Guinness and Irish Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese – Flavorful stovetop mac and cheese made with Guinness stout, sharp Irish cheddar, and a touch of dijon mustard. Creamy and cheesy with a crunchy garlic breadcrumb topping.
St. Patrick’s Day is almost here! What will you be eating? Corned beef and cabbage? Shamrock shakes and green beer? I’m not a huge fan of any of the above (although I could take down a loaf of Irish soda bread in record time), but what I am a fan of is macaroni and cheese!
In honor of the upcoming holiday I made this delicious twist on mac and cheese by adding Guinness stout and lots of Irish cheddar cheese. And (eeeekkkk), it is SO, SO good!!! Like, can’t-put-down-my-fork-good.
This recipe is super flavorful, ultra creamy, and my new favorite mac and cheese. Guinness, Irish cheddar, and a touch of dijon mustard add a slight sharpness that cuts through the richness of this dish. It’s a grown up version of mac and cheese that is boldly flavored and worlds apart from that bland stuff that comes in a box.
I love the contrast of creamy and crunchy, so I topped this mac and cheese with a sprinkling of crunchy, garlicky breadcrumbs. Feel free to skip the topping if you’re looking to take a shortcut. It’s great either way! With or without the topping, there’s no need to turn on your oven. It’s all made on the stovetop.
Pour a pint of Guinness, throw together a salad, and you have a perfect meal! Oh, and don’t forget dessert – Guinness Brownies with Irish Cream Frosting or Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies!
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Guinness and Irish Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
Macaroni and cheese:
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2/3 cup Guinness or other stout
- 1 1/2 cups 2% milk
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 ounces cream cheese cut into pieces
- 3 1/2 cups grated Irish cheddar divided (I used Kerrygold aged cheddar)
Topping (optional):
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- salt/pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
Instructions
Topping (if using):
- In a medium skillet over medium-low heat, melt butter. Add garlic and breadcrumbs and cook, stirring frequently, until the breadcrumbs are lightly toasted and the mixture is fragrant. Remove from the heat, add salt and pepper to taste and minced parsley. Set aside.
Macaroni and cheese:
- Boil elbow macaroni in well salted water and cook until just al dente. Before draining the pasta, reserve a cup of the pasta water and set it aside (see note). While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheese sauce:
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together for a minute. While whisking, pour in Guinness, milk, half and half, salt, pepper, and mustard. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking frequently, until it thickens slightly (several minutes). Add cream cheese and 2 1/2 cups grated cheddar and stir/whisk until completely smooth. Add drained, cooked pasta and stir to combine. Add remaining 1 cup grated cheddar and stir until melted (this will help achieve a stringy/cheesy texture). Transfer to a serving bowl or individual bowls and sprinkle the top with the reserved toasted breadcrumbs. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
If the macaroni and cheese thickens up too much, add a little bit of the reserved pasta water (or additional milk) to make it creamy again.
Yum! Mac n Cheese is definitely a guilty pleasure of mine. I don’t think I’d share this at all! haha
Thanks, Marshie! I don’t blame you! 😉
I love cooking with Guinness! It gives sweet and savory dishes such a delicious depth of flavor! This sounds good!
It sure does! Thanks for stopping by, Cynthia!
I love that you added Guinness to this mac and cheese. I’m all over this!
Thanks! It’s quite tasty! 🙂
Can I make this the day before I need it and then bake it in the oven?
Hi, Alberta. This really is best immediately after making it. If have you have to make it advance I’d suggest leaving off the topping (until right before serving), and adding some extra milk to the mac and cheese when you reheat it – this will make it creamy again. Enjoy!
I’m making this as part of a buffet for a large party (sister’s 40th bday ON St. Patty’s Day). Wondering about the serving size. Is 6 for a main course or for more of a side? Just need to know how to plain my grocery list 🙂
Hi, Kelli! How fun! This recipe makes 6 main dish servings. I hope your party goes great! Enjoy!
Is there a substitute for the beer? Since I want to make this for a church pot luck I’d rather not use the beer.
I may try the receipe at home sometime to see the difference.
Thank you,
Debbie
Hi, Debbie. You can swap the beer for chicken stock or just increase the milk. Enjoy!
Thank you!
Can you make this in a crock pot? I want to make it for a work pot luck, but we don’t have a stove on the premises.
Hi, Chris. You won’t be able to cook it in the crock pot, but you can prepare it as directed and then transfer it into the crock pot to stay warm. I would recommend skipping the topping as it will get soggy. Also, bring along some extra milk to stir in periodically because the mac and cheese might dry out a bit as it sits. Make sure to keep it on the lowest setting possible.
Hi, I have 2 older teens, curious if the beer is overpowering and would effect them? Or since it is cooked, does it just flavor the Mac & Cheese? EITHER WAY this dish looks AMAZING and can’t wait to try it 🙂 THANKS FOR SHARING.
Hi, Maddy! I can’t imagine that it would effect them, it’s a fairly small amount for a whole pound of pasta. You can always leave it out if you’re worried about it, just add a little more milk. Enjoy!
Hello, what is the origin of this irish meal! I’m doing a project and it requires the origin.
The Guinness and Cheddar are both from Ireland.
This sounds perfect for St. Patrick’s Day! Yum!
Love this idea! It’s so fun to try different variations of mac and cheese 🙂
This sounds incredible! I love the flavor that the Guinness adds to things and mac and cheese is such a great idea!
Okay I think you’ve just reached macaroni cheese genius level. This. Looks. INSANE(lydelicious). I want this comfort food all up in my face!!!
Sounds very interesting with the Guinness added! I love mac and cheese but never thought to add Guinness, but I can imagine that it must taste delicious!
Looks so creamy and flavorful! What a great grown up version of mac & cheese!
Made it and turned out great! Very creamy and flavorful. Only changes I made was left out mustard and used heavy cream instead of half and half.
Great! Thanks for letting me know that you enjoyed it. 🙂
I just made this for dinner, and it was great! It distinctly differs from the mac and cheese we all grew up with in a much more sophisticated and filling way with richness of flavor. And the topping added a good contrast in texture. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for stopping by!
This recipe seems delicious can’t wait to try it. Could I ask what do you mean by half & half in your list of ingredients?
Half and half is a mixture of half milk and half cream. It is sold in the dairy section of the grocery store, near the milk.
A co-worker just married an Irishman in Ireland, and we’re throwing her an Irish-themed bridal shower at work. I’m bringing this. I made it for dinner tonight for my husband and me and he was completely beside himself with how delicious it was. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to make Alton Brown’s Stove Top Mac and Cheese recipe ever again after having made this one. Thank you!!!
Yay! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it. Best of luck with the bridal shower – it sounds fun! Thanks for stopping by.
This is delicious! Made a large batch (4 lbs, of macaroni) for our annual summer party. This year’s theme is Celtics Highlands. It was a hit!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to stop by!