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Longhorn Steakhouse Mac and Cheese

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Longhorn Steakhouse Mac and Cheese is a long requested recipe from many of my viewers, and I want to show you how to prepare this wonderfully cheesy and smoky dish that you will love.

Homemade copycat Steakhouse Macaroni and Cheese in two bowls and a baking dish.

I don’t know what it is about Macaroni and Cheese it is a very popular dish, grown-ups and kids alike all love this cheesy pasta dish. What makes the Longhorn Steakhouse’s recipe so special is the 4 cheese blend, and they also top it with a little bit of crumbled bacon and some crispy panko breadcrumbs. It is hard to beat this side dish.

This recipe isn’t your everyday recipe, it certainly is something extra special. It contains four different types of cheeses. These cheeses give this dish a very special flavor.

You will need Gruyere, White Cheddar, Parmesan, and Fontina. This combination of cheeses helps to make a creamy blend that a velvet-like texture and rich flavor. For me, Fontina can be the harder cheese to find, most larger grocery stores will carry Fontina in their Deli section. I have to say that I think it is really important to use the cheeses as written in the recipe.

Homemade copycat Longhorn Steakhouse Macaroni and Cheese in a red baking dish.

The smoked flavor comes from the smoked paprika. I like the flavor of smoked paprika. In fact, it is one of my favorite chili coffee rubs I like to use for barbeque. If you have never tried it, it is a sprinkle of smoky goodness that you can use on eggs, in chili, and it is wonderful in deviled eggs, so it another ingredient you will love.

This recipe is pretty easy to put together, I will say it doesn’t reheat super well, so if you can’t consume all of it in one setting you can always just serve up as much as you need. I would keep the cheese sauce in a different container than the pasta so that the pasta doesn’t soak up all of the sauce.

I hope you enjoy this recipe for the Longhorn Steakhouse Mac and cheese.

Homemade copycat Longhorn Steakhouse Macaroni and Cheese in a spoon and small bowl.

Love Longhorn Steakhouse? Try these copycat Longhorn Steakhouse recipes

More Mac and Cheese Recipes

Be sure to check out more of my easy recipes for side dishes and the best restaurant copycat recipes.

Homemade copycat Longhorn Steakhouse Macaroni and Cheese in a spoon and small orange bowl.

Longhorn Steakhouse Mac and Cheese

You can't beat this macaroni and cheese it takes just like the Longhorn Steakhouse's version.
4.3 from 10 votes
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Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Longhorn Steakhouse
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 10
Calories: 468kcal
Author: Stephanie Manley

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. 
    Ingredients for the Longhorn Steakhouse Macaroni and Cheese at home.
  • 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

Nutrition

Calories: 468kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 389mg | Potassium: 226mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 730IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 361mg | Iron: 1.1mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  4. Sally

    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.

    Reply

    • Susana

      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.

      Reply

  7. Stephanie Manley

    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 😉

    Reply

  8. Stephanie Manley

    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.

    Reply

    • Debbie Martin

      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!

      Reply

  9. Lhcook

    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.

    Reply

  11. April Corbett

    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? : )

    Reply

  12. Molly Castillo

    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 🙁

    Reply

  14. diana

    hi Stephanie, is the macaroni and cheese recipe the same for longhorns macaroni and cheese that has the lobster in it?

    Reply

  16. Jeremy

    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?

    Reply

  17. Krystal

    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.

    Reply

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