Combine cheese sauce and pasta and transfer to an oven safe container and bake in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle with pretzel pieces and return to oven to bake for 15 more minutes.
- Serve and enjoy
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Entree/ Side Dish
- Cuisine: All american
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 722
- Sugar: 6.1 g
- Sodium: 2256.5 mg
- Fat: 34.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 76.4 g
- Protein: 26.4 g
- Cholesterol: 91.9 mg
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
Love mac and cheese.. especially when it's as delicious as you make it here. Nice touch adding pretzel pieces too!
Keith says
Thanks, we really appreciate all the kind words
Mary Frances says
This looks like heaven in a skillet! Love the pretzel on top!
Keith says
Thank you, the pretzels are what "made" it, it was good but they stepped it up.
Brooke says
I am assuming I can change up on the type of cheeses for the recipe. However, my question is is the r something else I can use than mustard or at least omit it? We are not mustard people. The smell alone makes my boyfriend sick to his stomach
Keith says
Well of course you can omit the mustard, we used it because it goes great with cheese, beer and pretzels. As far as the cheese, you can use any, however you should use a sharp cheese, the sharpness helps make it flavorful, if you use a milder cheese, the beer consumes the flavor of the cheese, you need a balance. Thanks so much for the comment, let us know how you like it.
CheeseSticks says
Macaroni and cheese is a favorite dinner in our house. This recipes sounds delicious, especially with the Bavarian pretzel topping - can't wait to try it.
Keith says
Thanks for the kind words, we appreciate it.
K&J
Suzy says
I make this ALL the time and people love it (even my 3 guy chef friends). Cheers for sharing!
Jackie says
Wow! that's awesome Suzy! We love it too! It is certainly a crowd pleaser. Thanks for the great feedback!!
Ken says
This is so good with a beer cheese. It blends perfectly with the pretzels. Feels like eating in a British pub with all your favorites combined
Jackie says
Hi Ken! We are so happy you liked this recipe. We agree, the beer cheese is the best! Thanks for your kind words.