Rustic and loose, the French make macaroni & cheese for one real purpose – to clear the cheese drawer. Here we’re using Brie, a chunk of cheeddar and Comté. Lots of Comté. A very French approach. Because that’s what’s at the back of my cheese drawer after the holidays. A whole wheel of brie. That’s insane. So we ‘pass the fridge’ into the menu.
Why This Isn’t Really French Macaroni and Cheese — and Exactly Is
There’s no true canonical recipe for macaroni and cheese in France, no rules, no sacred ratio. French home cooking tends to prioritize technique and ingredients over fixed dishes, especially when it comes to cheese.
What they do have is a deep respect for cheese — and a habit of clearing out the cheese drawer before anything goes to waste. That’s the spirit here. This version leans French in flavour, not form. A creamy sauce built on brie and sharp cheddar, finished with nutty Comté and crisp, buttered breadcrumbs. It’s indulgent without being heavy.
In France we might serve with a bit of smoked ham, or paté, or both. There would be bread, of course, and pickles, a green salad with a light vinaigrette a jar of mustard on the table. And wine. Don’t forget the wine. That’s dinner. It’s a good way to live.
A Cheese Drawer Mentality
Every cheese has it’s own texture when melted. They vary greatly in fat content and ripening. Brie melts into silk, but it’s important to remove all the bloom on the outside. It can be a messy job depending on the age of your cheese. I recommend working very cold with brie, so it holds shape. Use a good, sharp knife. Wet it as needed to get a clean cut and maintain as much cheese as possible. The bloom does not dissolve well and will make your sauce lumpy.
I love a bit of Cheddar for structure and tang, but the brie itself was beautiful flavour. To bring forward the undertones in the cheese we used Dijon mustard, and an egg yoke to fortify the Mornay sauce. The results are mellow and rich.
Comté finishes with a hint of nuttiness that browns beautifully in the oven making the top crisp. The exact cheeses matter less than the idea: soft plus sharp plus something alpine and aged. This is a recipe that is never the same — Gruyère, Emmental, aged Gouda — whatever needs using.
Texture Is the Whole Point
Change your pasta change your results. I was going for a BIG, FAT pasta in a buttery cheese sauce. We really want a pasta that grips a sauce. Something with ridges or curves, which is why macaroni is so very popular. But, not your only option, right? I went looking for Cavatappi, a large hallow curly pasta. It’s a regular in my kitchen.
Fussili is always fun, with it’s little curved ridges. Penne always works in a good ‘mac n cheese’. And of course, there’s always good old macaroni. So humble. This pasta is Gemelloni, a large twisted noodle that coats well and holds form. it also masses easy, for a clean ‘cut’ it your serving out of a square or rectangle dish.
Be sure to under cook your pasta, stopping it well short of al denté, or whatever the package directions tell you. You’re going to cook your pasta a second time. So make sure it’s still got structure and form at the end of the final bake.
Make Extra Sauce
Make extra sauce. There, I said it twice. I made three cups for two cups of cooked pasta. That pasta is going to soak up that sauce. That’s it’s job. It’s going to expand. So, after you toss and coat and squish everything into that dish, nice a firm, give it that extra sauce love and fill in the cracks and crannies with that extra sauce. You’ll be glad you did. Bake with a sheet pan underneath if needed. There’s not shame in that.
Don’t be shy.
The sauce should coat, while the pasta stays defined, but gooey. The breadcrumbs add contrast, crunch, and that final buttery note that makes the whole dish feel like a divine plan rather than improvised.
And drink wine. The French would approve.
Print
French Macaroni & Cheese
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: serves 4 - 6 1x
Description
French macaroni and cheese made with brie, cheddar, and Comté, finished with buttered breadcrumbs and baked until golden and bubbling. Whatever cheese you have will do, we’re clearing the cheese drawer for a great pasta!
Ingredients
- 2 cups curly past of your choice; macaroni
- 6 tablespoons butter - divided
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 6 ounces brie, rind removed, torn into pieces
- 6 ounces sharp cheddar, grated
- 1 - 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 egg yoke
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Butter a baking dish and set aside.
2. Cook macaroni in well-salted water until just shy of al dente. Drain and set aside.
3. In a saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook for 3 – 4 minutes until toasted and foamy.
4. Gradually whisk in warm milk, stirring constantly until smooth and thickened.
5. Reduce heat to low. Add nutmeg, salt, and black pepper, then brie and cheddar; stirring until melted and smooth.
6. Stir in Dijon mustard, and egg yoke, stirring well. Taste and adjust seasoning.
7. Fold cooked macaroni (pasta) into the cheese sauce and transfer to the prepared baking dish.
8. Combine breadcrumbs with remaining 3 tablespoons of melted butter. Scatter evenly over the pasta, then finish with grated Comté.
9. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until bubbling and golden on top.
10. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.
One Response
Just make this . I’ve made it twice in a week . It tastes like an elevated Mac and cheese but it’s so easy and creamy .