Guinness Mac & Cheese

Name: Guiness Mac & Cheese
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 pound pasta like macaroni, ziti, cavatappi, or orecchiette; 3 cups whole milk; 1 cup heavy whipping cream; 1 cup diced onion; 1/2 cup unsalted butter; 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons salt; 1 teaspoon black pepper; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 2/3 cup Guinness beer; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 1 - 1 1/2 pounds shredded cheese blend (Sharp Irish cheddar and Medium cheddar); 1/2-1 cup crunchy fried onions

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Rich, creamy beer cheese wrapped around tender pasta and seasoned with not one but two types of onions. This Guinness Mac & Cheese recipe tastes like it came from a local steakhouse. You could say it's got gumption! A few simple ingredients like pasta, milk, and cheese become awe-inspiring in this side dish that begs for an equally impressive main course.

Plate of guinness mac & cheese pasta with crunchy onions alongside a steak.

A little something about me. I love themes, I love tradition, and I love holiday food. And holiday food does not begin and end with Thanksgiving and Christmas! One of my favorite holidays to cook for is St. Patrick's Day. I think it's worth noting that our traditional Irish food is not necessarily the same as what is consumed in Ireland.

Many of the dishes commonly associated with St. Patrick's Day are actually Americanized adaptations of traditional Irish cuisine or have emerged out of practicality and necessity. Shepherd's pie and Corned beef are two popular examples. I find it fascinating to learn about the origins of these dishes, and I enjoy eating them year-round. I think you should, too.

This Guinness Mac & Cheese is a little different altogether. It employs Irish ingredients like Guinness Irish beer, Irish cheddar cheese, and Irish butter and therefore shall be dubbed a St. Patty's day meal! Please enjoy this completely untraditional St. Patty's Day side dish!!

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Featured Ingredients
Tools for the job
Hot Tip!
How to make Guinness Mac & Cheese
Substitutions and Variations
Leftover Guinness Mac & Cheese
FAQ
Food safety
More pasta recipes
More side dish recipes
Guiness Mac & Cheese
💬 Comments

Plate of guinness mac & cheese with a steak and a fork.

Featured Ingredients

Read below about a few of the ingredients used to make Guinness Mac & Cheese.

All the ingredients needed to make guinness mac & cheese.

Guinness Beer - This dark stout beer starts creamy and sweet and finishes a little bitter at the end. It's available in over 100 countries, so hopefully, you can find it.

Pasta - Choosing the right pasta type for whatever sauce you're using is important. In this case, a heavy cheese sauce needs a tube shape or cup-shaped pasta. Some examples are macaroni, shell, orecchiette, or cavatappi pasta.

Cheese - Keeping with the Irish theme here, the recipe calls for Irish sharp cheddar cheese. However, I don't want you to break the bank to make this dish, so I recommend using a medium cheddar/ Irish cheddar cheese blend. My favorite is the Tillamook brand, but use what you like best.

Also, don't use pre-shredded cheese. The anti-caking agent messes with the meltiness of the sauce. Hand grate your cheese, please!

Butter - Again, I'm recommending Irish butter in lieu of American butter. Irish and European butter are creamier because they contain less water than American butter. They are absolutely delicious and make a great addition to the Guinness Mac & Cheese

See recipe card for quantities.

Tools for the job

Measuring spoons and cups
Sharp knife (paid link) and cutting board
Small pot for warming milk
3 quart pot for boiling pasta
4+ quart pot for cheese sauce
Whisk, wooden spoon
Cheese grater
4 quart baking dish

Hot Tip!

In this case, it's two tips!

Before using, bring the dairy and beer to room temperature. This will prevent lumpy sauce.
Grate fresh cheese from the block instead of using pre-shredded cheese for cheese sauce and pasta toppings. Anti-caking agents in pre-shredded cheese can prevent it from melting correctly and make the sauce grainy.

How to make Guinness Mac & Cheese

A little bit of prep ahead of time, and you'll be off and running with this recipe!

Cold dairy is not your friend

Before you do anything else, pour the milk and heavy whipping cream into a small pot and set it on the stove over low heat. You only need to take the chill off the milk, so turn the burner off as soon as it's warm to the touch.
Also, shred the cheese and let it sit out on your counter while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
While you're at it, measure out the beer and let it sit out to come to room temp.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Measuring the cheese

So here I am asking you to avoid the pre-shredded cheeses, but they have those convenient measurements on the bag! If you've ever been confused about what 1 cup of shredded cheese looks like, you're not alone. I provide weight measurements for the cheese in this recipe because I feel like 1 cup of shredded cheese looks different to each person.

What can you do if you don't have a scale? Here are a few tips on shredded cheese measurements.

Different cheese will yield varying weights for 1 cup of cheese. Since we are using cheddar, I will only talk about that style of cheese. 1 cup of shredded cheddar = 4 ounces. (This will be the same for similar textured cheeses like Gouda and Swiss.)
You can purchase your cheese in 8-ounce blocks and shred it that way. Therefore, you would have 2 cups once shredded. And this recipe would need 2 ½ (8-ounce) blocks.
Alternatively you can shred the cheese, then pack it into measuring cups to yield 5 cups total. Don't worry if you're off by a few ounces, you will not ruin this recipe!

Cooking the pasta

Follow the instructions on the box for al dente cooked pasta. And you can choose one of two ways to achieve your perfect pasta moment in this recipe:

Start the pasta after adding the milks to the flour/butter mixture. It will be done shortly after your cheese sauce has finished.
Cook the pasta before making the sauce. If you choose this route, toss the cooked pasta with 2 tablespoons of oil after draining the water to keep it from sticking together before adding to the cheese sauce.

