White Cheddar Truffle Mac and Cheese

This White Cheddar Truffle Mac and Cheese is made on the stove with truffle oil, white cheddar & Swiss cheeses – it's super creamy and perfect comfort food!  

Ingredients in truffle mac and cheese

Warning: this White Cheddar Truffle Mac and Cheese is dangerous.

It definitely strays from my usual healthy food theme for my blog, and for that I'm sorry. But you're going to thank me once you make it, because it is so, SO good. Here's what you need to make it, it's a pretty simple ingredient list:

• butter
• flour
• 2% milk
• macaroni
• aged white cheddar cheese (the more aged the better!)
• Swiss cheese
• truffle oil
• salt & pepper

How to make truffle mac and cheese

This mac and cheese comes together in almost one pot – you'll cook the macaroni then make the cheese sauce at the same time. Both will be ready in and around the same time, making this a quick, 30-minute dinner or easy side dish.

Here's how to make it step-by-step:

1. Cook macaroni for 8-9 minutes in boiling water until al dente.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter, then whisk in flour. Add milk 1 cup at a time, whisking to remove lumps and stirring until thickened. Bring to an almost boil
3. Add salt and pepper, cooked pasta then stir in cheeses and truffle oil. Remove from heat and serve immediately!

Ingredient substitutions

This truffle mac and cheese is pretty straightforward to make but you can definitely substitute different ingredients, especially the cheeses. The truffle oil is also an optional add-in – this mac and cheese will still taste delicious without it!

Cheeses – The cheeses are totally up to you on this one! You can use all white cheddar but the Swiss will add that creaminess, while the cheddar will add flavour. Other great options for cheeses include mozzarella, goat cheese, parmesan and any other type of cheddar.

Pasta – Feel free to use whatever pasta shapes you'd like here! Mini shells also work great.

Milk – I recommend 2% milk for best results, but you can also use whole milk or cream (cut the cream in half though if you do use heavy cream). You can try almond or coconut milk, but be forewarned: I have not tried it myself and cannot guarantee results.

Truffle oil – Leave it out if you don't have it or don't want it! You can also add other toppings/flavour profiles to this mac and cheese such as bacon, garlic or fresh herbs.

Where to find truffle oil

You can usually find truffle oil at your local grocery store in the oils section. You can sometimes also find it at stores like Marshalls or HomeSense in the edible gifts section. Or you can order some online off Amazon.

Most truffle oils you can find (that are reasonably priced anyway) will not be made with real truffles. Most often, it's olive oil infused with truffle flavour. Since you are using such a small amount in this recipe, you won't be able to tell the difference. You just want some flavour there to accompany the cheeses. Again, you can just leave the truffle oil out if you'd lile.

What to serve with mac and cheese

I typically like to serve this mac and cheese as a side dish, as there are 8 servings with this recipe. You can eat it as a main dish though! In this case, I'd say dividing the recipe into 6 portions would suffice. If you're serving this mac and cheese as a main dish, here are some options to serve alongside it. I'd say you want a lighter vegetable side to go along with it to keep the calorie count low and add some nutrition.

• Side salad
• Roasted broccoli
• Steamed cauliflower
• Sauteed spinach

More mac and cheese recipes

• One pot mac and cheese bar
• Cauliflower mac and cheese
• Instant Pot mac and cheese

This recipe is one of my fave recipes for Valentine's Day. Get more Valentine's Day Recipe ideas here.

Storing and reheating

Store any leftovers (if you have any, HAH!) in glass containers in the fridge. If you store individual serving sizes, all you have to do is sprinkle some water overtop then microwave for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through. The water will keep the pasta from drying out – you can also add in some more milk before reheating to keep the creamy consistency. Leftovers will last in the fridge up to 5 days.

If you have made this mac and cheese ahead of time, you can reheat in a pot on the stove. Add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup more milk and stir constantly over medium heat. This is a good way to revive it if you're serving it to lots of guests.

Freezing truffle mac and cheese

You can also freeze this mac and cheese! Freeze in glass containers with lids, then you can reheat from frozen for 7-8 minutes in the microwave. Be sure to sprinkle water overtop and stir once or twice halfway through the reheating time. You should also be able to reheat from frozen in a 375 oven for 30-40 minutes. Again, sprinkle some water overtop and make sure you are using an oven safe container if you choose to reheat in the oven.

Meal prep tools for this recipe

• I use 14 oz ramekins but you could also serve in bowls
• Order some truffle oil off Amazon.
• Grab some glass meal prep bowls to pack up individual servings of this mac and cheese
• Freeze this recipe in glass microwave-safe bowls up to 3 months