Aged Irish white cheddar cheese and Asiago combine to make our Irish White Cheddar Mac and Cheese creamy, cheesy and fabulously delicious! Our mac and cheese casserole will be a highlight on your Saint Patrick's Day table this year.
Guaranteed to be a family favorite, our Irish White Cheddar Mac and Cheese is both creamy and cheesy, and you don’t have to be Irish to love it!
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Mac and cheese casserole
This recipe puts an Irish spin on the classic comfort food that we all love.
Trust me when I tell you that the whole family will want a big bowl of mac and cheese.
Growing up with a dad who was born and raised in Ireland and had the best Irish brogue, and a mom who was first generation Italian (maiden name Lamborghini, yes, very Italian, and yes, related to the car) made for an interesting family dynamics.
My dad’s one request was that there be a bowl of boiled potatoes on the table every evening for dinner.
My mom obliged, even when she had prepared a big bowl of homemade pasta and meatballs there was that bowl of boiled potatoes proudly sitting on the table right next to that bowl of pasta!
Being the diplomat that I am, I’ve created a recipe with Irish Cheddar cheese, for my dad, and pasta, for my mom.
This Irish mac and cheese is guaranteed to be a family favorite in no time at all, and not just on Saint Patrick's Day but all year long.
And you don’t have to be Irish to love it because everyone loves a creamy mac and cheese!
When you make this easy casserole with an Irish white cheddar cheese, you're all set for your St. Patrick's Day celebration.
I love to make this recipe with cavatappi pasta because the shape grabs the cheese sauce in all its nooks and crannies.
But elbow macaroni will work well too. Rotini pasta will also hold the cheese sauce in its grooves.
Our baked white cheddar mac and cheese will be a highlight on your table this year.
This St. Patrick’s Day I fondly remember my dad, my own personal little leprechaun.
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How to make homemade mac and cheese
Scroll down for the full recipe instructions and ingredient amounts in the recipe card below
- Preheat oven to 375F. Coat 1.5 quart baking dish with cooking spray.
- To make the white cheddar cheese sauce, in a large pot melt 2 Tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add all purpose flour, mustard powder and salt, stirring until smooth.
- Whisk in whole milk and evaporated milk until smooth. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is slightly thickened and coats the back of a spoon.
- Add Irish Cheddar and Asiago cheeses, stirring until smooth and melted.
- Remove from heat; stir in cooked pasta until combined and evenly coated. Transfer to prepared baking dish.
- In small bowl remaining 1 Tbs. butter; stir in panko. Sprinkle over pasta.
- Bake 25 minutes or until panko is lightly browned and mixture is hot and bubbly.
- Let stand 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and enjoy!
Make Ahead Directions
You can easily make this white cheddar mac n cheese recipe ahead by following these make ahead directions:
- Combine all the ingredients then refrigerate it, covered, until ready to serve
- Let the casserole come to room temperature
- Bake as directed in the recipe
Recipe Tips
- When shredding cheese yourself, use a box grater or food processor
Substitutions
- Feel free to substitute elbow pasta for the cavatappi pasta
- Rotini pasta will work well in place of the cavatappi pasta too
Equipment
- Casserole baking dish set
Storage
- Store any leftover macaroni and cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Pasta will stay fresh for 2-3 days.
Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients for this white cheddar mac and cheese recipe:
- cavatappi pasta
- butter
- flour
- dry mustard powder
- kosher salt
- milk
- canned evaporated milk
- Aged Irish Cheddar, such as Kerrygold
- Asiago cheese
- seasoned Panko breadcrumbs
- parsley
Saint Patrick’s Day recipes
Every one needs to be Irish on Saint Patrick's Day and what better way to join in the celebration than with a feast fit for an Irishman!
- Kick off your party with Shamrock Shake Shooters! Our shooters are made with vanilla ice cream, Irish Whiskey, mint flavoring and tinted green, and are sure to be the hit of your Saint Patrick's Day! Kids will love these little shooters too, without the Irish whiskey of course!
- Short on time? Corned Beef and Cabbage Casserole combines all the flavors of your St. Patrick's Day dinner in one dish. Cabbage, carrots and sweet onions sauteed in a Guinness reduction are layered with cheddar and potato filled pierogies, corned beef and aged Irish cheddar cheese. Corned Beef and Cabbage Casserole is a mouthwatering casserole guaranteed to please your favorite Irishman!
- Prefer to make your slow cooker do the work? Then Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Guinness Reduction is the recipe for you. The flavors of Guinness, brown sugar and horseradish mustard will simmer in your slow cooker all day long and infuse your corned beef. Once you’re home just boil up the juices and make yourself a beautiful Guinness reduction to drizzle over your corned beef and mashed potatoes!
- Give your cabbage a face lift this Saint Patrick's Day with our Roasted Cabbage Wedges With Bacon recipe! Wedges of cabbage are seasoned, oven roasted to tender perfection, then sprinkled with crumbled crispy bacon and fresh parsley leaves.
- Colcannon With Kale And Leeks is an updated twist on the traditional Irish mashed potato recipe. Cabbage is replaced with the super food kale and buttery leeks flavor this creamy Irish potato dish.
- No-Bake Bailey's Irish Cream Puddin N Cake Parfaits is an easy dessert recipe combining Irish Cream, pudding and cake. You’re guaranteed to delight taste buds and make everyone wish they were Irish when you serve these no-bake Irish parfaits!.
Irish White Cheddar Mac and Cheese Recipe
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Ingredients
- 8 ounces cavatappi pasta , cooked to al dente and drained
- 3 Tablespoons butter , divided
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 can (5 ounces) evaporated milk
- 1 pkg. (7 ounces) Aged Irish Cheddar , such as Kerrygold, shredded, about 2 1/2 cups
- 4 ounces Asiago cheese , shredded, about 1 heaping cup
- 1/3 cup seasoned Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F. Coat 1.5 quart baking dish with cooking spray.
- In large saucepot melt 2 Tbs. butter over medium-high heat. Add flour, mustard powder and salt, stirring until smooth.
- Whisk in milk and evaporated milk until smooth. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is slightly thickened and coats the back of a spoon.
- Add Irish Cheddar and Asiago cheeses, stirring until smooth and melted.
- Remove from heat; stir in cooked pasta until combined and evenly coated. Transfer to prepared baking dish.
- In small bowl remaining 1 Tbs. butter; stir in panko. Sprinkle over pasta.
- Bake 25 minutes or until panko is lightly browned and mixture is hot and bubbly.
- Sprinkle with parsley and enjoy!
Notes
- You can make this recipe ahead.
- Combine all the ingredients the refrigerate it, covered, until ready to serve
- Let the casserole come to room temperature
- Bake as directed in the recipe
- Feel free to substitute elbow pasta for the cavatappi pasta
- Rotini pasta will work well in place of the cavatappi pasta too
This sounds waaaaay better than the Annie's Shells and Cheese I made last night....!
I thought Mac & Cheese was pretty standard fare, but this recipe has elevated it to a higher calling! It's smooth and cheesy, with a "WOW" taste that makes it hard to stop nibbling on!! The recipe was simple to understand, and really easy to follow! Thanks!
This was so easy to make and so yummy, no leftovers!