Make the cheese sauce

For your final Guinness Mac & Cheese dish, you can make the cheese sauce in a sauce pot, then combine it with the pasta and transfer it to a casserole dish, OR you can make the cheese sauce in an oven-safe pot or skillet and bake it directly in the same dish. Do whatever feels good to you! (I wrote the instructions for a separate baking dish to facilitate extra cheese layering. If you go for the one-pot method, either stir in the extra cheese or use it all on top.)

Warm a 4+ quart pot or heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Melt the butter in the pan, then add the finely diced onions. Cook and stir the onions until they soften, about 7 minutes.
Next, add the flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder and whisk until fully incorporated. Let this mixture, called a roux, bubble for a few minutes to cook off the raw flour taste, then pour in the beer, whisking constantly.
Now slowly whisk in the warm milk mixture, stirring constantly.
When all the milk has been poured into the pot, turn the heat to medium-high. Continue to whisk often until the roux breaks apart and dissolves and the sauce begins to bubble vigorously and thicken, about 5 minutes.
Take the pot off the heat to add the shredded cheeses. First, set aside 8 ounces of shredded cheese. Add all the remaining shredded cheeses, one handful at a time, stirring until melted. Then, add the Worcestershire sauce and stir to combine. Taste for salt, adding more if necessary.

Boil the pasta according to package directions.

Melt the butter and cook the onions.

Flour added to the melted butter and onions in a pot.

Add flour and seasonings to create a roux.

A whisk stirring milk and guinness beer into the roux.

Add the beer and whisk, then the milk, and whisk until the flour has dissolved.

A whisk stirring shredded cheese into the thickend bechamel sauce.

Stir until thickened, take off the heat, then stir in the cheese until melted.

Add the pasta and stir to combine.

Assemble the Mac & Cheese

Add the drained pasta to the cheese sauce and stir to coat the pasta completely. Transfer half of the cheesy mac to a casserole dish. Top with half the remaining shredded cheese. Add the rest of the cheesy mac to the casserole dish, then top with the crunchy onions and more cheese.
Bake your Guinness Mac & Cheese in a 350°F oven for 35-45 minutes. You're looking for tiny bubbles up the side of the dish and super melty cheese on top!
Serve immediately.
NOTE: If the crockpot is your thing, you can use it at this step! Layer the cheesy mac and remaining shredded cheese, then top with the crispy onions. Cook on high for 2 hours or until the extra cheese has melted and bubbles are breaking through the sides of the dish. (Put a paper towel under the lid to keep condensation from sogging up the crispy onions.)

A casserole dish with half the cheesy pasta and more shredded cheese on top.

Put half the cheesy pasta into the baking dish and top with half the reserved cheese.

A casserole dish with added cheesy pasta and the rest of the shredded cheese on top.

Add the remaining cheesy mac and top with the remaining shredded cheese.

A casserole dish of cheesy mac topped with crispy fried onions.

Pour crispy onions on top and spread to cover.

The guinness mac & cheese bake and being served with a spoon.

Bake in a 350°F oven. Serve immediately.

Substitutions and Variations

Gluten-free - Make a gluten-free version by substituting gluten-free pasta and gluten-free 1-to-1 flour like the kind from Bob's Red Mill.
Beer - This wouldn't be Guinness Mac & Cheese without the Guinness, but beer and cheese have been pals for a while. You can sub any beer for a slightly different end result flavor or another stout-style ale for a similar flavor.
Pasta - Any tube-shaped small pasta works for this recipe. Cup-shaped works just as well. Some recommended types are macaroni, cavatappi, ziti, penne, shell, and orecchiette. You could even use a spiral-type like fusilli. Anything that will hold up to a heavy sauce and hold the sauce in the shape.
Cheese - If you can't find Irish cheese, substitute any sharp or extra sharp cheddar in its place. Or, get fancy and sub the medium cheddar for gouda or smokey gouda!

Leftover Guinness Mac & Cheese

Refrigerate leftover Guinness Mac & Cheese in a sealed container for up to 5 days.
Freeze the casserole before or after baking, wrapped tightly, for up to 2 months.
Reheat the baked Mac & Cheese in a 350°F oven until warmed through.

A white plate with a pile of cheesy mac, a steak, and a fork.

FAQ

Which Guinness beer is best for cooking?

For a mild but solid Guinness flavor, go for the draught. If you're marinating or braising meat Extra Stout or Foreign Extra Stout is recommended.

Is Guinness beer stronger than other beers?

It may seem like it has a higher alcohol content due to the strong flavors of this stout beer, but the ABV is actually lower than the average beer at 4.2%. Most full-flavor lagers run about 5% ABV.

Why do you add milk and whipping cream to the cheese sauce?

The rich, heavy whipping cream gives the sauce a creamier texture with a little extra moisture to balance the cheese sauce while baking the Guinness Mac u0026 Cheese. Without the heavy whipping cream the pasta soaks up too much moisture and can lend to a dryer baked Mac dish. Cream cheese is also a popular addition for this reason.

What cheese should not be used in Mac u0026 Cheese?

The best cheeses are ones that melt but do not retain their shape when melted. Semi-soft cheeses like Gouda, Edam, Stilton, or Mozzarella or firm cheeses like Cheddar, Parmesan, Gruyere, or Emmental. Avoid dry or fresh cheeses like feta, queso fresco, Halloumi, or fresh mozzarella. These will either become grainy or won't melt into a sauce. These are great options for toppings though, used fresh or warmed to start to melt.