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Baked Brie Mac and Cheese – two words…SO GOOD! Pasta shells tossed with a creamy Brie and sharp cheddar cheese sauce and baked with homemade sourdough bread crumbs. Melt in your mouth good and the perfect holiday indulgence that both adults and kids will enjoy. Serve as a main course, or as a side dish to your holiday roast. Either way, this mac and cheese will be loved by all.
This post is sponsored by Pyrex.
If there’s one dish that’s been requested over and over the last few months, it’s mac and cheese. Something about cold weather and cheesy pasta just go hand in hand. Every time my brothers stop by the studio, I know what they’re looking for, mac and cheese.
The snow season is officially here in Colorado. This means that all of my brothers (and all of their friends) are back in town. If you’ve been reading for a while, then you know that my brothers all snowboard. One of them causally won an Olympic gold medal back in February. Ever since then, it’s been non-stop travel for two of my bothers, Malachi and Red.
They are finally back home in Colorado. It’s so nice to have them around again, they always know how to have fun. After ending their day of snowboarding, they’ve been making their way over to the new studio on a regular basis. Their current favorite food is mac and cheese. They’ll take it any which way I serve it up. Lately, my personal favorite is this baked Brie mac and cheese. It’s creamy, indulgent, and so delicious.
What’s my best kept secret to a good mac and cheese? A mix of my favorite cheese, Brie, and homemade sourdough bread crumbs.
I know that using Brie in mac and cheese might sound a little over the top, but it’s truly one of the best cheeses you can use. It’s melts perfectly into the sauce and adds an extra special touch that other classic mac and cheese recipes lack.
In addition to the Brie, I also used a little sharp white cheddar and Havarti, to balance out the flavors.
And then, the bread crumb topping. Normally, I might skip out on adding breadcrumbs to a mac and cheese. But a baked mac and cheese for the holidays should always include a fresh bread crumb topping. Using sourdough bread and a little garlic adds a layer of delicious, buttery, and slightly garlicy flavor. Wonderful when paired with the creamy Brie.
Couldn’t think of a better holiday mac and cheese that feels fancier than this.
One of the main reasons this baked Brie mac and cheese is such a go-to for me this time of year (aside from how delicious it is) is because it’s a dish that I can prepare ahead of time and keep stored in the fridge until ready to bake. My days have been packed with work, so I don’t always have time to make dinner. Keeping pastas and casseroles on hand can be a life saver when unexpected guests show up. Which is quite often around here.
My best cookware for storing meals are my durable Pyrex glass bakers. Pull it out of the fridge to get to room temperature (while pre-heating your oven!) then bring it over to the table when you’re ready to serve.
My mom has always used Pyrex in her kitchen. So even from a very young age, I’ve loved using Pyrex cookware. Using Pyrex just makes life easier. And I’m loving their fun holiday storage containers that would be so cute for gifting homemade treats this December!
My recommendation? Test this recipe out over the weekend, but make a double batch to keep in the freezer for Christmas week. Trust me, having a couple of meals already made and ready for baking will save you from unneeded holiday stress. It will also provide family friends with a yummy dinner, no matter how crazy things are!
If you make this mac and cheese, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Baked Brie Mac and Cheese
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 745 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 1 garlic clove, minced or grated
- 2 cups sourdough bread, roughly torn
- 2 cups sharp white cheddar, shredded
- 1 cup Havarti cheese, shredded
- 8 ounces Brie cheese, rind removed and cubed
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- fresh thyme, for topping
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch Pyrex baking dish with cooking spray.2. In a large saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 1 minute, stirring once to avoid burning—it will bubble. Gradually whisk in the milk and 2 cups of water, then stir in the macaroni. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir frequently until the macaroni is just al dente, 8 to 10 minutes.3. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and sourdough and toss to coat. Toast the crumbs until browned, stirring frequently to avoid burning, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the bread cool slightly. Transfer to a food processor and pulse into crumbs. 4. When the macaroni is al dente, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheddar, Havarti, Brie and cayenne. Season with salt and pepper. Stir until the cheeses have fully melted. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.5. Evenly sprinkle the toasted bread crumbs over the mac and cheese and place the baking dish on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crumbs are golden brown and the sauce is bubbling. Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh thyme. Enjoy!
{This post is sponsored by Pyrex. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Half Baked Harvest cooking!}
The ingredients don’t mention the 2 c of water but the directions include 2 c of water in addition to the 3 cups of milk. I’m making it tomorrow so not exactly sure if I need to add the water..
Hi Jan,
I never include water in the ingredient list, you can follow the recipe as written:) Happy Thanksgiving! xx
Great mac and cheese dish and especially rich with all that brie! I followed the recipe but think I’d add a bit more milk next time since we thought the pasta was a bit too sticky in the end, plus it stuck badly to my pot while cooking and didn’t have quite enough liquid to get to al dente (although the end result was fine). I also decided it wasn’t worth trying to cut up brie into cubes because even after refrigerating it, it was basically one mass of soft cheese when I went to put it in with the pasta. Anyway, definitely a mac and cheese that I’ll be making again!
Hey Helen,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your comment, so glad to hear it was a winner! xT
New fan, for life! Now tell me, if time is no issue, which is the preferable Brie Mac & Cheese, one dish or traditional? Not trying to put u on the spot and definitely not being unkind. Thanks for the tip about browning bread pieces: toasted cracker topping is excellent but a little change can make a big difference.
Totally depends what you are looking for:) This one is my fave:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/no-boil-brie-mac-and-cheese/
I hope this helps! xx
Hi Tieghan,
HUGE fan! Have all your cookbooks, love reading your recipe blogs and so much more! Quick question on this recipe. I am organizing my Pinterest recipes ( in a very OCD manner- lol) and in the picture and your first paragraph you talk about shells (and it looks like jumbo shells to me) but in your ingredients you mention elbow macaroni. I am sure the cook time would be the same since you cook the pasta in advance but I just wanted to know which one you actually used as I’d like to put it in the correct category under my boards. Also, have you ever incorporated spinach into this? Think that would be a nice ( and healthy) addition. What do you think?
Again love everything you do , you are pretty awesome!
Hey Alexandra,
Thanks so much for your kind message and making so many recipes!! I used large elbow macaroni here, that’s what’s in the photos:) Sure, you could add some spinach! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Thanks so much for replying Tieghan! It means a lot as I know how many things you must be juggling. Cant be easy, but you are definitely killing it! And I love all of your recipes, and your photography is gorgeous! I have tried to recreate and lets just say its no where near your level of perfection (and i am a perfectionist but still no)- clearly not my forte lol. However, if you ever in need of an architecture/interior design firm look up Mark Finlay Architects/Interiors and we can definitely do something special for you for all the special food recipes you create for us!
And thank you for everything you do, you are so talented!
Thanks so much!!
Hi Tieghan!
Can I ask how important is sourdough to this dish? If use a different crusty bread would it turn out just as well? Thanks for another amazing recipe!
Hey Annie,
Sure, that would be just fine for you to do! Let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love it! xx
I used rye pumpernickel crumbs and it was delightful, so I think any crumbs will work. Thanks for the yummy recipe 😋
Hi Rachel,
Wonderful!!🌴🍍 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, love to hear that it turned out well! xx
Hi there! When you say 1 cup of cheese, do you mean the traditional 8 ounces, or 4 ounces which is considered to be 1 cup’s worth when measuring cheese? Thank you so much!
Hey Julia,
Sorry, I’ve never heard of this, I just measure with 1 cup of cheese, doesn’t have to be exact:) I hope you love the recipe! xx