If you love creamy brie cheese and you love mac and cheese, why not combine the two and make mac and cheese with brie! Creamy, simple, and decadent, this creamy brie mac wont disappoint!
If you ever see me within arms length of a charcuterie board, I will absolute be reaching for slices of brie cheese on a cracker. To me, brie is just one of the most decadent, perfect cheeses for mac and cheese. It's creamy and soft, salty yet mild, and perfect with savory or sweet flavors.
So, as a pasta obsessed person, I had to find a way to use brie cheese with pasta. Of course, mac and cheese with brie was the obvious next level. Not only is brie mac and cheese delicious and extremely impressive, its so so simple! The brie is the base of the cheese sauce, and it's earthiness and creaminess makes it the perfect cheese for this cheesy pasta. Plus, this recipe is very basic, so you can enjoy it as-is, or you can add extra spices and flavorings to it!
If you're looking for even more classic mac and cheese goodness, I have a delicious Vegan Mac and Cheese recipe, as well as a Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese recipe!
🧀 Why you'll love brie mac and cheese
- Decadent - The rich and creamy texture of brie makes this mac and cheese have a creamy sauce that is so decadent and heavenly!
- No Roux - While a roux can be great in sauces, its often a pain to deal with for mac and cheese. Thankfully, this creamy cheese sauce doesn't need one!
- Impressive - The flavor of this is so impressive, but it's especially impressive when you serve it in the rind of brie wheel as a main or side dish!
🥘 What you need for this recipe
Ingredients and Substitutions:
- Elbow Pasta - Of course, any short pasta shape will work here, but I think elbow is superior. If you choose to do something else, keep it a small pasta shape like shell pasta or cavatappi pasta.
- Heavy Cream - I don't recommend substituting this ingredient, but whole milk could work if absolutely necessary.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese - Finely shredded cheddar cheese is best. I used pre-shredded, but shredding on your own is fine too.
- Brie Cheese - 8 oz. (or larger) wheel of brie cheese. Feel free to use the brie of your choice.
- Seasonings - Salt, black pepper, seasoned salt (optional), and chives for garnish.
📋 How to make this Brie Mac and Cheese
Step 1: Prepare the Sauce
Boil pasta in salted water to al dente according to package directions and reserve 2-4 tablespoons of pasta water.
Carefully cut the top rind layer of the wheel of brie off, trying not to remove much of the cheese.
Use a spoon to scoop out almost all of the brie cheese from inside the wheel, keeping the shape of the wheel intact.
Step 2: Make the Sauce
To a large nonstick pan or pot over medium-low heat, add the brie cheese.
Slowly let the brie melt, then add heavy cream.
Make sure the medium heat is low enough that the sauce doesn't begin to bubble.
Then add the cheddar cheese, and parmesan cheese if you'd like.
Use a whisk to combine the cheeses with the cream and continue stirring until smooth and without lumps.
Add seasonings including salt and pepper. Optionally add garlic powder, a touch of dijon mustard, cayenne pepper and more, and adjust to taste, but do not add chives or fresh herbs yet.
Step 3: Finishing Touches
To the pan/pot of cheese sauce, add the cooked pasta.
Gently stir to combine until all of the pasta is coated.
If necessary, add reserved pasta water to thin the sauce.
Serve mac and cheese in the scooped out brie rind OR simply serve in serving bowls.
Garnish the top of the mac with chives and enjoy while hot!
💭 Expert Tips and Tricks:
- If using an 8 oz wheel of brie, only a portion of the mac and cheese will fit in the serving wheel. To remedy this, opt for a larger wheel, but only use 8 oz of cheese in the sauce, or use multiple!
- Taste and adjust, adding a pinch of salt at a time until you like the taste. Also, you can add other flavorings like fresh thyme, red pepper flakes, garlic powder or onion powder, or any other spices you like! This recipe is intentionally very simple, so that you can adjust it to your liking (though it is great as it is, too!).
- While any type of brie will work, different varietals may result is different textures and flavors. For example, a very soft triple-creme brie may result in a different texture. Additionally, you can buy some flavored brie cheeses, such as truffle flavored for extra earthiness of the brie. This is encouraged if you want to experiment with the creamy brie cheese sauce!
- You may want to add a crunchy topping element. If so, add some seasoned italian bread crumbs or panko breadcrumbs, top with parmesan or white cheddar, or use cracker crumbs. Once the mac and cheese has a topping, drizzle it with olive oil, place in an oven-safe dish, then let the pasta bake under the broiler for just a few minutes, until the top is crispy and golden brown, being careful not to burn the top.
Recipe FAQs
Traditionally, brie goes very well with more acidic and/or sweet flavors because of it's richness. Here, I think that embracing the richness is key as mac and cheese is often rich. The brightness of the chive garnish helps to cut some of that. Pair this with a crisp Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.
When stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, this mac and cheese with brie recipe should last up to 5 days. That is, if you manage to save any leftovers!
Unlike some other soft cheeses, like mozzarella, brie cheese actually melts very well. This makes it perfect for using in sauces like this one!
Love a recipe you've tried? Please leave a 5-star🌟 rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. Don't forget to tag me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook when you try one of my recipes!
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📖 Recipe
Brie Mac and Cheese
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 oz Elbow pasta
- ⅓ cup Heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup Shredded cheddar Finely shredded. Pre-shredded is fine.
- 1 (8 oz) wheel Brie cheese cheese scooped out
- ½ teaspoon Salt plus more for tasting
- ¼ teaspoon Seasoned salt optional, Lawry's preferred.
- 2-4 tablespoon reserved pasta water optional
Instructions
- Boil pasta in salted water according to box instructions and reserve 2-4 tablespoons of pasta water.
- Carefully cut the top of the wheel of brie off, trying not to remove much of the cheese.
- Use a spoon to scoop out all of the brie from inside the wheel, keeping the shape of the wheel intact.
- To a large nonstick pan or pot over medium heat, add the brie cheese.
- Slowly allow it to melt, then add heavy cream.
- Make sure the heat is low enough that the sauce doesn't begin to bubble.
- Then add the cheddar cheese.
- Use a whisk to combine the cheeses with the cream and continue stirring until smooth.
- Add seasonings and adjust to taste, but do not add chives yet.
- To the pan/pot of cheese sauce, add the cooked and drained elbow pasta.
- Gently stir to combine until all of the pasta is coated.
- If necessary, add reserved pasta water to thin the sauce.
- Serve mac and cheese in the scooped out brie rind OR simply serve in serving bowls.
- Garnish with chives and enjoy while hot!
Notes
- If using an 8 oz wheel of brie, only a portion of the mac and cheese will fit in the serving wheel. To remedy this, opt for a larger wheel, but only use 8 oz of cheese in the sauce, or use multiple!
- Add more heavy cream along with pasta water as necessary to achieve desired sauce consistency.
- While any type of brie will work, different varietals may result is different textures and flavors. For example, a very soft triple-creme brie may result in a different texture. Additionally, you can buy some flavored brie cheeses, such as truffle flavored. This is encouraged if you want to experiment!
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