On day 3 of Advent, Aldi gifted us a Red Leicester which I paired with Extra sharp Cheddar for a bold, flavorful mac and cheese.
Every year, Aldi releases a cheese Advent calendar. The calendar contains one individually wrapped piece of cheese for each day. There are twelve different cheeses available so we have two opportunities to explore different recipes we can make to feature each cheese. This is one of those recipes. Follow along here.
How to Use Cheese in Mac and Cheese
When you taste cheese, I want you to pay attention to how long it takes for the cheesy flavor to show up. Sometimes the flavor is immediate, but it fades away before you finish eating it. These are what I call “opener cheeses”.
Other cheeses take a few seconds for the flavor to develop but hold throughout the end of the bite. These are what I call “closer cheeses” Well-rounded mac and cheese recipes make use of opener and closer flavors so there’s consistent cheesy flavor the entire time you’re eating it.
Red Leicester Cheese
Red Leicester is not a cheese I typically find in my grocery store. After trying it here I’m disappointed this one passed my attention. The flavor of Red Leicester stands out at the end of the bite – perfect for a closer cheese.
Extra Sharp Cheddar
I used extra sharp cheddar as the opener. Cheddar is an old favorite around here. It has a fantastic flavor that holds its own among other bold flavors. It’s also easy to get your hands on.
Radiatore Pasta in Red Leicester with Cheddar Cheese mac and cheese
This was another mac and cheese where I used Radiatore as the base. It’s a fun small shape that is easy to eat and has plenty of ridges to soak up the Red Leicester and Cheddar sauce so every mac and cheese bite is full of cheesy flavor.
Add a Fork
I was hoping matching two orange cheeses together would help highlight the bold color of both cheeses. Unfortunately the white bechamel sauce muted the color so much that it was more of an off-white color than bright orange.
Even with the disappointing color the flavor was fantastic. I now understand why Red Leicester is a key ingredient in many mac and cheese recipes. It offers a bold cheese flavor that stands out beautifully contrasted against other ingredients. I’d love to see it paired with other bold ingredients like asiago, jalapeños, or crispy onions.
Red Leicester with Cheddar Cheese Mac and Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 oz pasta cooked according to package directions
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 4 oz Red Leicester, grated
- 4 oz Cheddar, grated
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pre heat your milk in the microwave for 45 seconds – just enough to take the chill out of it.
- Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat and let it heat until it becomes foamy.
- Mix in flour. Cook it for a minute while stirring constantly
- Slowly add warmed milk to the butter mixture 1/4 cup at a time. Whisk it continually until combined. Season generously with salt and fresh cracked pepper.
- Once all of the milk is added, cook for a few minutes while whisking it. Do not let it boil. You will feel the sauce start to thicken. It’s ready for cheese when you rub a small amount between your fingers and it feels silky.
- Remove from heat and stir in your cheese until it’s melted and mixed into the sauce.
- Once the cheese is incorporated, use a cooked noodle to taste your sauce. If it doesn’t taste cheesy enough try adding a little more salt to bring out the flavor.
- Combine the pasta and sauce and serve.
