Marry me mac and cheese is a delicious spin on the classic. This recipe features tender macaroni noodles covered in a silky cheesy sauce with hints of sun dried tomatoes and herbs.
Info and tips for marry me mac and cheese
For this recipe we are using a roux . A roux is a mixture of flour and fat that helps thicken any sauce you are making. It also gives a nice nutty flavour to the dish. Keep in mind that the longer you cook your roux and the darker it gets, the less thickening power it will have. In our case we are only cooking the roux 1-2 minutes so it can still thicken our mac and cheese sauce.
Another very important note is to turn off the heat completely when adding in the grated cheese. If the sauce is boiling still it increases the chance of the sauce splitting, which will make the sauce gritty instead of smooth. I also recommend grating your own cheese because it has wayyy more flavour and better texture than the store bought bags.
Equipment
I used my Le Creuset Dutch Oven for this recipe. I highly highly recommend these. They last forever and are good for so many things.
Ingredients for marry me mac and cheese
- 2 cups macaroni
- 2 tbsp butter
- tbsp sun dried tomato oil
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp flour
- 2 tbsp chopped sun dried tomatoes
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup milk
- tsp Italian seasoning
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/3 cup parmesan
- salt & pepper to taste
- fresh parsley (for topping)
Instructions
- Start by boiling a pot of salted water and add the macaroni in. Cook until al dente, strain, and set aside.
- Mince the garlic and sun dried tomatoes.
- To a pot add the butter and sun dried tomato oil in on medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sun dried tomatoes. Cook for a couple minutes until fragrant.
- Next add the flour and mix with a whisk until combined. Cook another 1-2 minutes before pouring in the chicken stock while stirring.
- Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and add in the heavy cream, milk, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Stir well and bring sauce back to a simmer and cook until it thickens slightly.
- Meanwhile grate your cheddar cheese and parmesan.
- Shut off the heat on the sauce and stir in the grated cheeses. Make sure the sauce is not boiling to prevent splitting.
- Once the cheese is melted taste test and adjust with salt & pepper as needed. Once satisfied, add the cooked macaroni back to the sauce and fold together.
- Add some fresh parsley for topping and enjoy!
See below for a video tutorial!
If you like this recipe be sure to check out my others:
Marry me mac and cheese features tender macaroni noodles covered in a silky cheesy sauce with hints of sun dried tomatoes and herbs. Start by boiling a pot of salted water and add the macaroni in. Cook until al dente, strain, and set aside. Mince the garlic and sun dried tomatoes. To a pot add the butter and sun dried tomato oil in on medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sun dried tomatoes. Cook for a couple minutes until fragrant. Next add the flour and mix with a whisk until combined. Cook another 1-2 minutes before pouring in the chicken stock while stirring. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and add in the heavy cream, milk, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Stir well and bring sauce back to a simmer and cook until it thickens slightly. Meanwhile grate your cheddar cheese and parmesan. Shut off the heat on the sauce and stir in the grated cheeses. Make sure the sauce is not boiling to prevent splitting. Once the cheese is melted taste test and adjust with salt & pepper as needed. Once satisfied, add the cooked macaroni back to the sauce and fold together. Add some fresh parsley for topping and enjoy!Marry Me Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
Instructions