Baked Mushroom Sage Mac and Cheese
Ultra-creamy baked mac and cheese loaded with earthy mushrooms, fresh sage, a gooey four-cheese blend, and a golden panko and Parmesan crust.
Ingredients
For the Topping:
- ½ cup (28 grams) panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup (18 grams) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon fresh sage finely chopped
For the Pasta and Sauce:
- 1 pound (453 grams) pasta of your choice I like medium size shells
- 1 tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter * see note
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) extra virgin olive oil
- ¾ pound (12 ounces/226 grams) brown mushrooms sliced (you can add more if you like)
- 1 tablespoon (4 grams) fresh sage finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons (56 grams) unsalted butter * see note
- ¼ cup (30 grams) all-purpose or plain flour
- 3 cups (708 ml) whole milk slightly warm
- 1 cup (236 ml) heavy or double cream slightly warm
- Salt to your taste
- Small pinch of ground nutmeg
- 2 cups/6 ounces (160 grams) sharp white cheddar grated
- 2 cups/6 ounces (160 grams) Gruyère cheese grated
- 1 cup/3 ounces (80 grams) low moisture whole milk mozzarella grated ** see note
Instructions
Make the Topping:
- In a small bowl, combine the panko breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese and sage. Stir to mix well, then set aside.
Prep Oven and Pasta:
- Preheat your oven to 400°F/200°C with the oven rack in the center position. Have a large sheet pan ready and a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) casserole dish.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the pasta, and cook according to the package directions, undercooking it by 2 minutes so it doesn’t overcook when baked. Drain and set aside.
Brown the Mushrooms:
- While the pasta cooks, heat the 1 tablespoon of butter and the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until browned, about 8 minutes, stirring often. They will shrink in size. Turn down the heat and stir in the 1 tablespoon of chopped sage and cook for 1 more minute. Remove the mushrooms and sage from the pan and set aside.
Make the Roux (The Butter and Flour Thickener):
- In the same saucepan, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour to form a smooth paste and cook for about 2 minutes until it smells nutty and turns lightly golden. Watch the heat to make sure it doesn’t brown.
Make the Sauce:
- Slowly pour in the whole milk and heavy cream while whisking continuously to prevent lumps. Cook until the mixture thickens, then stir in the nutmeg.
Melt the Cheese:
- Once thickened and smooth, turn the heat down to very low. Add the cheddar, Gruyère, and mozzarella in small batches, stirring constantly until completely melted. Remove the pan from the heat immediately.
- Fold the cooked pasta and cooked mushrooms straight into the cheese sauce until thoroughly coated. Taste and see if it needs salt, add to your taste.
Bake:
- Transfer the mixture into an 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) baking dish (or individual baking dishes) and sprinkle the panko-Parmesan mixture evenly over the top. Place the baking dish onto the baking sheet to catch any bubbling drips, and bake for 15 minutes until the breadcrumbs are golden brown. Serve warm.
Video
Notes
* Unsalted butter is specified because the cheese can be salty
** The Mozzarella Tip: For that ultimate, stringy cheese pull, stick with a block of low-moisture, whole-milk mozzarella and grate it yourself on a box grater. Avoid fresh mozzarella packed in water, which releases too much liquid and can make your sauce watery. If you're in a pinch, whole-milk mozzarella string cheese works brilliantly when grated.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 585kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 31g | Sodium: 789mg | Sugar: 6g