Have you ever had Irish cheddar cheese? If you haven’t, you were in for a serious treat! Dubliner is a aged cows milk cheese coming out of Ireland, and it is packed with flavor! It is similar to an aged cheddar. With the upcoming St. Patty’s Day that we celebrate here in America, I thought what a better way to use this cheese than in a creamy mac & cheese!
Making the Sauce
Making this mac & cheese turned out to be shockingly simple with only a handful of ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your pantry. To make the cheese sauce, first you make a roux with your butter and flour. We’re looking for a blonde roux, so no need to cook it down very far. Cook enough to where the flour resembles the color and texture of wet sand. Once your roux is ready, pour in your milk.
It is better if your milk is room temperature because it will not allow the roux to clump. If you don’t have enough time to bring the milk up to room temperature, you can heat it up separately in a pot or just use it cold but be sure to whisk vigorously when mixing it into the roux. Once your sauce thickens up now it’s time to add in your shredded cheese! I was amazed at how well the flavor of the cheese came through in this sauce. With other cheeses, you sometimes need to add acid or extra salt to make sure that the flavor comes through but with the Dubliner, I didn’t need to add a thing! Once your sauce is finished and is seasoned to your liking, you’re ready to mix it together with your cooked pasta.
Let’s Talk Pasta
For my pasta shape, I always love to use cavatappi. Other shapes that work well for a macaroni and cheese would be elbows, penne, and possibly even bowties. Pretty much any pasta with a hole through the middle will give you the desired effect you’re looking for. The reason you want a pasta with a hole through the middle is there are a lot of nooks and crannies. The sauce will fill in those holes and you will get a great sauce to pasta ratio. Now that everything‘s mixed together you’re ready to enjoy! I left mine just as it is and had it as a creamy style macaroni and cheese. You could also top it with breadcrumbs or more cheese and bake in the oven for a nice crispy crust. That is totally up to you!
Equipment Used
Try it with these other great recipes!
Creamy Dubliner Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Shredded Dubliner Cheese
- 1 Cup Milk
- 1 Cup Cream
- 2 Tbsp Butter
- 2 Tbsp Flour
- ¾ LB Cavatappi Pasta Or other tube shape
Instructions
- In a deep pan or small pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Mix in the flour to create a roux. Cook the roux for 30 seconds, stirring constantly, to cook the flour.
- Add in the milk and cream to the roux and whisk to combine to a smooth sauce. Cook the sauce for a minute or two while stirring until it thickens. Once thick, add in the shredded cheese and whisk until it is all melted.
- In a separate pot, cook your pasta in salted water according to package instructions.
- Strain the pasta and combine with the cheese sauce.
- The Mac and Cheese is ready to serve now! You can serve it as is, creamy style, or you could top with more shredded cheese and breadcrumbs to bake in the oven for an additional 5-7 minutes to make a crispy crust. Totally up to you! Enjoy!
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