Lion's mane mushroom mac and cheese

A savory yet subtle mac and cheese recipe featuring lion's mane mushrooms!

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword lion's mane mushroom dinner recipes, lion's mane mushroom recipe, lion's mane pasta recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Baking time 32 minutes

Servings 8

1 lb organic pasta (We used an Italian gigli noodle, but you can use other styles of mac noodles such as elbows, shells, or corkscrews.)
salt (generously salt your water before boiling - up to 1 tbsp)

7.5 cups loosely packed, shredded lion's mane mushrooms (see notes and pictures in article) (~13-14 ounces, but moisture/hydration can impact mushroom weight, especially with wild-foraged lion's manes)
1 medium white or yellow onion, finely diced
3 tsp fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
3 cloves garlic, finely diced
pinch of salt, or 1/4 tsp
3 tbsp unsalted organic butter
1/4 cup white wine (to deglaze pan - add back to bowl of cooked mushrooms)

1/4 cup unsalted butter (for roux)
1/4 cup organic all-purpose flour or organic white whole wheat flour (for roux)
4 cups whole organic grass-fed milk
1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese (5 ounces)
1 1/2 cups shredded Fontina cheese (5 ounces)
1 1/2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese (5 ounces) (measured thick-grated, not finely grated)
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg powder
1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)

You'll want your pasta, mushroom medley, and cheese sauce to all finish around the same time before combining them. Once your ingredient prep is done, you'll start cooking your mushroom medley. After about 5 minutes, start making your roux/cheese sauce. After a few more minutes, start boiling water for your pasta. When you're about 10 minutes out from completion, pre-heat your oven to 350°F (177°C).

Heat skillet over medium heat and let 3 tbsp butter melt in pan. Then add mushrooms, onions, thyme, salt, and pepper. Add diced garlic after about 10 minutes (it cooks and burns much faster than the other ingredients). Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms and onions are beginning to brown, about 20-25 minutes. Remove ingredients from pan and put them in bowl. Deglaze pan with white wine then add wine to same bowl. Set aside.

In saucepan over medium low heat, you're going to start by making a light white-yellow roux. Melt 1/4 cup unsalted butter in pan over medium-low heat. Add 1/4 cup flour and whisk, whisk, whisk for about 1-2 minutes until a bubbling paste forms. Slowly pour in milk, about 1 cup at a time, whisking constantly. Repeat until all milk added. Turn up heat to medium. Now slowly add the cheese about 1 cup at a time, stirring or whisking until fully melted. Whisk in nutmeg, salt, pepper. If pasta and mushrooms aren't done yet, remove cheese sauce from heat and set aside.

Generously salt your water and add 1 pound pasta, stirring occasionally. Be sure NOT to cook until noodles are soft all the way through. You want them al dente, chewy in the middle. They'll finish cooking when baked in the oven.

Combine noodles, mushroom medley, and cheese sauce in large bowl and mix until all ingredients fully combined. Pour into baking dish and even out with a spatula. Uniformly cover surface with bread crumb topping.
Bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes, then turn oven to broiler mode and give it a quick ~2 minute broiling to crisp up the top to golden perfection. Remove from oven and let cool on rack to eating temp.