If you’ve ever tried Trader Joe’s mac and cheese that’s found in the frozen section, then you’re going to flip for this copycat recipe which recreates the dish perfectly!
Trader Joe’s is my go-to grocery store, and they carry a boxed mac and cheese that is one of the very few packaged foods I sometimes buy.
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It doesn’t contain any “junk”, my kids love it (it will probably be my son’s staple food this year at Georgetown.) It’s good to keep on hand for those times when there’s no food in the house (hey, it happens–well, I may be exaggerating just a wee bit!)
You may remember this Trader Joe’s copycat buttermilk pancake recipe?
However, I had no idea that another item,Trader Joe’s Diner Mac & Cheese, was a treasure just waiting to be discovered, only one aisle over in the freezer section! I don’t recall who it was, but a friend was talking about the frozenTrader Joe’s mac and cheese as if it was the best thing she’d ever eaten in her entire life, so naturally, I was curious.
Another fabulous Trader Joe’s copycat recipe for Aebleskivers: Danish pancakes!
The next time I was at Trader Joe’s, I examined the ingredients and nutrition label, and although the ingredients looked good, the super high calorie and fat content only confirmed what I was thinking: it was going to be fantastic! I decided that my husband and I would share a box, just this one time, and took that baby home.
After heating it for a few minutes, the texture of the sauce was perfectly smooth, and it really looked appetizing, despite being a pre-made meal. One bite, and I understood why my friend had been raving about this Trader Joe’s Diner Mac and Cheese! I honestly couldn’t believe a frozen meal could taste this good!
Well, if you read my blog regularly, you’ll know what I was thinking the very next minute, “Could I recreate this from scratch?” The answer is “yes”, and because all the ingredients are actual items which one can aquire from a grocery store (instead of a chemistry lab), it was actually quite easy. This means you can make it too, especially if you are nowhere near a Trader Joe’s!
EDITED March 2020: Trader Joe’s has added a frozen Hatch Chile Mac and Cheese and so have I!
However, a word of advice: I would not advise buying already grated packages of cheese–
1. The quality of cheese is sub-par in any of these cheeses.
2. There are additives to keep the cheese from clumping which are unnecessary.
PLEASE NOTE: the following recipe will make enough cheese sauce for about 2 lbs of pasta. Because the cheese sauce freezes perfectly, it’s worth making a larger batch and freezing half for another time. To make less sauce, halve the sauce recipe.
Trader Joe’s
Mac & Cheese Copycat Recipe
recipe created by Christina Conte by inspired by Trader Joe’s grocery store
makes about 4 1/2 cups of sauce, enough for 2 lbs of pasta (see note above)
Ingredients
- 2 oz (1/4 cup) butter
- 2 oz (about 1/3 cup) all-purpose flour
- 4 oz good quality white Cheddar cheese, grated
- 3 oz good quality Havarti cheese, grated
- 2 oz good quality Gouda cheese, grated
- 1 oz good quality Swiss cheese, grated
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 24 oz milk (3 cups) whole milk
- white pepper
- nutmeg
- 1 lb good quality small shaped pasta (preferably made in Italy)
Start by putting a large pot of water on to boil the pasta-make sure to salt it well.
Now, start making the cheese sauce, but if the pasta water comes to a boil before you add the cheese to the sauce you are making, turn it down.
Melt the butter in a medium sized pan over medium heat, then add the flour and stir well. Continue to cook while stirring for about 3 to 4 minutes, but do not let it brown. (Cooking the flour well is important because the sauce will have a “raw-flour” taste if it isn’t cooked long enough.)
Have the milk closeby in a jug that is easy to pour from, and add a little drop of milk. The milk should sizzle and steam immediately, if it doesn’t, turn up the heat a little. Once the milk does sizzle, begin adding a little at a time, and stirring quickly to keep the sauce smooth.
The secret to not having lumps in white sauce is to gradually increase the amount of milk you add each time; if you add too much at once, especially early on, chances are you will end up with lumpy sauce (which is completely reparable with an immersion blender!)
Start with about 2 tablespoons of milk, then 2 more, then a little more each time.
Once the sauce begins to form, you can add more milk each time. Just make sure all the milk has been absorbed after each addition, before adding more.
Once the sauce is finished, add salt, nutmeg and white pepper to taste, and lower the heat.
CONGRATULATIONS, you have just made a besciamella sauce (white sauce/bechamel sauce) which you can use as a base for many soups and cream sauce recipes!
At this point, add the pasta to the boiling water and stir well; stir the white sauce, too, so it doesn’t stick. Now, add the grated cheeses to the white sauce, and stir until it is melted, adjusting the heat if necessary. Stir constantly or it will stick.
When the pasta is ready (al dente), drain and return to the pot. Add HALF of the cheese sauce, if you made the full recipe.
Serve hot!
