Macaroni and cheese has always been a staple at our holiday table. Depending on which family member makes it, it can range from super cheesy to indulgently stuffed with vegetables or bacon.
For this macaroni and cheese recipe, I combined my three favorite things – cheese, beer and caramelized onions.
To make it even more festive, instead of just normal beer, I used a seasonal favorite — pumpkin beer. It adds a nice touch of warm pumpkin flavor and pairs perfectly with the sharp cheddar cheese, sweet onions and little sprinkling of sage.
Add this Thanksgiving macaroni and cheese side dish to your table and all your guests will rejoice.
MORE: How to make the creamiest, most indulgent baked macaroni and cheese ever
Pumpkin beer mac and cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow pasta
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2-1/2 cup whole milk
- 3/4 cup pumpkin beer
- 4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup caramelized onions
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- Cook pasta until al dente, following box directions. Drain and set aside.
- In a large oven safe skillet (I like to use a cast iron) melt butter over medium heat.
- Whisk in sage, salt, pepper and garlic. Add in flour and whisk until the flour and butter become a nice smooth mixture. Whisk the flour mixture for 1 minute.
- In a large measuring cup add milk and beer. Slowly pour the liquid into the flour mixture, while constantly stirring. Stir the mixture until it starts to slightly bubble and thicken.
- When it’s thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon add in cheese. Stir together until cheese is melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Add pasta and caramelized onions into the cheese mixture and stir to combine. Top with panko crumbs and lightly mist with olive oil.
- Place macaroni and cheese in the oven under the broiler setting and broil until the topping is golden brown.