One Bowl Creamy Brie Mac and Cheese (stove-top only)
This one bowl creamy brie mac and cheese is comfort in every spoonful. Made with simple ingredients, this creamy mac is great for a cozy weeknight meal or a holiday side dish. Have it ready in 30 minutes.
Equipment
- Medium to Large Cooking Pot
Ingredients
- 1 lb pasta of your choice I used shells
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- ½ lb brie cheese approx 1 heaping cup. Use any type (triple creme, double creme, ect), but avoid flavored brie
- ½ cup parmesan
- ½ cup cheddar cheese heaping
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp shallots diced
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 3 tbsp salted butter
- Pepper for taste
- optional bread crumbs or herbs for topping
Instructions
- In a medium to large sauce pot, add 3 tbsp of butter and cook over medium heat.
- Once the butter is melted, add in the diced shallots and minced garlic. Cook until fragrant, approximately 2-3 minutes. Stir often. Watch is closely so it does not burn.
- Turn the heat down to medium low. Add the dry pasta into the pot and mix it in the melted butter, garlic and shallot until they are coated.
- Add 2 cups of vegetable broth into the pot and mix. The shells may not be fully covered. Mix to coat the shells then cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring very often, until the shells start to plump up and most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Once the vegetable broth is cooked down, add another 1 cup of vegetable broth and mix . Stir the mixture every 1-2 minutes until it is cooked down again. It will take about 5 minutes.
- Repeat adding the vegetable broth and cooking it down one more time until the pasta is fully cooked.
- While the pasta is cooking, prep the cheeses. Remove the rind from the brie cheese and cut it into cubes. Shred the parmesan and cheddar cheese if it is not pre-shredded.
- Once the pasta is fully cooked, remove it from the heat (keep it in the hot pot) and add the brie cheese, parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese, pepper for taste and heavy cream. Stir until all of the cheese is melted and a creamy sauce develops. It will be a little hard to stir at first but once the cheese melts it will get easier.
- Add to serving bowl. Option to top with breadcrumbs* or herbs.
Notes
*Breadcrumbs - If you want to add breadcrumbs, I recommend toasting them first. To toast them, add 2 tbsp of butter to a skillet over medium low heat. Melt the butter then add ½ cup of breadcrumbs. Mix then cook, stirring often, until breadcrumbs are golden brown.
I also added frozen grate cranberries to mine! To grate them, add ¼ cup of frozen cranberries to a food processor and pulse. Then sprinkle on top.
Storage - To store this creamy brie mac and cheese, add it to an airtight container or cover the serving dish with aluminum foil and place it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing because the pasta will get mushy.
To reheat, place in a microwave safe bowl and gently heat in the microwave as 45 second spurts until fully warmed, mixing often.
Gluten Free - Because of the cooking process, I recommend using a hard gluten free pasta, like banza. Any softer pasta, like Jovial or Trader Joes rice pasta, will fall apart and stick to the pot.
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