Black and Tan Irish Mac and Cheddar

Recipe courtesy Autumn Clements, Amelia Island, FL

Show: Ultimate Recipe ShowdownEpisode: Ultimate Recipe Showdown: Comfort Foods

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (13)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(13)

Cook Time:
30 min
Level:
Intermediate
Yield:
6 servings

Times:

Prep: 30 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 30 min
Total:: 1 hr 0 min

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Ingredients

6 cups water
24 ounces lager beer
16 ounces rustic shaped pasta (Ziti)
1 cup whole milk
1 cup half-and-half
12 ounces evaporated milk
5 tablespoons lightly salted quality Irish butter
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground dry mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/3 cup stout beer
3 ounces shredded smoked Gruyere
8 ounces shredded Irish Cheddar
1/2 cup bread crumbs, Japanese panko, or fresh country white
1/2 cup crisp cooked apple wood or maple bacon crumbles
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves or several sage leaves for garnish

Directions

Place water and lager beer into a 4 1/2 quart or larger saucepan over high heat and bring to boil, add pasta and cook until just al dente. Drain and keep warm.

Meanwhile in 3 quart saucepan, over medium-high heat, bring the milk, half-and-half, and evaporated milk just to a boil, keep hot. In a 4 quart saucepan, over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter and stir in flour until it begins to color slightly, whisk in hot milk, mustard, salt, cayenne, and stout, and bring to a strong simmer. Reduce heat to low and stir in cheeses until melted. Place pasta into serving dish and pour the cheese sauce over the pasta.

Place remaining butter in a large saute pan over medium heat and stir in bread crumbs, stir until golden brown, stir in bacon crumbles. Spread mixture over top of macaroni. Garnish with cilantro or sage leaves.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Black and Tan Irish Mac and Cheddar
Carrie East Point, GA 06-29-2009
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Great!!!!!!!!!!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

The best mac and cheese I have ever made. I was very apprehensive that it was a stove top recipe, I am a fan of baked mac... and cheese but everyone at dinner agreed it was the best mac n cheese they have had. I read where someone said it was too much sauce but as it cooled, it was just enough for our tastes. I used smoked fontina because I couldnt find the smoked guyere. The cheese guy at Whole Foods said it would be a good substitute and it was. I could not believe how creamy the sauce was. Didnt do the bread crumbs because I thought it would be extra calories and wouldnt add much to the dish. I did sprinkle bacon over the top of it. I cant believe anyone would rate this less than five stars!Read more
recipe Black and Tan Irish Mac and Cheddar
Elizabeth Wethersfield, CT 03-09-2009
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Pricey, Nothing Special for the effort.
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

For the time it took to make this, in additon to the time it took to find all these special AND expensive items, this just... wasn't that great. The cheese flavor was great, but I could not taste the beer at all because of how empowering the cheese was - so why bother - that's another 5 bucks wasted. Also, there was WAY too much sauce for how much pasta this called for - I'd add another 1/2 box of pasta next time or bake it as others have suggested to get rid of the excess goo. After we finished eating, I forked out the extra pasta into a new bowl and at least a cup worth of extra sauce - that's a lot. I may add that the crusty bacon breading top was amazing - the taste of the bake without the time. Overall, boo.Read more
recipe Black and Tan Irish Mac and Cheddar
Patti Toledo, OH 03-09-2009
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Creamy and Cheezy Irish Goodness
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Just made this for dinner tonight and both my husband and myself cannot get over how good this home made Irish mac & cheese... is! First, I will add that both of us really enjoy Irish beer as I know others mentioned they did not like the beer flavor. We used Guinness stout and Harp lager, we bought the special Irish Cheddar, special salted Irish butter, and the very expensive smoked Guiyere (which we feel now that we made the dish could be substituted with any mild creamy cheese you like i.e. fontina, mozzarella, Colby) It did not need to be pricey smoked Guiyere and you are only using 3 oz of it anyway. This was our first time using IRISH cheddar. It does have a different flavor than US cheddar cheeses - it was tangy, creamy and delicious. We found an Irish vendor that sells to stores in the US: Kerry Gold. Google them and see if they sell their Irish cheddar and butter at a store near you. Both the butter and the cheese had a creamy taste and were different in flavor than the US versions. We followed the recipe exactly and it came out creamy, thick and tasty. The cheese sauce was thick after standing in the pot for 3-5 min or so. If yours was runny, it could be that you did not use enough flour in the rue or you did not whisk constantly while slowly adding the cheeses, or you shredded your cheeses too finely. Our cheese all melted well in the finished dish, not grainy and did not separate at all. The beer flavor is there, but subtle behind the yummy cheeses and bacon topping. Be sure to use beer you would like to drink, as it concentrates the flavor when you cook with it like wine. Will definitely make this again. Thanks Autumn!!Read more
recipe Black and Tan Irish Mac and Cheddar
Fallon Strongsville, OH 07-14-2008
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Love it!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I have made this recipe twice now and have been pleased each time. It is a great twist on an American tradition. I have... subbed the ziti with both cavatappi, which was very fun, and also penne. My only complaint is that the gruyere is somewhat expensive ($12 for 6 oz!) so if you are on a budget, maybe sub it for a swiss or fontina or something. I don't agree that you have to like the beers. The flavor is very subtle. The sauce is fun to make and very creamy. I always get lots of compliments too!Read more
recipe Black and Tan Irish Mac and Cheddar
Bianca APO, AP 05-20-2008
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No flavor
Rated: 2 stars out of 5

I baked the mac n cheese like some reviewers said to but it didn't help it. The mac and cheese wasn't creamy and all you... could taste was the beer. I won't be making this again.Read more
recipe Black and Tan Irish Mac and Cheddar
Nancy Keller, TX 05-20-2008
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This recipe is a keeper!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This was absolutely delicious! A very unique taste unlike any other mac and cheese dish I've ever had. The flavors of the... beer and Autumn's choice of cheeses are what really bring the flavors alive. There was a comment posted by "anonymous" on 3/3 that stated "the beer and smoked cheese stood out while everything else seems bland" - I'm not sure what he/she expected since these are the main components to this recipe.Read more