My son, like most kids, loves cheese. The sharper the better. You give him a mild cheese and he throws it on the ground (I kid, not). You give him a piece of sharp cheddar and he’s silent–because he’s enjoying every bite. He has quite the sophisticated palate for such a small soul. I’m constantly mixing up our dinner routine and trying new side dishes. That’s where I came up with this Stove-top Macaroni & Garlic Herb Cheddar Cheese.
I can almost always guarantee that if I make macaroni and cheese he will eat dinner. And to keep dinner interesting for my husband and I, I like to experiment with new macaroni and cheese recipes for us too. My friends at Cabot sent me my quarterly box of cheese and in that box was my beloved Garlic & Herb Cabot Cheddar Cheese. I always just slice and eat with a cracker but this box, I knew I wanted to experiment with it in a big old pot of macaroni and cheese.
This Stove-top Macaroni & Garlic Herb Cheddar Cheese recipe has been approved by both adults and picky toddlers. My husband planted me a ton of fresh herbs that I can conveniently pick on my patio at any given time. So I knew I would be incorporating some of them in my recipe. Even with all the herbs, my son loved this mac and cheese. Of course, the herbs, are finely chopped, so I think that also helped him ignore them and just eat the mac and cheese.
Seriously, if you’ve never tried this variety of cheese, you need to now. It’s not as sharp as the traditional cheddar and a bit more milder and even softer. You can’t shred this cheese with a grater unless you have a food processor and cheese grater attachment. Since I was making this mac and cheese while my toddler was sleeping, I simply thinly sliced the cheese and added it to my simmered roux with steamed milk. With just a minute of mixing it was melted and I had the smoothest and creamiest cheese sauce in the land.
I made this creamy Stove-top Macaroni & Garlic Herb Cheddar Cheese in under 20 minutes and in just one pot! Making this perfect for your next side dish for dinner. Or dress it up and add some grilled chicken, sausage, or even shrimp and make it a full meal!
Disclosure: I was provided cheese from Cabot; however, not compensated nor required to post about their product. I simply love Cabot Cheese and like to share the products I love. There are affiliate links in this post. As always, all opinions are my own.
Stove-top Macaroni & Herbed Cheddar Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 cups elbow macaroni
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1-½ cups whole milk
- 4 oz. Garlic & Herb Cabot Cheddar Cheese thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil chiffonade
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves removed
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add in 1-2 tablespoons salt. Once the water is boiling, boil elbow macaroni for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and set to the side.
- Then add the 1 tablespoon of salted butter to the pot. Melt and stir in the flour to create a roux. Pour in the whole milk and whisk into the roux until smooth. Cook on medium heat until just warmed.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Add the thinly sliced Garlic & Herb Cabot Cheddar Cheese to the pot. Mix well with a wooden spoon until the cheddar melts. Add in the fresh herbs and pasta. Mix well and serve immediately!
oooooh YUM!!! I need to get some of that cheese and make this mac!
(and it’s hilarious what a sophisticated palate your lil man has!)
Kayle! It’s so crazy–you give him the fancy stuff and he’s all for it. You give him bland food most kids enjoy and he pushes it away! He’s such a foodie–so my kid!
Oh my; this looks amazing! Garlic and herb? I need this in my life …. soon!
Thanks Denise! Yes–I love snacking on this cheese and bringing Mac and Cheese to the next level!