If you have never tried brie mac and cheese, you are in for a real treat. Creamy brie cheese is made into the easiest pasta sauce ever and sprinkled with breadcrumbs or crushed Ritz Crackers.
Imagine restaurant-quality pasta that is creamy and delicious in just 10 minutes!
It sounds fake, doesn’t it? I promise that homemade brie cheese recipes are very very real!
This brie cheese macaroni truly tastes like it uses a bunch of rare and fancy ingredients and took a bunch of time to perfect.
Even the newest cook can make brie cheese mac and cheese in no time. I have taught this recipe to so many people who have really loved the end result.
There is no blending of different cheeses and other than getting the brie from the grocery store, you probably have all of the other ingredients on hand. If you have friends or family coming over last minute, this is a great recipe to have on hand.
You can also customize it according to your taste. If you love tons of garlic, add more! If you want to add in some veggies such as spinach, broccoli, or peppers, go right ahead. Personally, I love adding in sauteed mushrooms because the blend of flavors is really nice.
I also offer the option of making a baked brie mac and cheese. This addition simply adds 5 minutes to your cooking time, taking it from a 10-minute recipe to a 15-minute recipe.
If you have time when making this recipe, I would go for baked brie mac and cheese, but otherwise, just eat it as-is.
You can go either way, and it is totally tasty no matter what you do!
Why You Will Love This Brie Mac And Cheese
- It whips up super quickly. This mac and cheese with brie literally takes 10 minutes to make! As fast as you can boil your pasta water (usually 7-8 minutes depending on brand) is as fast as this meal is ready! While the pasta is boiling, you make the cheese sauce and then toss together into creamy perfection!
- Perfect for new cooks. If you are new to cooking and want something that sounds fancy but is super easy, this is the recipe for you! It is truly hard to fail when making this tasty pasta.
- There are very few ingredients. The goal of this dish is to allow the flavors of the brie to shine! As a result, there are very few ingredients. This means that aside from buying the brie cheese, you probably already have everything required to make this meal right in your house.
- It is a very impressive dish. For whatever reason, this dish tastes super complex like you put a lot of work into it! This is perfect for when you have people over or need to bring a dish to a gathering or event and want to “wow” people!
Ingredients for Brie Mac and Cheese Recipe
- Pasta. Your choice of pasta. Anything you have on hand will work.
- Brie Cheese. The tasty main ingredient that will make your dish a fan favorite.
- White Vinegar. For making the creamy sauce.
- Milk. Your choice of milk or non-dairy milk to make the dish creamy. Cream is another option.
- Ritz Crackers or Breadcrumbs. To sprinkle on top for an added texture.
- Salt and Pepper. To taste for seasoning.
- Fresh Parsley. For an optional garnish.
Do I Need Rindless Brie?
The short answer is nope! Regular brie is fine!
The long answer is when cooking brie cheese recipes, the cheese will melt but the rind won’t.
The rind will break down a little bit, but it won’t evaporate into thin air.
This is okay! When you are eating a wheel of brie, you eat the rind anyway, and some consider it to be the best part of the pasta dish.
When you toss the pasta with the sauce, the rind will incorporate nicely, but don’t be alarmed if you see it not break down much when you are making the sauce.
I know this sounds really weird, but you truly don’t need rindless brie when making mac n cheese brie! The rind works just fine with it and the taste is exceptional.
What Kind Of Pasta To Use
Of course, you can use whatever kind of pasta you have on hand!
That being said, I think some pastas work better to catch the creamy brie cheese sauce than others do so I am a little partial!
When making the brie mac and cheese, I absolutely love cavatappi pasta. If you can’t find it by this name, it is known by other names, including cellentani, amori, spirali, or tortiglione.
You can also use penne which is what is usually used when making baked ziti. If you are making the brie mac and cheese on the stovetop but not baking it, you can go with bowties, which are some of my favorites.
Bowties are perfect for this recipe when you aren’t baking it, but bowties are quite flat when baking. Of course, the taste is still the same, but the dish isn’t as fluffy if you are going the baked brie mac and cheese route.
Basically, a larger spring pasta with lines or ridges on the outside.
The lines and ridges are perfect for catching the tasty brie sauce of this recipe!
I also love, medium-sized shells, orecchiette, and more!
You basically want a type of pasta that the cheese sauce can cling to for the best results!
How To Make Brie Mac And Cheese
As I said above, making restaurant-quality brie macaroni and cheese is incredibly simple and takes just a few steps. This is perfect for after work or school, kids love it, adults think it is “fancy” and anyone you entertain is going to be thrilled to eat this.
As fast as you can boil your pasta water is as fast as you can have this meal on the table!
Before you start, you have to decide if you want to spend the extra time broiling the pasta in the oven for a baked brie mac and cheese flair. If the answer is yes, then go ahead and preheat your oven.
You want to boil your pasta water according to the package and then cook the pasta in it.
I recommend salting your pasta water with at least 1-2 tablespoons of salt. This makes all of the difference! You may think it is too much, but you should never underestimate what “salting the pasta water” entails. It isn’t just a little shake. It is a dumping!
While the pasta is boiling, roughly cut your brie wheel into chunks.
Heat a medium pan over medium heat and add 1/4 cup white vinegar, 4 tablespoons milk (I use thick non-dairy milk such as almond or flax milk), and salt and pepper to taste.
Melt the brie until it incorporates all of the ingredients and becomes a creamy cheese texture.
