After years of enjoying Longhorn Steakhouse’s legendary mac and cheese, I was determined to recreate it at home. The secret, I discovered, lies in their unique blend of four distinctive cheeses and that perfectly crunchy bacon-panko topping. Now I’m sharing my tested recipe that brings steakhouse luxury to your dinner table.
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Longhorn Steakhouse Mac and Cheese
Who doesn’t love mac and cheese? From fancy, high-end recipes to the nostalgia-inducing boxed stovetop versions, it’s a popular dish in all sorts of restaurants and kitchens.
But those who’ve been to Longhorn Steakhouse know the chain has some of the best, most dependable, and most crave-able mac and cheese out there, thanks to the ooey-gooey cheese sauce that clings perfectly to the spiral cavatappi noodles.
So, the next time you’re grilling up some steaks, try this recipe for the ultimate restaurant-style experience.
What makes the Longhorn Steakhouse Mac and Cheese so unique?
This isn’t your ordinary mac and cheese. Here’s why this copycat version stands out:
- Uses four premium cheeses for complex flavor
- Creates silky-smooth sauce without graininess
- Perfect al dente pasta holds sauce beautifully
- Achieves ideal sauce-to-pasta ratio
- Features signature smoky undertones
- Creates restaurant-quality results consistently
Why you should try this recipe
You’ll wow your fellow diners (or your own taste buds) with the sophisticated flavors provided by this deceptively simple recipe. It also takes just 20 minutes of active work and can easily be scaled up or down for big families or small groups.
Perfect For…
- Family dinners
- Potluck parties
- Holiday sides
- Comfort food cravings
- Steakhouse dinners at home
- Special occasions
Ingredients You’ll Need
There’s certainly no shortage of cheese in this delectable recipe, making up nearly half of the recipe’s ingredients:
- Dry pasta (preferably cavatappi)
- Gruyere cheese, shredded
- White cheddar cheese, shredded
- Parmesan cheese, shredded
- Fontina cheese, shredded
- Half and half
- Cooked bacon, crumbled
- Panko bread crumbs
- Flour
- Butter
- Smoked paprika
Ingredient Notes
To create the proper consistency for the cheese sauce, it’s essential to use the specific types of cheeses and amounts listed above.
However, those with Celiac disease or who are sensitive to gluten can swap out the pasta, flour, and panko for gluten-free versions. In addition, vegetarians and people avoiding pork for religious or other reasons can skip the addition of crumbled bacon and still enjoy a deliciously cheesy dish.
How to make Longhorn Steakhouse Mac and Cheese
It only takes a few steps to bring this uncomplicated but tasty dish together:
- Boil and drain pasta in a large pot of water as indicated on the package for al dente.
- Heat butter and flour in a large saucepan, cooking until the mixture becomes fragrant.
- Slowly add the half and half in three batches, cooking and stirring until thickened in between.
- Add the paprika and cheese, continuing to stir as it melts into the mix.
- Combine the cooked pasta and cheese mixture in a baking dish. Top with bacon and panko.
- Bake in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven until the breadcrumbs begin to brown, around 20 minutes.
Recipe Variations
In many ways, cavatappi is an ideal type of pasta for this mac and cheese, as the cheese sauce easily clings to the twisted tube shape. Of course, it’s also the most authentic for a true Longhorn Steakhouse copycat recipe. However, home cooks should feel free to try out other styles like ziti, shells, fusilli, and the classic elbow noodles.
What Goes Well with Longhorn Mac and Cheese
Longhorn fans have likely already enjoyed this mac and cheese as a prefect side dish for their steaks. But it’s equally good with all types of grilled or broiled food, with the creaminess providing a delightful contrast to the meaty, smoky beef, chicken, or pork.
Those who really love this recipe can serve a larger portion of the mac and cheese paired with a simple green salad or roasted or steamed vegetables, transforming this side into the centerpiece of a healthy, easy-to-make meal.
How to Store Longhorn Mac & Cheese
The unfortunate reality is that (mainly for textural reasons) Longhorn mac and cheese leftovers usually don’t store well. The pasta can end up soaking up too much of the liquid, leaving it soggy or mushy while also too light on sauce.
Instead, it’s better to store any excess cheese sauce and cooked, unsauced pasta separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. They’re best used within three to five days. When it’s time to enjoy, simply combine the two and follow the rest of the recipe for adding breadcrumbs and baking.
If needed, you can also freeze the prepared mac and cheese. Allow it to cool to room temperature and store it in a freezer-safe container or bag. It should be eaten within three months. Thaw it in the fridge before reheating it in the microwave or, ideally, in the oven until fully warmed through.
Love Longhorn Steakhouse? Try these copycat Longhorn Steakhouse recipes!
More Mac and Cheese Recipes
- Baked Macaroni and Cheese
- Boston Market Mac and Cheese
- Chick Fil A Mac and Cheese
- Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese
- Luby’s Cafeteria Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
- Macaroni and Cheese Pasta Salad
- Martha Stewart Mac and Cheese Recipe
- Panera Bread Mac and Cheese Recipe
- Spicy Mac N Cheese Recipe
- Sweetie Pie’s Mac and Cheese
Be sure to check out more of my easy recipes for side dishes and the best restaurant copycat recipes.
