This easy truffle mac and cheese is made with gouda cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, macaroni elbow pasta, butter, milk, flour, and black truffle oil.
My kids have decided that "The Family Meal" is grilled steak and stovetop mac and cheese, so we make some version of this recipe about twice a month. As I've experimented with different shredded cheeses and flavors, I keep coming back to this mac and cheese recipe with a drizzle of truffle oil on top. It's the collision of fine dining and family weeknight meals.
No Velveeta
This mac and cheese sauce is NOT made with Velveeta. I use a homemade bechamel (milk, butter, flour) and shredded cheese for the ultimate creamy mac and cheese sauce. The cheese sauce even has a cheese pull!
What You Need
Macaroni elbows: I recommend macaroni elbows for that mac and cheese feel, however you can also use egg noodles.
Shredded sharp cheddar and shredded gouda cheese: I bought the sharp cheddar and gouda pre-shredded to save some time, but you can buy them as a block of cheese and shred them yourself. Cheddar, Dubliner, Gruyere, or Monterey Jack cheese are other cheeses for this recipe.
Black truffle oil: The most important ingredient for black truffle mac and cheese! Truffle oil can be purchased at your local grocery store or Amazon.
How To Make Truffle Mac and Cheese
Boil the macaroni pasta elbows per the package instructions while making the mac and cheese sauce.
In a separate stovetop pot on medium-high heat, add the flour to the melted butter.
Mix the flour and butter with a whisk for about a minute.
Add the milk and continue to whisk until a bechamel sauce thickens up (about 5 to 7 minutes). Whisk continuously to avoid clumps.
Once the bechamel sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, turn the stovetop low.
Mix in the shredded cheese and some salt to taste.
The sauce should be thick and smooth. Look at that cheese pull!
Drain the pasta using a strainer into the sink. Right before serving, add the drained macaroni elbow pasta to the cheese sauce. Drizzle truffle oil on top. I prefer adding the oil to individual bowls.
Substitutions
- Substitute different types of cheeses. Use Gruyere, Monterey Jack, cheddar, or Dubliner cheese instead of sharp cheddar and Gouda.
- Shred your cheese instead of buying pre-shredded packaged cheese. Pre-shredded cheese is usually mixed with potato starch which changes the texture of the melted cheese.
- Although this recipe is for truffle mac and cheese, it tastes delicious even without the truffle oil. Just omit the truffle oil.
- Make this lobster truffle mac and cheese by adding chopped boiled lobster tails!
📋 Recipe
Black Truffle Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 12 ounces macaroni elbows
- 4 cups milk any type of cow's milk
- ¾ cup shredded Gouda
- ¾ cup shredded sharp cheddar
- 4 tablespoon butter
- 4 tablespoon flour
- black truffle oil drizzled on top, see note 4
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Boil the macaroni elbows per the package instructions while making the cheese sauce.
- Make the cheese sauce: In a second stovetop pot, melt butter on medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted add the flour. Whisk the butter and flour together for about a minute. Add the milk and continue to whisk until the bechamel sauce thickens and can coat the back of a wooden spoon (about 5 to 7 minutes). Turn the stovetop on low heat and add in the shredded sharp cheddar cheese and shredded gouda cheese. Add in salt to taste. Mix everything until the mac and cheese sauce is blended smoothly.
- Strain the pasta. Mix the cheese sauce and pasta right before serving. Drizzle truffle oil on top.
Equipment
Notes
- Substitute any combination of Gruyere, Dubliner, cheddar, and Monterey Jack for Gouda and sharp cheddar.
- Substitute egg noodles for macaroni elbows.
- Truffle oil has different potency depending on the brand. Adjust the oil to your preference. Substitute white truffle oil for black truffle oil.
- Storage: I do not recommend freezing this recipe. Store this mac and cheese recipe in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 or 5 days. Reheat this pasta dish in the microwave in a microwave-safe container.
Stef says
Absolutely Delicious!!!
Just finished making this Dish for the first Time! Made only one small Addition to it, I salted my Water to Boil for the Macaroni's with Truffle SeaSalt and also added some of the Truffle SeaSalt to the Finished Dish to round it up!
Thank you for the Recipe, will be making this many, many Times!!!
Lily says
Hi Stef, thank you SO much for the comments and addition notes! I need to try salting the water with truffle sea salt. Yummy!
Chelsie says
This is the BEST quick and easy stovetop mac and cheese recipe, and the white truffle oil makes it so so so good. I really like the gruyere and white truffle oil combination. Also, the way the recipe is written is perfect for not being too overindulgent and having a food coma. If you like a lot of cheesy sauce, I recommend using only 8 ounces to 12 ounces of the dry elbow pasta. You can make the whole box but mix in only the amount you want to achieve the cheesiness you want. I say that because while the cheese was a perfect ratio for me and my family, but maybe others want more sauce.