You do not have to worry about making a roux or adding any sort of other flavors such as sauteeing onions or garlic beforehand in order for this recipe to taste amazing! I am telling you, making brie cheese sauce for pasta is so darn easy!
You will see that the cheese has melted and that the rind is left. Don’t worry, once tossed, the rind will incorporate.
Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and toss it with a little oil (I love avocado oil) and salt.
Toss the cooked pasta in with the sauce to combine your brie mac and cheese!
If you are serving immediately, sprinkle each portion with some crushed Ritz Crackers and fresh parsley for garnish and eat while hot. This is the easy stovetop version.
For this macaroni and cheese with brie recipe, simply grease a baking dish and pour in your pasta. Top with breadcrumbs or crushed Ritz Crackers and broil for 5 minutes (or longer if you want even crispier pasta noodles) and you are done!
I love serving this pasta with a side of Homemade Garlic Breadsticks if you are looking for double carbs!
How To Store The Brie Pasta
The brie pasta holds up well on the counter for serving for a few hours or during an event.
This is not a “wet” pasta so there isn’t a ton of sauce floating around.
For storing, you can keep the brie pasta in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to 5 days.
To reheat, you can microwave the pasta until it reaches your desired taste.
Otherwise, I recommend greasing a pan and reheating it on the stove for a few minutes.
Since it is a dry pasta and the pasta absorbs liquid when stored, you may have to add 1-2 tablespoons of milk to help mix it up when reheating. Don’t be alarmed if it is super dry. Just add in your milk or even water and stir in a pan!
This will really loosen the brie mac and cheese sauce and make it taste like you just made it.
It tastes delicious cold too if you want to pop in the fridge for a midnight snack, just ask me how I know 😉
Did You Try This Recipe?
If so, I would love to keep in touch! I enjoy seeing photos and comments about the recipes that you make! You can follow me on Instagram and I will repost your goodies in my stories and comment on it too! Just tag me at @wowitsveggie and hashtag #wowitsveggie. I can’t wait to see what you make!
10-Minute Brie Mac And Cheese
This brie mac and cheese gives you a restaurant-quality pasta dish in just 10 minutes! The creamy brie mixed with breadcrumbs is ooey-gooey perfection. If you have 5 extra minutes, broil this dish for a crispy twist!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pasta (I like Cabatappi, bowties, or shells)
- 8 ounces Brie cheese
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 4 tablespoons milk (I like thick non-dairy milk. If you don't want to use non-dairy, you can use cream instead)
- 1/2 cup crushed Ritz crackers or breadcrumbs
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Decide if you want to make baked brie mac and cheese or just regular. If you decide to bake it, preheat your oven to 475F
- Generously salt your pasta water with 1-2 tablespoons of salt and then cook your pasta according to instructions.
- Meanwhile, make the brie sauce. Roughly chop your wheel of brie. You will be using the rind to make this recipe. Add roughly chopped brie, vinegar, thick non-dairy milk or regular cream and salt and pepper to taste to a greased pan.
- Stir until the brie melts and is incorporated to make a creamy sauce. The rinds of the cheese will not melt, so you will see them in the sauce, but they will mix in with the pasta well.
- Drain your pasta and toss to coat it with a little oil.
- Pour cooked pasta to the pan and stir so that all of the cheese sauce covers all of the pasta. Top with crushed Ritz Crackers and fresh parsley and serve hot.
- If you choose to bake the mac and cheese, pour the brie pasta into a greased baking dish and broil for 5 minutes until the top gets crispy. Serve while hot topped with fresh parsley.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 334Total Fat 19gSaturated Fat 11gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 58mgSodium 519mgCarbohydrates 24gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 16g
Bob H
My 10-minute Brie Mac and cheese did not turn out well for me. It takes well over 10 minutes to cook the pasta (bow ties) which need to cook at least 12-minutes after bringing to a boil. The recipe doesn’t say to cook the sauce though I assumed that is how to melt it. The cheese clumped together and did not really coat the pasta. Probably did something wrong or used low quality cheese. The taste was OK since it was mainly the cheese taste.
Victoria Yore
Hello!! I am sorry for your experience! I cook my pasta at the same time as my sauce at the same time and then toss to coat when I am finished. Thank you for your comment
Victoria Yore
I just cross-checked the post just in case 🙂 I do offer step by step photos of exactly what to do in the post. I hope this helps!
Georgia
Did not like. Vinegar in cheese sauce? I used heavy cream for milk. Not sure what went wrong
Victoria Yore
Only a slight amount!! I am sorry you didnt love it!!
Barbara Fitzgerald
Can you use buttermilk? I don’t have any milk. Or sour cream?
Victoria Yore
I have never tried it with either of those, I would be curious how it turns out with buttermilk!
Keith Parsons
Just found this, was awesome. Thanks Victoria!
Victoria Yore
enjoy! it is super tasty!!
Elizabeth T.
Thanks for this quick and easy recipe. I added smoked havarti and truffle oil to take it up a notch and it was fantastic.
Victoria Yore
Omg what a good add!!
Geri
I haven’t made this yet, sounds interesting but doesn’t the vinegar curdle the cream you put in ? So not a fan of Ritz (I know) so I was thinking panko toasted in a pan with butter and parm.
Victoria Yore
Panko would be perfectly fine!!! I did not find that from using vinegar but you can use white wine if you prefer!!!