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This cheesy Truffle Mac and Cheese can be made in one skillet and in under 30 minutes. It combines white truffle oil, mushrooms and gruyere cheese for a super tasty variation on traditional macaroni and cheese.
This white truffle mac and cheese is life changing. ....which I realize is a BOLD statement, but it's true.
I've always loved truffle oil, but I used to only use it on top of popcorn. Turns out, it's really tasty with pasta, too. This mac and cheese lasted no more than one full day in my house, and though that might sound embarrassing, I'm not ashamed. It's that incredible!
As much as I love my vegan mac and cheese and this super quick microwave mac and cheese, this truffle oil macaroni and cheese recipe is the elevated (read: fancy) version, but not fancy at all! Think: restaurant quality but at home.
Recipe features
- It's made in one skillet, and there's nothing better than one skillet meals
- The truffle oil pairs perfectly with the cheese and mushrooms
- It's ready in under 30 minutes!
Ingredient notes
Pasta: You can use ANY kind of pasta in this recipe: regular, whole wheat, gluten free--the choice is yours!
Mushrooms: Baby bella mushrooms are great with pasta. If you can, buy the pre-sliced kind to save yourself some prep work
Cheese: The combination of gruyere and shredded sharp cheddar cheese makes this dish even more flavorful! Need a substitution? You could use parmesan cheese instead.
Truffle oil: Truffle oil is usually on the pricier side, but unlike other oils, you don't and shouldn't use a lot of it--a little bit goes a LONG way! Buy yourself a bottle and it should last for at least a few months.
Thyme: If there's one ingredient that's optional, it's the thyme. But, I think it adds a little extra flavor to the dish, so I do recommend it
Method
Ok so like I mentioned, this is a one skillet dinner recipe, making it very easy to prep!
First: Cook the mushrooms. Add mushrooms--along with the thyme and olive oil--to a large, deep skillet and sauté for 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are soft.
Second: Add the pasta. To that same skillet, add the pasta, milk, half and half, and water. Bring mixture to a boil, cover the skillet and boil until the pasta is cooked and has absorbed the water.
Third: Stir in the cheese. Last, reduce heat to low, then sprinkle the pasta with flour and stir for 20 seconds or so. Then, add in the cheese and stir until combined.
*NOTE: you will probably have to add more milk while doing this. I'd start with 1/4 cup almond milk (or your choice of milk) and go from there. You want the cheese to be smooth and, well, cheesy, not clumpy. I ended up adding an extra 1/2 cup almond milk total.
Tips
- If after you add the cheese and everything seems too dry, add 1/4 cup milk, stir everything together and go from there. If you need to add even more milk to create the correct mac and cheese consistency, go for it!
- Use some sort of shaped pasta--shells, penne, macaroni--rather than long noodles.
Can I use black truffle oil?
No! White truffle oil and black truffle oil taste very different -- this recipe was created and tested using white truffle oil.
How should leftovers be stored?
Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator. To reheat, either microwave, or place back into the skillet along with a few splashes of milk and stir until it's warm.
More dinner recipes
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Truffle Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 8 oz. baby bella mushrooms sliced
- 1 tsp fresh thyme
- 1 lb. pasta
- 2 cups water
- 3/4 cup milk of choice plus more
- 3/4 cup half and half
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tsp white truffle oil or more to taste
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 cup gruyere cheese shredded
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add mushrooms and thyme, stirring until the mushrooms are soft, approximately 5 minutes.
- Add in the pasta, water, milk, and half and half and turn the heat up to high; bring to a boil, place a lid on the skillet and cook until noodles are soft.
- Turn heat down to low and add in 2 tbsp of flour, stirring really well.
- Add in the butter, truffle oil and cheese, stirring until the cheese is melted. If mixture seems too thick, add 1/4 cup (or more) of milk and stir until the cheese is smooth.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
UPDATE NOTE: This post was originally published in December 2015. It was updated with new text in December 2020.
