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I made this a few days ago and it was delicious! The sauce alone was to die for, it smelled amazing on the stove. I have never had a bad recipe from this site and the directions are always spot-on, love it!
Sarah
Today’s post is sponsored by our friends at Barefoot Wine!
How much do I love Mac and Cheese? It’s like, well, just, I don’t even really know how to talk about it, which, if you’ve been reading this blog for a while, is saying something. LOUD AND CLEAR.
But that’s the level I’ve reached with my love for the pot-o-golden-cheesy-deliciousness.
Related to the Mac and Cheese question: how much do I love Barefoot Wine? A lot.
And so when I need to make myself the opportunity to eat Macaroni and Cheese and still feel grown-up-ish with a glass of red wine, I create this combination:
- Tangy, Sharp Cheddar
- Creamy Garlic and Herb Sauce
- Bites of Seared Steak in Browned Butter
- Chewy Macaroni
- Velvety, Rich Malbec
That is where it’s at right there, my friends.
So in a weird and exciting turn of events, I went to a wedding this weekend and I was so thrilled to see bottles of Barefoot on each of the tables. WHAT! So perfect since I am personally a big fan of Barefoot and have been working on a few recipes to complement their wines. Well done, bride and groom! Well done.
I will tell you this, though, that one critical detail that I’d rather just forget is that the sweet and beautiful bride was actually a little girl (well, okay, fine, I guess she’s an adult now) that I used to babysit. As in BABYsit.
Oh my gosh, life, just stop it. How does something like this even happen to a person who is not even 30 yet?
NOT OKAY. Pass the Malbec pleeeez.
You guys, I promise I’m not going to show up in this post and all of a sudden pretend to be a wine connoisseur – I’m totally not. Remember when I couldn’t remember how to say sommelier to the fancy people in Aspen? Yeah, um, that’s more my style.
I AM, however, totally a person who likes to cook with wine and/or have a glass of wine with dinner, and also a person who does not like to break the bank while shopping for wine. And wait one more thing – a person who likes wine to actually taste good. Is this asking too much? Honestly.
This is why I’m a huge fan of Barefoot – it’s affordable, there’s a manageable number of choices, and it really tastes good.
Win!
The creamy, tangy cheddar with the steak bites makes this Steak Mac and Cheese sturdy and bold enough to stand up to the smooth, velvety dreaminess of the Malbec. For me, it was a match made in heaven.
I may or may not have eaten a plate full of this Steak Mac and Cheese with my glass of Malbec all while watching the Bachelorette with Sage the other night.
And I’m not even going to lie – somehow it was just the right fit. ā”
Steak and Cheddar Mac and Cheese
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
This Steak and Cheddar Mac and Cheese is the ultimate comfort food – and it’s the perfect match for a glass of red wine. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 14 ounces whole wheat elbow macaroni (or other pasta)
- 6 tablespoons butter, divided
- 16 ounces sirloin steak, cut into small pieces
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
- 4 tablespoons flour (can use whole wheat)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 3/4 cup water or broth (only if needed)
- a bottle or two of Barefoot Malbec for serving
Instructions
- Pasta: Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside (toss with oil to prevent sticking).
- Steak: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large, sturdy skillet over medium low heat. Continue to heat the butter until it’s barely browned (this just gives it more flavor). Turn the heat up to medium high and add the steak pieces – do not stir or shake for 30-45 seconds. Flip the steak pieces and cook for another minute or two, until the steak is done to your liking. Remove from heat and keep warm.
- Sauce: Melt the remaining butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and parsley – saute for about a minute, being careful not to burn or brown the garlic. Add the flour and salt – saute for another minute or two. Add the milk slowly, whisking to incorporate with the flour/butter mixture. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and has thickened slightly. Add the cheese and stir until melted.
- Assembly: Stir the pasta together with the cheese sauce and add the steak. Stir in extra water or broth if the consistency needs a little thinning out. Season with more salt and pepper, or if you’re really awesome, drizzle truffle oil over the whole thing. OMG I did that. Serve with a glass of rich, velvety Barefoot Malbec!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: mac and cheese, steak mac and cheese, steak recipe
This recipe is brought to you by Pinch of Yum + Barefoot Wine! Go get some Malbec right now please – this epic combo awaits.
So easy and delicious! I used my left over steak and drained the pasta over the steak so it wouldn’t over cook. Worked perfectly. This recipe is a keeper. Best cheese sauce, I did mix the cheddar with pepper jack cheese.
Is this recipe freezable ? If so, can you provide the directions the best way to freeze it and how to bake it. Please send a direct response to the email provided above. Thank you so much !
We haven’t tried freezing this recipe! We generally don’t freeze cooked pasta because it doesn’t always reheat well!
Excellent
Thanks for sharing such a delicious dish!!! I followed your instructions as you’ve described and result was absolutely fine. Even all my family members have enjoyed so much and we all got in love with the cheese that tastes very good. Your idea on steak and cheddar mac was great….
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Here’s my plate. Yum. The browned butter is a nice element.
Number of times Barefoot wine mentioned – 6. Number of pictures of Barefoot wine – 3.
We get it – they’re paying you.
