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A bowl of white cheddar mac, cheese, and sweet peas being served on plates.
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5 from 8 votes

White Cheddar Mac and Cheese with Sweet Peas

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 881kcal
Author: Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

  • 1 pound dry elbow macaroni or shaped pasta of choice
  • 4 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 3 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 ⅔ cups whole milk
  • 5 ounces shredded white cheddar
  • 2 ounces shredded swiss
  • 2 cups fresh sweet peas, steamed or frozen and thawed
  • salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat.
  • Add a small handful of salt and pasta and stir together.
  • Boil pasta until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Remove pasta from heat and reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.
  • Drain pasta and rinse with cold water to stop cooking.
  • Place pot back over medium heat and melt butter. Add shallot and garlic and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Sprinkle flour over shallot mixture and stir together until there are no raw lumps of flour left, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Slowly stir milk into the flour mixture and continue to stir together until mixture is smooth and begins to simmer and thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon.
  • Remove pot from heat and slowly stir in the shredded white cheddar followed by the swiss, slowly and in small handfuls, until all the cheese has been added and melted into a smooth sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Fold in the cooked pasta until fully incorporated and any of the reserved pasta water as needed if the mixture is too thick, 2 tablespoons at a time, until the macaroni and cheese is creamy and smooth. Fold in most the sweet peas until fully incorporated.
  • Adjust seasonings, stir and top with reserve sweet peas. Serve.

Notes

  • *Makes 1 quart

Nutrition

Calories: 881kcal | Carbohydrates: 108g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 304mg | Potassium: 630mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 1586IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 528mg | Iron: 3mg