Brown Butter Sage Mac & Cheese

Brown Butter Sage Mac & Cheese

Comfort food, elevated with crisp sage, bubbling cheese & golden crunchy panko.

Mac & cheese doesn’t need a reinvention. But a little experimentation never hurt anyone. This version brings all the comfort you expect — but with a few elevated twists to add to the experience: nutty browned butter, sharp cheese, and crispy sage that combined taste too good to be legal. It’s lush, rich, and still somehow easy enough to whip up incredibly easily.

What You’ll Need

• 1 stick of unsalted butter

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

• 3 cups whole milk

• 8–10 oz grated sharp white cheddar

• ~10 oz of Swiss/Gruyère blend (or whatever cheese your heart is currently loyal to)

• A handful of fresh sage leaves

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced + a sprinkle of garlic powder

• Salt, black pepper, and a whisper of nutmeg

• Panko breadcrumbs, toasted

• Pasta of your choice (short shapes work best: elbows, shells, or cavatappi)

How to Make It

1. Brown That Butter
   Melt your butter in a large pan over medium heat. Once it starts bubbling and foaming, toss in your sage leaves. Let them crisp gently in the hot butter — they'll slightly darken, and turn fragrant. Pull the leaves out once crisp and set them on a paper towel to absorb the extra oil, but don’t touch that butter. It’s pure liquid gold now.

2. Boil the Pasta
   Get your pot on the stove and boil your pasta in well-salted water until just al dente. You want a little bite left — it’ll finish cooking in the sauce from residual heal. Drain and set aside.

3. Make the Roux
   Back to the butter: lower the heat and sprinkle in the flour to make your roux. Whisk gently as it cooks for a minute or two — you’re not aiming for deep color here, just a mellow toasty base. Season with a pinch of salt, cracked pepper, a touch of garlic powder, and a whisper of nutmeg for warmth.

4. Build the Sauce
   Slowly pour in the milk, whisking constantly until smooth and slightly thickened. Take your time. Once things are looking velvety, add your cheese in two batches — first the cheddar, then your Gruyère/Swiss blend. Whisk until it all melts down into a glossy, dreamy sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Trust your palette.

5. Combine and Finish
   Pour the sauce over your drained pasta and fold it in gently until everything is coated in that luscious cheese. Transfer to your serving dish.

6. Topping Time

   • Below are the videos on how to make these individual toppings if you need a little guidance!

     Shower the top with toasted panko for that golden crunch, then crown it with your fried sage leaves. If you’re feeling fancy, a little drizzle of browned butter over top never hurts.

so familiar, yet so different

This mac & cheese is nostalgic but elevated — the kind of dish you bring to a gathering and somehow end up guarding with your life in hopes you somehow end up with leftovers. Serve it hot, creamy, and unapologetically cheesy.

-Love Always, Yaz