Brie Mac and Cheese

large spoonful of mac and cheese scooped out of baking dish

5 from 6 votes

This Brie Mac and Cheese is loaded with crispy prosciutto and topped with a french baguette breadcrumb. The dreamiest creamiest mac and cheese you'll ever make!

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Total Time50

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American, French

Servings:

Author: Chris Collins

Cost: £2 / $2.50

Equipment

Food Processor
12" Skillet & Wooden Spoon
Whisk
Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
Jug (for milk)
Cheese Grater
Large Pot (for pasta)
8x12" Baking Dish
Serving Spoon

Ingredients

14oz / 400g Spirali Pasta (or Macaroni)
4 cups / 1 litre Milk, at room temp
10 slices Prosciutto (10 slices is approx 200g/7oz)
2oz / 60g French Baguette, torn into chunks (preferably a couple of days old)
9oz / 250g Brie (weighed with rind cut off - see notes)
1.5 cups / 150g French Comté Cheese, grated (can sub Gruyére)
1 cup / 100g Mozzarella, shredded
3 tbsp + 1 tbsp Butter
3 tbsp Flour
1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper (optional)
few pinches of Nutmeg
Fresh Thyme, to serve
Olive Oil Spray, as needed
Salt & Pepper, as needed

Instructions

Add 2oz/60g chunks of french baguette to a food processor and pulse until fine breadcrumbs. Melt 1 tbsp butter in a pan over medium heat and stir in your breadcrumbs. Fry for 5 or so mins until golden, shaking the pan frequently and seasoning with a pinch of salt and pepper half way through. Remove from pan.
Add a few sprays of oil to the pan and lay flat 3-4 slices of prosciutto. Fry both sides until deep golden and crispy, then remove and repeat with the rest of your prosciutto. When needed, dice into small shards.
Melt 3 tbsp butter in the pan with the leftover prosciutto fat, then stir in 3 tbsp flour until a paste forms. Gradually pour in 4cups/1litre milk, whisking as you go to ensure no lumps form. Ensure it has thickened before adding cheese, if it's still a very watery consistency the cheese will turn grainy and lose it's flavour.
Meanwhile, cook 14oz/400g pasta in salted boiling water until only JUST cooked. You want it still a bit hard.
Add into the sauce: 1 tbsp dijon mustard, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional), nutmeg and salt & pepper to taste. Stir in 9oz/250g brie, 1.5cups/150g comté/gruyére and 1cup/100g mozzarella.
Drain and add pasta along side your crispy prosciutto. Stir to combine, then pour into a baking dish. Top with breadcrumbs and a few sprays of oil, then pop in the oven at 390F/200C for 20-25mins or until golden and bubbly. Serve with a sprinkling of fresh thyme leaves.

Video

Notes

a) Brie - Make sure it's 9oz/250g weighed AFTER the rind is removed. To buy, get a block that's about 10.5oz/300g.

Can I sub Camembert? - Camembert has a more pungent taste to it. If you know you love Camembert you can sub, but I'd recommend starting off with a little less and adding more accordingly.

b) Prosciutto - Don't try and dice the prosciutto before it's fried. It's very difficult and gets stuck together when you fry. Much easier to dice after it's fried (it should be so thin and crispy you can actually just crush it with your hands to form the shards)

Can I sub Bacon? - Yup! Or Pancetta.

c) Comté/Gruyére - Both of these should actually be readily available at most supermarkets/grocery stores. They both have pretty similar flavours, so just use gruyére if you can't find comté.

Can I sub cheddar? - The beauty of this mac and cheese is actually that's it's mild and creamy. Comté goes really nicely with the nutmeg and adds a nice sweet/nutty flavour to the sauce. So that is of course my recommendation. I have never tested this particular recipe with cheddar before so can't promise any results.

d) Calories - based on sharing between 6 people.

Nutrition