A gourmet, grown-up twist on a classic favorite. This white wine mac and cheese is tangy, creamy, and cheesy. Made with your favorite white wine, taleggio, and Monterey jack cheeses, and a crisp panko breadcrumb topping, it's irresistibly indulgent!
Ingredients
1pounddried macaroni pasta, such as elbows or shells
Prepare a baking dish or casserole pan by lightly greasing the sides with butter. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta a few minutes short of al dente (about 3 minutes short of the suggested cook time on the package). You don't want the pasta to be fully cooked or it will be overcooked as it bakes. Drain and set aside if needed before the sauce is done.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, melt 4 tablespoons of butter. Add shallot and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute.
Whisk in flour, continuing to whisk so it doesn't burn, for 1-2 minutes, letting it come to a low simmer and bubble. Then, whisk in white wine and let simmer (while whisking often) for 1-2 minutes.
Whisk in room temperature heavy cream and milk, along with the thyme, ground mustard, white pepper, and salt (start small with the salt and test again after you've added the cheeses).
Remove skillet from heat and stir in the freshly shredded Monterey Jack cheese and diced Taleggio cheese, until melted. Pour cheese sauce over the noodles in a large saucepan until completely coated. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top, if using.
In a separate small bowl, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and stir to combine with panko. Salt and pepper to taste. Spread evenly across the parmesan on top of the macaroni and cheese in the baking dish.
Bake at 375°F for 15-20 minutes to thicken, until bubbly and golden brown. Alternatively, you can just broil at 425° for 5-8 minutes until the top is golden brown if preferred (cook the noodles just under al dente if you just plan on broiling).
Notes
Storage: store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.Reheating: it's just never quite the same when you reheat pasta since it soaks up a lot of the sauce. For best results, add a little milk or vegetable stock when reheating the mac and cheese, stirring often to loosen the sauce.