This creamy Mushroom Mac and Cheese is the ultimate comforting baked pasta dish! The mushrooms are simmered in white wine, thyme, garlic, and shallots before being tossed in a creamy fontina and gruyère cheese sauce. Baked until golden brown, this mac and cheese is a total hit!
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Why you'll love this recipe
- This mac and cheese is ultra creamy and cheesy, made with two types of cheese, fontina and gruyère!
- This baked pasta dish is easy to prep ahead! Make it completely but wait to pop it in the oven until you are ready to enjoy it. Prepping it in advance makes it ideal for dinner parties!
- The mushrooms get simmered in white wine, thyme, garlic, and shallots, making them incredibly tender and flavorful.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Mushrooms: I opt for sliced cremini mushrooms. For a fun variety, try a mixture of your favorite types of mushrooms, such as beech, oyster, or portabella.
- Shallot: The shallot adds a very mild and delicious onion flavor.
- Thyme: The earthiness of the thyme pairs great with the mushrooms!
- White wine: A dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc works great.
- Milk: I use whole milk but half and half or 2% will also work.
- Cheese: I use a mixture of fontina and gruyère cheeses. The gruyere adds a delicious nutty flavor and the mild fontina makes this extra creamy. Be sure to freshly grate your cheeses. Pre-shredded bagged cheese is coated in preservatives that won't melt properly.
- Pasta: Opt for a short pasta, like macaroni or rigatoni (my favorite). Be careful to not overcook the pasta when boiling it as it will continue to cook in the sauce and when baked.
How to make mushroom mac and cheese
Cook the mushrooms: Cook down the mushrooms in butter then toss them with the garlic, shallots, thyme, and white wine before simmering more.
Make the cheese sauce: Coat the mushrooms in flour and cook them until the raw flour smell is gone (the mushrooms will be a little clumpy and that is okay). Slowly add in the warm milk and whisk until smooth. Stir in a handful of cheese at a time.
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Add in cooked pasta: Meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente in a separate pot. Drain and toss it in with the mushroom cheese sauce.
Bake: Add the mac and cheese to a baking dish and top with more fontina and gruyere cheeses. Bake until bubbly, about 20-30 minutes, and then broil for 1-5 minutes, or until golden brown.
Prep ahead tips
Storing in the refrigerator: To prep this mac and cheese ahead, make it all the way through putting it in the baking dish and adding the cheese on top, but wait to bake it. Once cool, store it tightly in the refrigerator. When you are ready to enjoy it, proceed with baking it (it will take a couple extra minutes since it will be cold).
Storing in the freezer: Store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just let it defrost in the refrigerator overnight when you are ready to enjoy.
Variations
- For an extra decadant mac and cheese, stir in a little bit of truffle oil when you fold in the pasta.
- Try this mac and cheese with your favorite types of mushrooms! I use cremini but feel free to try this with button, portobello, beech, or oyster mushrooms. Just chop them into bite-sized pieces before cooking them.
- If you are in a time crunch (or just can't help yourself!), feel free to enjoy this mushroom mac and cheese straight from the stovetop!
More baked pasta recipes you'll love
Don't forget to rate & review! If you try this mushroom mac and cheese recipe, I'd love to hear what you think in the comments below! Your review helps my small business grow and means the world to me! Hearing what you thought is the highlight of sharing these recipes with you!
📖 Recipe
Mushroom Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 lb short pasta such as macaroni or rigatoni
- 8 tablespoon butter divided
- 24 oz. sliced cremini mushrooms
- 1 shallot finely diced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups warm whole milk
- 2 pinches salt
- 2 pinches pepper
- 8 cups freshly shredded cheese, divided about 1.5 lb; I use a mixture of gruyère and fontina
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- Melt 2 tablespoon butter in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the shallots, garlic, thyme, wine, and a pinch of salt and pepper and boil on medium-high until almost all the liquid has evaporated, about 10-15 more minutes.
- Meanwhile, In a large pot, boil water and cook pasta 2 minutes less than directions, or until al dente. Drain. In a small pot, heat milk on low heat until just warm, being careful not to boil.
- Melt in the rest of the butter in with the mushrooms. Whisk in flour, 1-2 tablespoons at a time, thickening the mushrooms, about 1 minute. One cup at a time, whisk in the warm milk to the mushrooms, and stir until creamy and lump-free.
- One cup at a time, add in the shredded cheese, reserving 2 cups, and whisk until the cheese is completely melted. Fold in the cooked pasta. Taste, adjusting for seasoning. Transfer the mac and cheese to the prepared baking dish. Top with the reserved cheese.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes, until bubbly. Turn the oven to broil and broil for 1-5 minutes, until golden brown on top.
Notes
- Be careful not to get your milk too hot or you run the risk of the milk curdling and your mac and cheese turning grainy and runny. You want it warm but not piping hot.
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