Kimchi Mac and Cheese
The funk of kimchi. The richness of three melted cheeses. They were always supposed to meet.
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Kimchi and cheese should not work as well as they do. On paper it sounds like a dare. In practice it sounds like dinner.
Here's why it works. Kimchi is funky, acidic, alive. Aged cheddar and gruyere are funky, rich, deeply savory. They're operating in the same register — fermented, complex, a little aggressive — and instead of competing they amplify each other. The richness of the cheese cuts the acid of the kimchi. The kimchi cuts through the heaviness of the cheese. Round and round it goes. You keep eating to figure it out and by the time you do the bowl is empty.
This is the best mac and cheese you will have. I'll say it plainly.
It starts with a classic béchamel, which is butter, flour, and milk cooked into a sauce. Not a shortcut. Not velveeta. A real sauce that gives you control over the texture and the flavor at every step. Garlic and spicy mustard go into the roux before the liquid — the mustard in particular does something quiet and important, adding a sharpness that makes the cheese taste more like itself.
The cheese blend is aged cheddar for sharpness, mozzarella for pull and melt, gruyere for depth, and parmesan for salt and funk. Three quarters of it goes into the sauce. The last quarter gets saved for the top, where it melts into the crispy French onion layer and creates something between a crust and a gratin that is genuinely the best part of the pan.
The kimchi goes in chopped, so it distributes evenly through the pasta rather than sitting in clumps. The kimchi juice goes in with it. Do not skip the juice. It is doing as much work as the kimchi itself, seasoning the whole dish with that bright, fermented heat that makes this taste like something you thought about rather than something you threw together.
Bake it at 350 for 45 minutes. Let it sit for five to ten minutes before you serve it. It needs the rest. Cut into it too early and the sauce runs. Give it the time and it holds, creamy and set, with a top that crackles slightly when you spoon through it.
This is comfort food that earns the word.
Recipe
Ingredients
Béchamel and Cheese Sauce
¼ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp spicy mustard
2 cups whole milk
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup aged cheddar, grated
1 cup low-moisture mozzarella, grated
½ cup gruyere, grated
¼ cup parmesan, grated
The Rest
1 lb elbow macaroni or cavatappi, cooked to just under al dente
½ cup kimchi, roughly chopped
¼ cup kimchi juice
1 cup crispy French fried onions
Reserved cheese for the top (about ¼ of the total)
Salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Steps
1. Cook the pasta.
Boil pasta in heavily salted water to just under al dente. It will finish cooking in the oven. Drain and set aside.
2. Make the béchamel.
Melt butter in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 60 seconds until fragrant. Add flour and whisk constantly for 2 minutes until the roux turns slightly golden and smells nutty. Whisk in the mustard.
3. Build the sauce.
Add the milk and chicken stock gradually, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring often, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Add the cheese.
Remove from heat. Add three quarters of the combined cheeses in handfuls, stirring between additions until fully melted. Season with salt and pepper. The sauce should be rich, smooth, and slightly over-seasoned — it will mellow when combined with the pasta.
5. Combine.
Fold the cooked pasta into the cheese sauce. Add the chopped kimchi and kimchi juice. Stir to combine evenly. Transfer to a buttered baking dish.
6. Top and bake.
Preheat oven to 350°. Scatter the reserved cheese over the top, then the crispy French onions. Bake 45 minutes until bubbling at the edges and golden on top.
7. Rest.
Let sit 5 to 10 minutes before serving. This step is not optional.
At a Glance
Prep Time:
20
Cook Time:
40
Serves:
4-6
Difficulty:
Easy
Side Dish
Korean
60 minute
Dinner