White Cheddar Truffle Mac and Cheese

I absolutely love truffles and anything truffle related. Seriously, if you ask anyone who really knows me, they will tell you it's borderline obsessive. Every time I see anything on a menu with truffles, I have to try it. So naturally, when I saw this English Farmhouse Cheddar with Italian Truffles cheese at Trader Joes, I had to have it! It was everything I imagined it would be...creamy, trufflely goodness. After eating about half the block, I got to thinking of what I could do with the rest to avoid eating it in one sitting. Mac and cheese, duh! So that's where this amazing gem came from. You can leave out the chicken if you just want it as a side dish, maybe top with some bacon...yum! 

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbs + 1 tsp olive oil
• 3 cups uncooked macaroni
• 2 chicken breasts, cut into cubes 
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 4 Tbs flour
• 3.5 cups milk (I used 2%) 
• 4 cups Trader Joes English Farmhouse Cheddar with Italian Truffles
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper 
• 1/2 cup garlic & herb breadcrumbs
• 1/4 Parmesan cheese 

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°

Cook pasta according to package directions using a large pot with salted water. Drain pasta, do not rinse and set aside. 

Meanwhile, heat a large pan over medium high heat with 1 Tbs olive oil. Season chicken with salt, pepper and any other seasonings you want. I used a garlic herb seasoning. Add the chicken to the pan, cook until brown, about 3 minutes per side. The chicken doesn't need to be fully cooked at this point as it will continue cooking in the oven. Remove chicken to a plate and set aside. 

Add onion to the pan, adding more oil if needed. Cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the stick of butter and allow to melt. Once melted, add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly add in the milk while whisking to avoid any lumps. Allow the mixture to come to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cooking for 5 minutes or until the mixture has thickened (it should coat the back of a spoon). Turn off the heat and add the cheese, stir to combine and melt the cheese. Add the salt, pepper, pasta and chicken. Stir until combined. Taste for seasonings, you may need more salt or like more pepper. 

In a small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs and Parmesan with 1 tsp olive oil. Pour the pasta mixture into a greased 13x9 inch pan; top with breadcrumb mixture and bake for 30-35 minutes until bubbly and the top is crisp. 

Then, indulge! :) 

PRINTABLE RECIPE