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Home » Main Dishes » Guinness and Irish Chedddar Macaroni & Cheese

Guinness and Irish Chedddar Macaroni & Cheese

Published: Mar 9, 2016 · Modified: Mar 11, 2019 by Allison · 72 Comments

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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 an optional crunchy breadcrumb topping. 

Bowl of macaroni and cheese in a white bowl. 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.

Macaroni and cheese in a skillet with a fork.

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.

Grated cheese on a wooden board.

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.

Pot of macaroni pasta with white cheese sauce poured in.

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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Macaroni and cheese in a skillet.

Bowl of macaroni and cheese in a white bowl.

Guinness and Irish Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese

Flavorful stovetop macaroni and cheese made with Guinness stout, sharp Irish cheddar, and a touch of dijon mustard. Creamy and cheesy with a crunchy garlic breadcrumb topping. A grown up version of a classic!
4.92 from 25 votes
Print Pin SaveSaved!
Course: main, side
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 6 - 8
Calories: 543kcal
Author: Allison - Celebrating Sweets

Ingredients

Macaroni and cheese:

  • 1 pound elbow macaroni
  • 2 tablespoons butter*, see note
  • 2 tablespoons flour*, see note
  • ⅔ cup Guinness or other stout
  • 1 ½ cups 2% milk
  • ½ cup half and half
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 2 ounces cream cheese, cut into pieces
  • 3 ½ cups grated cheddar (or another good melting cheese), divided (I used Kerrygold cheddar)

Topping (optional):

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
  • ½ 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 ½ 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-pull texture). I like to let this mixture sit over low heat for a few minutes, stirring frequently, so that the pasta can soak up some of the cheese.
  •  To serve: Transfer to a serving bowl or individual bowls and sprinkle the top with the reserved toasted breadcrumbs. Serve immediately.

Notes

* This amount of butter and flour creates a fairly thin sauce. For a thicker sauce, you can increase the butter and flour to 3 or 4 tablespoons EACH. 
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.

Nutrition

Calories: 543kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 591mg | Potassium: 273mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 820IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 451mg | Iron: 1.4mg

Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.

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Comments

  1. Patti

    March 19, 2021 at 6:10 pm

    Do you know approximately how many ounces or grams of cheddar makes 3 1/2 cups shredded?

    Reply
    • Allison

      March 24, 2021 at 10:58 am

      It looks like it is about 291 grams. https://www.howmany.wiki/vw/–1%7C2–cup–of–grated-cheese–in–gram

      Reply
  2. Barbara T.

    April 09, 2021 at 8:36 am

    I was disappointed in the outcome of the recipe. Perhaps our taste is a bit tame. This was a robust recipe but just not for us. I followed the recipe to the letter even to the type of beer. The topping was great!

    Reply
  3. Alli

    September 06, 2021 at 5:25 pm

    5 stars
    Very good directions and easy to follow. Delicious recipe! Turned out perfect! I added some spice and other stuff to mine and then threw it on the smoker for a few minutes

    Reply
    • Allison

      September 08, 2021 at 11:24 am

      I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂

      Reply
  4. April

    September 28, 2021 at 3:08 pm

    5 stars
    Great recipe! I subbed out a little of the Kerrygold cheddar for a smoked cheddar that I picked up and it made it a bit smoky. It was wonderful! Definitely a keeper!

    Reply
    • Allison

      October 02, 2021 at 6:10 am

      That sounds delicious! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂

      Reply
  5. Emerald Isle

    October 13, 2021 at 10:57 am

    I was onto this quite some time ago but at least I honestly called it ‘American Irish’ 😅 Top tip – if you use the can with the ‘widget’ you will get even better results. It’s all to do with the nitro, enjoy! 🎼😊

    Reply
  6. PC

    March 12, 2022 at 11:37 am

    5 stars
    Great recipe! Added a little smoked paprika and was awesome! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Allison

      March 13, 2022 at 6:09 pm

      That sounds delicious! I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂

      Reply
  7. Jenny

    March 17, 2022 at 2:14 pm

    4 stars
    Made this with the thick sauce option for St Patrick’s Day and wasn’t disappointed. It has a subtle flavor which was elevated by the topping.

    Reply
    • Allison

      March 18, 2022 at 3:53 pm

      I’m glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  8. Sarah

    March 18, 2022 at 11:59 am

    5 stars
    Loved it! Perfect addition to my standard Irish food. Everyone loved it! Definitely keeping and making again!! Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Allison

      March 18, 2022 at 3:52 pm

      I’m so glad! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂

      Reply
  9. Heather

    November 23, 2022 at 6:38 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve made this recipe about 5 times now, always doubling it. It’s requested for Thanksgiving, Christmas, St Pat’s Day, and always the first thing gone. I make it all in my instant pot so I can take the whole thing with me and serve warm (adding a bit more cream and the topping when I am ready to serve).

    Reply
    • Allison

      November 29, 2022 at 1:29 pm

      Perfect! I’m so glad. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂

      Reply
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aboutHi, I'm Allison! I'm a busy wife and mom with a passion for cooking and baking. This is where you'll find my favorite homemade recipes, designed to help you make every day delicious! Read more....

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