Can I use a baking dish instead of a skillet?

Absolutely! Just make your cheese sauce in a saucepan on the stove. After mixing in the pasta, pour everything into a 9x13-inch baking dish and then add the topping. However, a skillet is great for one-pan cooking, which means you'll have fewer dishes to wash afterward.

Longhorn Steakhouse Mac and Cheese

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I am so excited to share one of my favorite recipes with you today! I’ll never forget the first time I tried the Longhorn Steakhouse mac and cheese. It was unbelievably cheesy and delicious. Right then, I knew I had to figure out how to make it myself.

After some fun experiments in my kitchen, I think I got it just right. This recipe tastes exactly like the real deal. Now you can make this super creamy, comforting dish at home, and I can’t wait for you to try it!

Why You’ll Love This Mac and Cheese?

It tastes just like the famous restaurant version you absolutely love.
The cheesy sauce is so rich, creamy, and completely unforgettable.
A crunchy, golden-brown breadcrumb topping adds the perfect, satisfying texture.
It uses four amazing cheeses that melt together for epic flavor.
This simple recipe will make you a kitchen hero for sure.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s what you’ll need to grab from the store. I’ve found that these specific ingredients really make the dish sing.

Dry pasta: I use cavatappi because it’s fun, the corkscrew shape is perfect for holding onto every last drop of that amazing cheese sauce.
Gruyere cheese: This is my secret weapon! This cheese brings a wonderful, slightly nutty flavor that makes the whole dish taste extra special.
White cheddar cheese: You need a good, sharp white cheddar to give the sauce that classic, tangy mac and cheese punch we all love.
Parmesan cheese: I add freshly grated Parmesan for its salty, savory bite. It really brings all the other cheese flavors together.
Fontina cheese: This cheese is a melting superstar. It makes your sauce incredibly smooth and creamy, so you never have to worry about clumps.
Half-and-half: Using half-and-half instead of just milk gives your sauce a richer taste and a velvety texture that feels so luxurious.
Cooked bacon: I add crispy, crumbled bacon for a salty and smoky crunch that takes this steakhouse mac and cheese over the top.
Panko breadcrumbs: These are the best for a crunchy topping. They get way crispier than regular breadcrumbs when you bake them.
Flour: You will need some all-purpose flour to help thicken our cheese sauce and make it wonderfully thick and stable.
Butter: I use unsalted butter to create the base of our sauce. It adds a rich flavor you just can’t get from anything else.
Smoked paprika: A little dash of this gives the topping a beautiful color and a hint of smoky flavor that works so well with the cheeses.

How to Make Longhorn Mac and Cheese?

First, we will cook the pasta, make a super creamy four-cheese sauce, combine them, and bake everything to golden perfection.

Step 1: Cook the pasta. Boil your pasta according to the package directions until it’s al dente, then drain it.

Step 2: Make the creamy cheese sauce. In a skillet, melt your butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for one minute. Slowly pour in the half-and-half while you keep whisking. Continue until the sauce is smooth and starts to thicken up a bit. Turn the heat down to low and stir in the Gruyere, white cheddar, fontina, and Parmesan. Keep stirring gently until all the cheese has melted.

Step 5: Combine everything. Add the cooked pasta to your cheese sauce. Stir it all together until every piece of pasta is coated.

Step 6: Prepare the topping. In a small bowl, mix the panko bread crumbs with the smoked paprika and a little bit of melted butter.

Step 7: Bake the mac and cheese. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture and crumbled bacon evenly over the top. Bake it until the sauce is bubbly and the topping is golden brown. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving, if you need.

Tips for the Best Steakhouse Mac and Cheese

Here are a few little secrets I’ve learned from making this dish so many times. They really help!

Shred your own cheese from a block. It melts so much better than the pre-shredded kind.
Don’t overcook the pasta at first. It will cook more in the oven, so al dente is perfect.
Use room-temperature half-and-half. This helps prevent your cheese sauce from becoming lumpy or separating.
Stir the cheese in on low heat. This keeps the sauce smooth and prevents it from getting grainy.
Watch it closely under the broiler. The panko topping can go from golden to burnt in a blink!

Variations and Substitutions

Want to mix things up? This recipe is a great starting point for your own delicious ideas.

Try adding some chopped jalapeños if you like a little bit of spicy heat in your dish.
You can swap the bacon for some savory pulled pork for an even heartier, smokier meal.
Feel free to use other great melting cheeses like Gouda, Monterey Jack, or even Provolone.
A pinch of nutmeg or mustard powder in the sauce adds a nice, warm background flavor.
For extra crunch, try mixing toasted onions into your breadcrumb topping before you bake it.

Make-Ahead and Storage Tips

To make ahead, you can assemble the entire dish, cover it, and keep it in the fridge for a day.
For the fridge, store any leftovers you have in a sealed container for up to 3 days.
To reheat, add a splash of milk or half-and-half to make it creamy and delicious again.
For the freezer, place cooled mac and cheese in a freezer-safe dish for up to 2 months.
When reheating from frozen, let it thaw in the fridge overnight before baking it until warm.

What to Serve with Longhorn Mac and Cheese?

This dish is a star on its own, but here are a few things I love to serve alongside it.

A juicy steak: It is a classic steakhouse side for a very good reason. The pairing is just unbeatable!
Simple green salad: A light salad with a vinaigrette dressing cuts through the richness of the cheese perfectly.
Roasted broccoli or asparagus: I find that some simple roasted green veggies make the entire meal feel more complete and balanced.
Garlic bread: You can use some warm, buttery garlic bread to mop up any extra cheese sauce from your plate.

Frequently Asked Questions

It’s a wonderful comfort food treat, so I enjoy it in moderation. It is rich with cheese and butter, making it a special occasion dish for me.

Yes, absolutely! While I love cavatappi, you can also use elbow macaroni, shells, or penne. Any pasta with ridges or holes will work great.

My version is not, because I add bacon. To make it vegetarian, simply leave the bacon out. It will still be incredibly cheesy and delicious!

This usually happens if the heat is too high when you add the cheese. Always lower the heat before stirring in your cheese for a smooth sauce.

Absolutely! Just make your cheese sauce in a saucepan on the stove. After mixing in the pasta, pour everything into a 9×13-inch baking dish and then add the topping. However, a skillet is great for one-pan cooking, which means you’ll have fewer dishes to wash afterward.