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    Home » Recipes » Mac and Cheese

    Black and Blue Mac and Cheese

    Published: Jan 29, 2015 · Modified: Sep 23, 2022 by Jessie · This post may contain affiliate links; if you buy something we'll earn a commission at no cost to you.

    Jump to Recipe

    This easy Guinness mac and cheese with white cheddar and blue cheese is sure to be a hit!

    Like this recipe? Don't miss Mac and Cheese 101, my FREE online masterclass on all things mac and cheese!

    Overhead view of mac and cheese topped with blue cheese and fresh parsley. this recipe

    I am a firm believer that there are few (if any) things more awesome than mac and cheese.

    Hand sprinkling bread crumbs over mac and cheese in a cast iron skillet.

    Except maybe mac and cheese with beer in it. Which, ummmmmm, gotcha covered.

    This mac and cheese was inspired by the classic Black & Blue drink - Blue Moon with a layer of Guinness floated on top.

    Mac and cheese in a small cast iron skillet, topped with blue cheese and fresh chopped parsley.

    I love adding dark stouts like Guinness to cheese sauces, but I wanted to give this recipe a more interesting twist.

    So I decided to swap the Blue Moon in a Black & Blue for blue cheese, mix it all up with some pasta, and bake it in a cast iron skillet until delicious. And after a few COMPLETELY failed attempts (which involved me paying zero attention and accidentally dumping wayyyyyyy too much blue cheese into the sauce) I do believe we have a winner.

    Spoon lifting a bite of mac and cheese out of a cast iron skillet.

    The Guinness and blue cheese in the cheese sauce add depth of flavor and a distinctive taste without overpowering the other flavors in the dish.

    Mac and cheese topped with fresh parsley on a black plate.

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    📖 Recipe

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    A small cast iron skillet filled with shell pasta, topped with blue cheese and fresh parsley.

    Black and Blue Mac and Cheese

    ★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
    • Author: Jessie
    • Prep Time: 25 mins
    • Cook Time: 25 mins
    • Total Time: 50 mins
    • Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
    • Category: Pasta
    • Cuisine: American
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    Description

    Mac and cheese with a guinness and blue cheese sauce


    Ingredients

    Scale

    FOR THE MAC AND CHEESE:

    • 1 lb. pasta (I used large shells)
    • 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
    • 3 Tbsp. flour
    • ½ cup Guinness (or another dark stout beer)
    • 2 cups milk (I used 2%)
    • 2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese
    • ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese, divided

    FOR THE BREADCRUMB TOPPING:

    • 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
    • ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
    • ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

    Instructions

    FOR THE MAC AND CHEESE:

    1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
    2. Cook pasta in very salty water until two minutes less than al dente. Drain pasta and set aside.
    3. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat (I use the same pot I just cooked the pasta in). Add flour and whisk to form a roux. Cook roux for about 1 minute until fragrant.
    4. Slowly stream beer into roux, whisking constantly to work out any lumps of roux.
    5. Whisk milk into sauce. Let cook until sauce has thickened and just barely reached a simmer, 7-10 minutes.
    6. When sauce has thickened, remove from heat and stir in white cheddar cheese until cheese is completely melted.
    7. Fold half of the blue cheese into the sauce and reserve the rest for topping the finished pasta.
    8. Add cooked pasta to sauce and stir to coat. Spoon mac and cheese into a large baking dish and top with toasted breadcrumbs (instructions below).

    FOR THE BREADCRUMBS:

    1. Melt butter in a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat. Add breadcrumbs and stir to combine. Toast breadcrumbs, stirring occasionally, until they're lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove toasted breadcrumbs from heat and sprinkle evenly across the top of the macaroni and cheese.

    TO ASSEMBLE:

    1. Bake mac and cheese at 375 for 20-25 minutes until breadcrumbs have browned and edges of pasta have crisped up. Remove from oven and top with remaining blue cheese and chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

    Notes

    Skip the breadcrumbs if you'd like stovetop mac and cheese - just cook the pasta all the way until al dente and serve as soon as you've tossed everything with the sauce!

    Use more or less beer or blue cheese depending on your personal preference.

    Not a Guinness fan? Use a pilsner or pale ale instead for a lighter beer flavor!

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size:
    • Calories: 571
    • Sugar: 8.1 g
    • Sodium: 357.5 mg
    • Fat: 23.2 g
    • Carbohydrates: 66.6 g
    • Protein: 23.3 g
    • Cholesterol: 63.5 mg

    Keywords: pasta, comfort food, side dish

    Tag @lifeasastrawberry on Instagram to show us what you're cooking! Nutrition information is calculated per serving; it is approximate and will vary based on many factors.

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    I'm Jessie, and I like to talk about food. Tag your recipes #LifeAsAStrawberry on social media to share your creations! Learn about our team!

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    1. Rhonda

      January 11, 2023 at 12:48 pm

      One of our most loved comfort foods is mac and cheese. I wasn't sure I'd embrace this recipe with beer and blue cheese, but it was AMAZING! No leftovers! Will definitely be a go to mac & cheese recipe from now on.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Team Life As A Strawberry

        January 11, 2023 at 6:09 pm

        WAHOO! We're so happy this mac and cheese has become a favorite!

        Reply

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