My Whiskey Mac and Cheese recipe is in my top 3 go-to comfort foods. Regular visitors know that I love a good gourmet Mac & Cheese as well as Whiskey. So why not come up with a recipe with the best of both worlds?
Ingredient Substitution
If the whiskey is a concern to you and your guests, you can easily substitute it for an equal amount of chicken broth or some apple juice and a touch of vanilla extract.
If you do decide to try my Whiskey Mac & Cheese recipe with the whiskey, you can basically use any bourbon whiskey you have on hand but I prefer the unique flavor of Jack Daniel’s.
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Not only will it give this dish great flavor, but it will also give the cheese sauce a nice brownish color.
How to Make Bacon
If you struggle to make bacon perfectly, I’ve put together a short tutorial on How to Make Perfect Bacon – 3 Ways. Check it out! My preferred method is baking it in the oven.
Or if you own an air fryer you can try my Air Fryer Bacon 🥓 recipe.
If you’ve ever wondered what part of the pig Bacon comes from check out the picture below. Surprised?
If you are fortunate enough to have an Instant Pot Pressure Cooker, I suggest you try my Instant Pot Mac & Cheese. A great alternative that does not require any alcohol.
If you like your Mac and Cheese baked, you must try my Mac & Cheese with Green Onions and Ham or my Easy Baked Mac and Cheese. All super delicious!
What is Al Dente
When making Mac and Cheese, it’s important to cook the pasta al dente to ensure the best texture possible. If you are not familiar with the term “al dente”, it means cooking the pasta so it’s still chewy and form and that it will hold its shape when the sauce is added to it.
An alternative to using chicken broth is Better Than Bouillon. I often use it when I don’t have broth on hand.
Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this Whiskey Mac & Cheese recipe (see recipe card for quantities): Kosher Salt, Bacon, Unsalted Butter, Whiskey, Low Sodium Chicken Broth, All Purpose Flour, Paprika, Garlic Powder, Seasoned Diced Tomatoes, Chili Paste, Mustard, Worcestershire Sauce, Heavy Cream, Cheddar Cheese, Provolone Cheese, Asiago Cheese, Pasta, Bread Crumbs, Unsalted Butter, Parsley, Cayenne Pepper and Salt & Pepper.
How to Make Whiskey Mac and Cheese
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook al dente. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet cook the bacon and keep 2 Tbsp of bacon grease and toss the rest.
- Pour 2 Tablespoons of bacon grease back into the skillet and over medium heat add the butter. Once the butter is melted add the flour and whisk to combine.
- Add the paprika, garlic powder, chili paste, Worcestershire, mustard, whiskey and chicken broth and whisk to combine.
- Bring to a bubble, whisking occasionally to pick up any bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Add the heavy cream and whisk to combine. Bring back to a bubble and add all the cheese. Stir until all the cheese is melted.
- Add the pasta to the cheese sauce and stir to combine. Add the cooked bacon and diced tomatoes. Cook the pasta in the sauce for about 5 minutes over medium heat until the sauce thickens.
- While the pasta is cooking in the cheese sauce, mix all the topping ingredients in a bowl. Once the pasta is done, transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle the topping mixture over the pasta.
Whiskey Mac and Cheese
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Ingredients
MACARONI BASE
- 1 Tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 lb Bacon, cooked & diced
- 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- ½ Cup Whiskey
- ½ Cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth
- ¼ Cup All Purpose Flour
- ½ Tsp Paprika
- 1 Tsp Garlic Powder
- 15 oz Seasoned Diced Tomatoes, drained
- 1 Tbsp Chili Paste
- 1 Tbsp Yellow Mustard
- ½ Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream
- 4 oz Cheddar Cheese, shredded
- 2 oz Provolone Cheese, shredded
- 2 oz Asiago Cheese, shredded
- 1 lb Pasta, your choice
TOPPING INGREDIENTS
- 1 Cup Bread Crumbs
- ¼ Cup Unsalted Butter, melted
- ¼ Cup Dried Parsley Flakes, chopped
- ½ Tsp Cayenne Pepper
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook al dente. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet cook the bacon and keep 2 Tbsp of bacon grease and toss the rest.
- Pour 2 Tablespoons of bacon grease back into skillet and over medium heat add the butter. Once the butter is melted add the flour and whisk to combine.
- Add the paprika, garlic powder, chili paste, Worcestershire, mustard, whiskey and chicken broth and whisk to combine.
- Bring to a bubble, whisking occasionally to pick up any bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Add the heavy cream and whisk to combine. Bring back to a bubble and add all the cheese. Stir until all the cheese is melted.
- Add the pasta to the cheese sauce and stir to combine. Add the cooked bacon and diced tomatoes. Cook the pasta in sauce for about 5 minutes over medium heat until the sauce thickens.
- While the pasta is cooking in the cheese sauce, mix all topping ingredients in a bowl. Once the pasta is done, transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle the topping mixture over the pasta.
Notes
This Whiskey Mac and Cheese is so delicious. My family and I love any kind of pasta so tried this recipe. The heavy cream makes the sauce very creamy and tasty. This recipe is number 1 in my book. A big thanks to the Chef for posting this recipe.