This was AMAZING!! Iām usually reluctant to using other mac & cheese recipes (other than the one I always use) because they usually donāt come close to measuring up. I was looking for something last minute to use up some stir fry beef I had, & so glad I found this recipe! I did cut the recipe in half as we did not need that much, & it still turned out so perfect.
So glad to hear that, Jessica!
This was by far one of the BEST mac & cheese recipes I’ve made in a while! I made this last night and even with my picky eaters, we absolutely loved it!! Thank you!
I made this the other night, quick, easy and delicious. My son went back for seconds, and was looking for leftovers the next day… of course there were no leftovers! I’ll definitely share this recipe.
Can you freeze this with the steak??
Hi Tonya! If you’re just freezing the sauce, I think it could work – but we’ve never had much luck freezing pasta.
Instead of two cups of milk for the mac n cheese, you could use two delicious cups of nice, refrigerated, and fresh Almondbreeze original Almondmilk. It’s the best.
I bookmarked this several months ago and just now got around to making it. I’m not usually a fan of meat in my mac and cheese (unless it’s lobster omg yum), but this was super yummy. I made a few of my own adjustments. I tweaked the cheese to be 3 oz of smoked gouda, 5 oz extra sharp white cheddar, and a sprinkle of parmesan. I added some quartered crimini mushrooms for some variation in texture, and I served with a splash of Worcestershire for that little pop of acid. Malbec was an excellent suggestion for a wine pairing.
Sounds delicious! Glad you enjoyed it!
This is sooo yummy! It pleased me (the mac n cheese part), and hubby (the steak).
Amazing! So delicious my whole family loved it! 10 year old and 2 year old devoured. I also love barefoot and coincidentally had barefoot with this meal
Love that, Theresa! š
Hi, just found your site, am looking thru all the recipes..they look yummy! I want to try this steak and cheddar mac, but have a couple questions.
1. Can I use pre-shredded cheddar cheese, or buy a block and shred myself into 2 cups? If I buy a block, how much do I need? 8ou or 16ou?
2. I dont like wheat anything, can I use regular pasta and regular flour?
3. Butter to use should be unsalted or salted?
4. what size elbow macaroni? small, medium or the large?
5. If I need to use broth….what kind? Chicken or Beef? Regular strength or low sodium?
Thanks in advance!
diana
sorry so many questions, I am making this for friends and want it to be perfect!!
Hi Diana! We recommend shredding it yourself to make it a little smoother – 16 ounces should work. You can definitely do regular pasta and flour. We’d recommend salted butter. You can use any size of macaroni – whatever your preference! For broth, we’d recommend vegetable or beef – you could always get low sodium and add salt if it needs a little more.
One of my go-to happy recipes! So so good. Thank you
This is the perfect idea for a cold night-in. Thanks so much for the recipe! I’ve made it a few times now and just recently I had a revelation. As we are ladies who enjoy a good alcoholic accompaniment, I added 3/4 cup of Amber ale to the cheese sauce. HEAVEN.
Thanks again for the great recipe!
Glad you liked it!
Just had to say thanks for having a perfectly simple recipe that allows me to feel a little better about my plans to serve mac and cheese as a main dish this week. One of my steps LOVES Mac and cheese and I wanted to incorporate something meaty without dowing too much extra. This is it!
Awesome! Enjoy, Sharkey!
Holy shnikies, this is good! I blistered some cherry tomatoes and threw those in, and oooh-weee!
Glad to hear that, Bethany!
The hubs made this for dinner tonight and it was ahhhhmazzzing! My 23 month old son LOVED IT…. He had THREE helpings. This could be my ultimate comfort food.
THANK YOU!
Love hearing that, Kari! Thanks!
This seems like the PERFECT way to incorporate red meat into my toddler’s life (we’re the fish, veggies & chicken kind). Any idea if the leftovers will freeze well? My guess is no but just wanted to ask… Thanks again for another AMAZING recipe!
Hi, Lorenza. We have not tried freezing this, but in general we recommend not freezing pasta. I fear it would get pretty mushy when you reheat it.
I just made his for supper for myself and three kids. I was able to stop myself at seconds… the kids went for thirds and one even had a fourth helping!
I must have messed up some of the measurements though since I ended up having to double the milk and added extra spices so the extra milk wouldn’t make it bland. I also had to use swiss instead of cheddar because that’s all I had. I’m not sure my kids will ever let me make it another way!
Thank you for the amazing idea!
Awesome, Bridget! Glad you liked it! š
This looks AMAZING!!! Can’t wait to try it!
Enjoy, Melanie!
I tried this recipe the other day and the pasta was delicious, but the steak was underwhelming. I made it again with fresh shrimp and I think the shrimp goes so much better.
Sounds yummy, Stephanie! Great idea!
This was dinner tonight…. Mmmmmm….. We both had seconds, my seconds were without steak bits (may have over indulged on the first helping) but I loved how the steak juices made the whole thing all flavor-tasty-ful.
And admittedly this is the first time I have cooked with red meat in three years, still a bit of a recovering vegetarian, but it reminds me why I can never totally put labels on myself.
Husband loved it as well, we are thinking we might whip it up and bring to the in-laws one of these nights (think it will be a nice meal for them after a long day of child care).
That’s awesome, Kristy! So glad you enjoyed it! š