Mac and Cheese Soup
A velvety broth is the star of this amazing mac and cheese soup that tastes like a creamy stovetop mac, but also still retains it’s soup identity! The reason it still tastes like soup is I used a base of sausage, onion, carrot, and celery, plus a lot of chicken stock, to make sure this wasn’t just an extra wet version of mac and cheese.
The inspiration for this mac and cheese soup recipe
Soup Mondays continue this week with two of my favorite foods becoming one amazing bowl-o-soup. I mean seriously people, how have I not made this before now??? I basically made a simple mac and cheese recipe, but made a smaller roux and used a little extra liquid to make this mac and cheese soup super brothy yet still insanely cheesy and comforting. This was probably the most rich and hearty soup I have ever had. I was full after only a bowl!
Build the soup base
Start with sausage, then add the veggies! Then the garlic. This mix of sausage and veggies really helps this mac and cheese soup still taste like soup! You could do bacon instead of sausage if you wanted.
Make the roux
I didn’t make too thick of a roux for this soup because I wanted the texture to be medium and velvety. Too much roux will cause it to be like a thick chowder. 2 tablespoons of butter, plus the fat in the pan from the sausage, to 2 tablespoons of flour. Then add 3 cups of broth and 2 cups of milk or half and half. At the point the soup will have some body but it is not thick by any means.
Carefully add the cheese to the soup
This is the most crucial and time consuming step of the mac and cheese soup. Make sure the broth is cooled a bit, and very slowly add the cheese. Let it slowly melt, and add it about 1/4 at a time, waiting for it to fully melt before adding more. If it feels like it won’t melt, you can turn the pan on super low but be careful! If you see melted cheese sort of clumping at the bottom of the pan, turn the heat off ASAP and continue to stir and whisk as it cools fully.
After the cheese goes in and is full incorporated, the soup is a perfect consistency. Velvety on the tongue yet still brothy and full of cheese flavor! Now you can turn the heat back on low to warm it up.
Serve the mac and cheese soup bowls
Add the cooked pasta to the bowls, then ladle on the mac and cheese soup broth! Top with parsley, hot sauce, and black pepper.
I recently made this mac and cheese soup again for the first time in years and it was even better than I remembered! SO tasty and because you keep the broth lighter with less roux and more chicken stock, it is approachable as a meal and not overly rich.
I like to add plenty of hot sauce!
Twists on this recipe
I mentioned you could use bacon in this mac and cheese soup. You could also keep it vegetarian with a garlic stock and some mushrooms instead of sausage. Or a vegan sausage or meat brand.
Another twist would be to add beer and make it more of a beer cheese soup. The first time I made this I added a cup of beer and used a cup less of stock.
If you love unique twists on mac and cheese, check out my pork belly mac, spanakopita mac and cheese, or this spoonbread mac and cheese!
Mac and Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- olive oil
- 4 ounces sausage (Italian or bratwurst are good options)
- 1/2 small onion diced
- 1 medium carrot diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablspoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups milk (or half and half for a richer soup)
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese grated
- 4 ouncs jack cheese grated
- 12 ounces elbow pasta
- parsley, hot sauce, and black pepper for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a medium pot or large frying pan to medium high heat and add a splash of olive oil. Add the sausage and cook for 4 minutes to lightly brown on some of the edges, breaking up the sausage as it cooks.
- Add in the onion, carrot, and celery and cook another 5-8 minutes until the veggies soften. Turn heat to medium low.
- Add in the butter and garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the flour, stirring constantly to make sure the flour is incorporated and there are no lumps.
- Whisk in the broth, continuing to whisk until it comes to a simmer. You will notice it thicken slightly. Cook at a light simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Stir in the milk and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat. Stir in the mustard.
- This is the hardest step! Make sure the sauce is not simmering at all, and start adding the cheese. Add about 1/4 of the cheese and stir, allowing it to slowly melt and incorporate. Continue only after all the cheese is melted. If it feels like this is going too slow, you can turn the heat super low, but be careful! If you see melted cheese clumping at the bottom, immediately remove from the heat and continue to whisk as it cools.
- Once all the cheese is incorporated, you can bring the heat back on super low to warm up the soup so it is ready to serve.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta. Strain and split between the bowls.
- Ladle the soup over the pasta and serve. Top with parsley, black pepper, and hot sauce.
Awesome. I Love Soup Mondays. Maybe I’ll go for 2 in a row?
Mmmm, might have to give this one a try tonight. Mac and cheese + soup = hard to resist!
Oh boy! This sounds like a killer soup Dan =)
SO GOOD. I can see an apple-jack take on this with hard cider instead of beer, pork instead of beef, and apple chunks… maybe topped with cinnamon and honey…
Chicken or beef stock?
Katie – we used chicken stock, but beef or veggie stock would work. Whatever you have around.
I saw this too late but I am in the process of broccoli and cheese soup!
Mmm. Yes, please. Wish I had seen this earlier!
I love the way you think. “Great recipe…now if we just change this, this, and this”…..LOL…that’s totally how I cook.
😮
delicious! this will be my next dish
also, I agree with what Mama Cass says, that sounds bomb.
I’m a college student- so I gotta vary up the few recipes I have in my arsenal to keep things fresh 😉
What kind of beer is best for this recipe?
I like a mild pale ale.
Dry mustard, or prepared?
prepared dijon. It’s only partly for flavor- dijon works great as a binder, so that plus the roux is insurance to prevent the sauce from breaking as you add the cheese