Sourdough Mac and Cheese | A Discard Recipe
Learn how delicious it is to make homemade sourdough mac and cheese! Use your sourdough discard to make a creamy cheese sauce to pour over tender noodles and top with a delightful breadcrumb crunch. Your whole family will love this oven-baked comfort food.
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Equipment
- large pot
- colander
- 6-qt Dutch oven or 9x13 baking dish
- whisk
Ingredients
Sourdough Cheese Sauce
- 56 g unsalted butter ¼ cup
- 250 g sourdough discard 1 cup
- 750 g whole milk 3 cups
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 150 g cheddar cheese 1½ cups
- 150 g Monterey Jack cheese 1½ cups
Pasta
- 16 oz macaroni noodles
- 6 qt water
- 1 tsp salt
Bread Crumb Topping
- 240 g bread crumbs 2 cups
- 28 g unsalted butter 2 tbsp
- 50 g grated parmesan cheese ½ cup
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
Cook the Macaroni
- While you prepare the pasta, preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C.
- Add 6 quarts of water and 1 tsp of salt to a large pot over medium-high heat. Once the water comes to a rolling boil, add the macaroni to the water and stir to separate the pasta.
- Cook the pasta just short of al dente where the macaroni still has a bit of a bite or chew to it. Check pasta 2 minutes before the package instructions' cooking time. Strain and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, prepare the sourdough cheese sauce.
Sourdough Cheese Sauce
- Shred cheddar cheese and Monterey cheese and toss together in a bowl to combine. Remove ½ cup of cheese and place it in a small bowl, and set aside.
- Melt 56 g (¼ cup) unsalted butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Whisk in 250 g (1 cup) sourdough discard until it's fully incorporated, and then add 750 g (3 cups) whole milk.
- Continue whisking the mixture as it heats up and thickens. When the sauce is thick enough that it leaves a trail as you stir it, add 1 tsp mustard, 1 tsp salt, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. While whisking, add the shredded cheese in small amounts (roughly ½ cup portions), letting it melt before adding more. Continue whisking until the sauce is smooth.
- Add the cooked pasta over the sauce and stir, coating the pasta with the cheese mixture. Smooth out the pasta with the back of a spoon and add reserved shredded cheese evenly over the top of the pasta.
Breadcrumb Topping for Mac and Cheese
- Add 240 g (2 cups) breadcrumbs, 50 g (½ cup) parmesan cheese, and ¼ tsp salt to a small bowl and toss to combine.
- Pour 28 g (2 tbsp) melted butter over the breadcrumb mixture and stir until they're well-coated.
- Spread the buttery breadcrumb mixture over the cheesy pasta, making sure to reach the edges.
Bake
- Place the pan into the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until the bread crumbs turn golden brown.
Notes
Tips
-
- For a smooth sauce, skip the pre-shredded cheese and buy a block of cheese and shred it yourself. Because most store-bought shredded cheese is full of cellulose to avoid clumping, they don't melt as smoothly as cheese you grate yourself.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 days. The breadcrumb topping does soften as more time passes.
- Undercooking the pasta is key to not having mushy noodles since the pasta continues to cook when you bake the mac and cheese in the oven. If you like soft mac and cheese, cook the pasta until al dente.
FAQs
What's the best pot to make homemade sourdough mac and cheese in?
You can cook the cheese sauce in a large saucepan and the pasta in a large pot, then transfer them to a 9x13 baking dish. However, I prefer to make the sauce in a shallow enameled cast iron skillet, add the cooked pasta to it, and then bake it. This creates one less dish to wash. Plus, it has a lid, making it easy to store leftovers.What kind of cheese is best in macaroni and cheese?
Any flavorful, melty cheese will work well in mac n cheese. I prefer medium cheddar and Monterey Jack, but Colby, mozzarella, Gruyère, Gouda, and Fontina are all good options.How do I reheat leftover homemade mac and cheese?
An oven is the best way to reheat leftover mac and cheese. Place the mac and cheese in an oven-safe container and cover with a piece of aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes at 350°F/177°C, removing the foil for the last 5 minutes of baking. If the mac and cheese seems dry, add a bit of milk to the bottom of the pan. Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.Nutrition
Calories: 633.6kcalCarbohydrates: 69.7gProtein: 25.4gFat: 27.8gSaturated Fat: 15.8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1.8gMonounsaturated Fat: 6.7gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 74.7mgSodium: 1300.7mgPotassium: 370.8mgFiber: 3.2gSugar: 8.1gVitamin A: 806IUVitamin C: 0.01mgCalcium: 534.4mgIron: 2.4mg
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