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Copycat Noodles & Company Wisconsin Mac
Noodles & Company's Wisconsin Mac and Cheese features a rich, creamy blend of sharp cheddar and jack cheese with cavatappi pasta spirals.
copycat · noodles-and-company · casual-dining · pasta
🕑Prep10 min
🍳Cook20 min
⏱Total30 min
🍽Serves4
⭐DifficultyEasy
Ingredients
- 12 ounces cavatappi (corkscrew) pasta
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- 1.Cook the cavatappi. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the cavatappi until al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining.
- 2.Build the roux. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until lightly golden.
- 3.Create the sauce base. Slowly whisk in the milk and heavy cream. Cook for 5-6 minutes, whisking frequently, until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
- 4.Add the cheese. Remove from heat. Add the white cheddar and Monterey Jack in handfuls, stirring between each addition until completely melted. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and nutmeg.
- 5.Combine everything. Add the drained pasta to the cheese sauce and stir until thoroughly coated. If the sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
- 6.Serve hot. Divide among bowls and serve immediately. This mac is best eaten right away while the sauce is at peak creaminess.
Copycat Noodles & Company Wisconsin Mac
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Noodles & Company’s Wisconsin Mac is the dish that keeps people coming back. It’s not your average mac and cheese — the combination of sharp white cheddar and Monterey Jack creates a sauce that’s simultaneously tangy and mellow, with a creaminess that comes from adding heavy cream to the base. The cavatappi pasta is the other key: those corkscrews trap cheese sauce in every spiral and ridge.
The nutmeg is a classic French technique borrowed from traditional Mornay sauce. You shouldn’t be able to identify it as nutmeg — it just makes everything taste richer and more complex.
What Makes Wisconsin Mac Different
- Cavatappi is non-negotiable. The spiral shape holds more sauce per bite than elbow macaroni. If you can’t find cavatappi, cellentani or fusilli are acceptable substitutes.
- White cheddar, not yellow. White sharp cheddar gives a different flavor profile than yellow — it’s tangier and more complex. This is a Wisconsin-style mac, and Wisconsin makes serious white cheddar.
- The cream makes it luxurious. Most mac and cheese recipes use only milk. Adding heavy cream makes the sauce richer and more stable — it won’t break or get watery as easily.
Restaurant vs. Kitchen
A regular bowl of Wisconsin Mac at Noodles & Company costs about $8-10. This recipe serves four for about $7 total in ingredients. You get four times the food for less money, and you can make it as cheesy as you want.
