stove top guinness irish cheddar mac & cheese
Mac and cheese for Wednesday dinner? Lucky, lucky you.
Growing up I was always told that I have “Scots-Irish” in my ancestry. To this day I’m not even sure what that means: according to Google, it derives from Ulstermen who migrated to America. I know the Irish in my lineage is legitimate since someone in my mom’s family spoke Gaelic. Man, I could’ve learned a trio of languages had someone just taught her. Then I could prattle on around someone who annoys me without them knowing.
This week, the city of Tampa dyed the river green in observance of St. Patrick’s Day on Thursday. There was of course a festival and probably a shit ton of drinking around the occasion as well, since St. Paddy’s really is just a get-trashed holiday, but since moving downtown I actually haven’t seen the green water phenomenon. I always forget its a thing.
I needed a special dish to acknowledge the “holiday,” and I needed a dinner idea for the week anyway, so let’s go with a super simple Stove Top Guinness Irish Cheddar Mac & Cheese. Each bowl of cheesy pasta shells is speckled with buttery caramelized onions smoked up with spice and flavoring to mimic bacon bits. Guinness lends a malty undertone to the sharp Irish cheddar utilized in the mac: I recommend you stick to the recipe’s guns and use both in this recipe. Substitutions are possible if you want a more standard mac and cheese, but to keep things proper, grab both and stick em in your arsenal before you endeavor on this dish.
Bacon without Bacon
Sure, caramelized onions aren’t bacon, but with a bit of manipulation, you can emulate the salty and fatty essence bacon gives to comfort food.
Key #1: caramelize the onions in butter. Toss in a pinch of salt and pepper and let the thinly-sliced onions warm at medium-low heat for a bit. Stir them occasionally and keep an eye on the onions to ensure they don’t burn.
Key #2: turn up the heat and summon your taste army: smoked paprika, balsamic vinegar, and soy sauce. Whisk those in and cook the onions a little longer to let the browning deepen and to absorb the additions.
When they’re nice and golden and taste like heaven, move the onions to a plate.
Pasta-bilities
The rest of the pasta cooks up in the same skillet as the onions. The subtle smoke from the crisped-up bits that might be on the bottom of the pan offers a nice punch of flavor to an already-rich macaroni.
Melt some more butter in the pan, then dump in the pasta, Guinness, and water. Bring to a boil and cook until the pasta is al dente, usually 7-9 minutes depending on the cut of pasta you choose. I picked out medium shells. Do not drain any excess water.
Stir in some kale, for a green kick that reminds me of traditional Irish colcannon – a cabbage and potato dish – then Dijon mustard, milk, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper and ALL THE CHEESE. I like to add the cheese in handfuls to ensure more even melting.
I garnish the pasta simply with lots of cracked black pepper. Feel free to add some breadcrumbs or a little extra cheese if you’re feeling super indulgent.
The beer and Irish cheddar, like I said, really pump up the pasta into something extra special, but if you’re not feeling beer-y, you can omit it and use water instead. Or, if you don’t have a Guinness on hand but do have a porter or stout, use those. I won’t tattle.
My favorite brand of Irish cheddar is Kerrygold, and usually you can find it in a typical grocery store. Cursing yourself because you started the pasta and don’t have Irish cheddar? You’re fucked. Just kidding. Use regular sharp cheddar in a pinch.
Don’t forget to throw down a Stumbling Shamrock Cocktail après dinner!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
stove top guinness irish cheddar mac & cheese
Ingredients
- 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 5 tbsp salted butter, divided
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 lb medium shell pasta
- 1 16-oz can Guinness
- 1 cup whole milk, half and half, or heavy cream
- 2 cups kale, torn or chopped
- 1 tbsp Dijon vinegar
- 3 cups shredded Irish cheddar cheese, or sharp cheddar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Toss the onions in the skillet along with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Crank the heat up to high and stir in the balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, and smoked paprika. Cook 8-10 minutes longer, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Move to a plate.
- In the same skillet, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Add in the pasta, Guinness, and 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil and cook until the pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes. Stir in the kale, then remove from the heat and add the Dijon mustard, milk, garlic powder, onion powder, and cheese. Stir until the cheese melts and the kale wilts.
- Divide into bowls and serve with caramelized onions on top.