Longhorn Steakhouse Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound cavatappi pasta
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups half and half
- 2 ounces Gruyere cheese shredded
- 8 ounces white Cheddar shredded
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese shredded
- 4 ounces Fontina cheese shredded
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 4 pieces bacon cooked crispy and crumbled
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- Prepare pasta according to the package directions. Heat together in a large saucepan 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of flour over medium heat. Cook until the roux becomes fragrant.
- Add 1/2 cup of half and half and stir until sauce thickens. Add 1/2 cup of half and half when the sauce thickens, and then add final 1 cup of half and half and stir until the sauce becomes thick. Add cheeses to sauce slowly stirring until the cheese is blended. Sprinkle in smoked paprika.
- Mix pasta and sauce, and pour into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Top macaroni and cheese with crumbled bacon and panko breadcrumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until panko breadcrumbs begins to brown.
Video
Notes
Pro Tips for Success
- Grate cheese fresh – pre-shredded won’t melt properly
- Bring half and half to room temperature
- Don’t overcook the pasta – it continues cooking in the oven
- Let cheese come to room temperature
- Use block cheese and grate it yourself
- Don’t skip the smoked paprika – it’s key to the signature flavor
I have made this recipe as several times now and it’s out of this world best mac & cheese
I plan to make this tonight for supper! Looking forward to it!
What’s the half and half?
It is a type of cream that is sold in the US. It is half cream and half milk.
I made this yesterday. I’m very good at following recipes. This was so NOT like Longhorns Mac and Cheese! It was totally dry. I did make it the day before. Longhorn doesn’t make it to order so I don’t think that was the issue. Maybe doubling the sauce would have helped. Also adding the provolone and garlic powder may have helped with flavor.
Are you sure that you didn’t use too much pasta I’ve made this several times and it always comes out like Longhorns mac & cheese never dry.
are the ounces to tablespoons?
That would work ok, it would not be ideal.
Tasted delicious!
It’s no problem. You don’t realize you do these things until someone captures it in video, and it lives forever there. Thankfully that mac and cheese wasn’t consumed by the general public. It shows I don’t read cue cards too 😉
Thank you for letting me know your feelings. The scratching of the nose, is inexcusable, as is me accidently referring to the restaurant wrong. I apologize you had to watch the video. I’ll see if we can’t schedule a reshoot soon.
I love your videos and all the wonderful recipes you make and share with all of us, thank you so much! All of them that I have made I’ve gotten rave reviews. Regarding the person that commented on the scratching of the nose, I feel that there is no reason to reshoot. Most humans get an itch on their face while cooking and since it wasn’t served outside your kitchen I think all is good….just sayin’ Thanks again Stephanie!
Well, at least you weren’t PICKIN your nose…. lol
Im a cook at longhorn. I make these all day long. Its 4 cheese sauce plus shredded provolone, there is a little garlic powder in the bredcrumb mix. Hope this helps. When u eat it in the resturant it is reheated. Its preped then heated when ordered.
Good to know. It is great stuff. I bet you know all sorts of good recipes working there.
So can I plz have the recipe!!!!
By chance is there anyone who has used a substitute for the gruyere and fontina chesse? :/
Mozzarella, provolone
I bet those two swaps were also quite good. I think this recipe tastes so good because there used is a nice balance of cheeses in there.
THANK you!
Thank you!!!
I have a question, we just had this mac & cheese lat night and we were certain that we could taste garlic in it…so does it have garlic or no? : )
There is garlic mixed in with the breadcrumbs
I had absolutely NO problems getting the cheese at our local HEB, but of course they don’t carry ANY Cavatappi pasta so had to buy the regular elbow mac. so I hope it turns out okay 🙁
I am sure it came out ok. Kroger makes a Private Selections store brand Cavatappi.
hey Stephanie I loved that macaroni and cheese you made
hi Stephanie, is the macaroni and cheese recipe the same for longhorns macaroni and cheese that has the lobster in it?
I adore cavatappi shaped pasta! So fun!
Hi Stephanie. I am making this for Christmas dinner and I am going to be cooking in an already-crowded kitchen. Can the sauce be made the night before and kept in the fridge until ready to use?
It really doesn’t do well reheated. I have reheated the sauce, and it gets a little grainy.
Hi Stephanie. When you say 2oz cheese, shredded, does that mean I should buy a 2oz block of cheese and then shred that, or that I should buy a block of cheese and shred until the scale says i have 2 oz of cheese. I usually just add cheese to my mac and cheese until its cheesy enough 4 me. This is my first time following an actual recipe. Wanted to make sure I was doing the right thing.
It will work either way. i personally like to shred all of my cheese myself. I think it melts better when you shred it yourself.
So what did you do for this recipe? Did you shred your cheese and then weigh it? And thanks for the speedy reply too.
I typically weigh the cheese first, then shred.
Thanks so much! That is a great help! I’m making this dish for Christmas and can’t wait to try it.
It melts better if you shred your own because the stuff in a bag is coated with cornstarch to keep it from sticking together.
I agree completely on the melting. I have gotten to where I just bought a really nice cheese grater and I just quickly grate what I need.
This looks so good. I love the idea of using 4 cheeses.
All of the different cheeses really adds a nice touch to this recipe.
Oh I cannot wait to make this recipe Stephanie! Thanks for sharing it. I’d love a bowl right about now!
Thank you very much! Who doesn’t love a good bowl of Mac and Cheese.
I hope you enjoyed the recipe!
Who makes your favorite macaroni and cheese?
Timpano Italian Chophouse in Fort Lauderdale Florida