American comfort · side · easy
Truffle White Cheddar Mac
Sharp white cheddar and Gruyère mac, truffle-scented, under a shattered-silver panko crust.
A stovetop béchamel melts white cheddar and Gruyère into a glossy, sharp, faintly funky sauce, truffle paste perfumes it from below, and the broiler turns panko into a crust that shatters when the spoon goes in. It is decadent enough for the Christmas table beside prime rib — and humble enough that someone will scrape the corner for the crispy bits.
Ingredients
a generous spoonful each as a side; doubles as a meal for four with a salad
Pasta
Cheese Sauce
Panko Crust
Instructions
- 1
cook
Boil the pasta in well-salted water to 2 minutes SHORT of package al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
Doneness cue: Pasta has a visible bite line in the center — it finishes cooking in the sauce.
- 2
cook
Melt the butter in a wide saucepan and whisk in the flour; cook 2 minutes over medium heat until it smells like pie crust, not raw flour.
Doneness cue: Roux turns pale blonde and smells toasty; raw-flour smell means keep going.
- 3
cook
Stream in the warm milk while whisking constantly, and simmer 4–5 minutes until the béchamel coats a spoon.
Doneness cue: Draw a finger through the sauce on the spoon — the line holds.
- 4
finish
Take the sauce OFF the heat and fold in the grated cheeses a handful at a time, then the truffle paste, dijon, white pepper, nutmeg, and salt to taste.
Doneness cue: Cheese melts into satin with no grainy threads — too hot and it splits, so off-heat is the rule.
- 5
assemble
Fold in the drained pasta, loosening with splashes of pasta water until the sauce just flows but still clings.
Doneness cue: Sauce disappears into the elbows with a glossy coat — not soupy, not stiff.
- 6
assemble
Scrape into a broiler-safe dish, toss the panko with melted butter and Parmesan, and blanket the top.
Doneness cue: An even, un-pressed crumb layer — pressing it down makes it dense instead of craggy.
- 7
cook
Broil 4–6 inches from the element for 2–4 minutes, until the crust is deep gold and crackling.
Doneness cue: Move nothing after the first 90 seconds — the line between browned and burnt is fast; watch it.
- 8
serving
Rest 5 minutes, shower with chives, and serve with a loud warning that the dish is volcanic underneath.
Doneness cue: Crust crackles under the spoon — that sound is the dish announcing itself.
Pairings
Drink · Chardonnay or a dry hard cider
Side · Sliced for the Christmas table beside the Rosemary Garlic Prime Rib
Per serving (est.)
calories 540 · proteing 20 · carbsg 48 · fatg 29
Approximate — the cream line is real; portion small and pass seconds guiltily.
Shop the Kitchen
Everything used in this recipe · Amazon Associate links
3-quart broiler-safe baking dish (or 10-inch cast iron)
essentialOven-safe and wide so the crust-to-pasta ratio stays high.
Box grater
essentialFreshly grated cheddar and Gruyère melt clean; pre-shredded does not.
Flat whisk
essentialReaches every corner of the béchamel so the roux never scorches at the seam.
Stockpot
nice-to-haveBoils the pound of pasta without crowding; a crowded pot glues elbows together.
Microplane grater
nice-to-haveFeather-light Parmesan and fresh nutmeg — two small upgrades that read big in the sauce.
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