If you want to gild the lily, you can put this in a casserole dish and top with breadcrumbs and put it under the broiler for a lovely, crunchy topping. Who am I kidding? As if anyone is going to wait any longer than they have to-to eat this sea of cheese-laden noodle ecstasy!
Put the extra sauce in a jar or container to cool, then place in the freezer and use within two to three weeks.
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Trader Joe's (Diner) Mac & Cheese Copycat Recipe
NOTE: this recipe makes enough cheese sauce for TWO (2) lbs of pasta. If you only plan to make one and don't want to freeze half the sauce, cut the recipe ingredients in half for the cheese sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 oz (1/4 cup) butter
- 2 oz (about 1/3 cup) all-purpose flour
- 4 oz good quality white Cheddar cheese, grated
- 3 oz good quality Havarti cheese, grated
- 2 oz good quality Gouda cheese, grated
- 1 oz good quality Swiss cheese, grated
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 24 oz milk (3 cups) whole milk
- white pepper
- nutmeg
- 1 lb good quality elbow pasta (I like De Cecco)
Instructions
- Start by putting a large pot of water on to boil the pasta-make sure to salt it well.
- Now, start making the cheese sauce, but if the pasta water comes to a boil before you add the cheese to the sauce you are making, turn it down.
- Melt the butter in a medium sized pan over medium heat, then add the flour and stir well. Continue to cook while stirring for about 3 to 4 minutes, but do not let it brown. (Cooking the flour well is important because the sauce will have a “raw-flour” taste if it isn’t cooked long enough.)
- Have the milk close by in a jug that is easy to pour from, and add a little drop of milk. The milk should sizzle and steam immediately, if it doesn’t, turn up the heat a little. Once the milk does sizzle, begin adding a little at a time, and stirring quickly to keep the sauce smooth. The secret to not having lumps in white sauce is to gradually increase the amount of milk you add each time; if you add too much at once, especially early on, chances are you will end up with lumpy sauce (which is completely reparable with an immersion blender)!
- Start with about 2 tablespoons of milk, then 2 more, then a little more each time. Once the sauce begins to form, you can add more milk each time. Just make sure all the milk has been absorbed after each addition, before adding more.
- Once the sauce is finished, add salt, nutmeg and white pepper to taste, and lower the heat. At this point, add the pasta to the boiling water. Stir well, and stir the white sauce, too, so it doesn’t stick. Now, add the grated cheeses to the white sauce, and stir until it is melted, adjusting the heat if necessary. Stir constantly or it will stick.When the pasta is ready (al dente), drain and return to the pot and stir in the HALF of the cheese sauce; serve hot. Put the other half of the cheese sauce in a quart jar and freeze.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 5 Serving Size: 1 bowlAmount Per Serving:Calories: 747Total Fat: 33gCarbohydrates: 80gProtein: 31g
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Would you recommend how to add cauliflower and kale to be close to the now discontinued Trader Joes Mac and Cheese with Cauliflower and Kale? It is 3 or 4 years since they discontinued it and this recipe piqued my curiosity if it would work. That was my favorite thing I ever got there.
Hi Barbara, I just looked up the mac and cheese and see it was made with ditalini. Here’s what I would do: cut the cauliflower into small pieces and steam it until cooked tender, drain, salt and set aside. Chop some kale and cook that to your liking, drain, salt and set aside. Make the mac and cheese and use ditalina pasta, then added the veg and mix well. Let me know if it’s to your liking if you give it a try! :)
Can you do a recipe for the Trader Joe’s “guilt free” frozen Mac and cheese?
That would be awesome. Thank you for this recipe
Hi Frank, just took a peek at the ingredients, and sorry to say, I don’t think I’ll be giving it a try. It uses nonfat milk, and no butter. I don’t use non-fat milk and can’t imagine it tasting good if I can’t make a white sauce with butter to melt the cheese into. Sorry, but if I can’t make a tasty recipe, I won’t feel right sharing it. Good luck if you do try it yourself.
Trying this recipe for Thanksgiving – how do you measure out the ounces of cheese? Also – it doesn’t sound like that much cheese is used… about 1.5 cups… typically I use about 3 cups of cheese for Mac and cheese. Would it be okay if I did 3?
Hi Ana, I use a scale since measuring grated cheese by cups would vary so much from how the cheese has been grated and how loose or packed it is in the cup. Converting the weight directly to cups isn’t correct, so your judgement on using 3 cups is probably closer to the correct amount. I think you’d be okay doing 3 cups and then adjusting from there once your sauce is done. Happy Thanksgiving!
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I love love love Trader Joe’s mac and cheese. I got a few friends hooked on it. It’s so similiar to my homemade and easy to heat. My treat for a quick lunch. I’m definitely going to try this recipe. I might use sharp instead of the white just so the color is closer to TJs . I dont usually use gouda in my mac and cheese or nutmeg. Hmmm I will let you know. Thanks Christina!
Good! Nutmeg is always used in a white sauce, which is why it’s there. :) Do let me know what you think, Liz!
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I loved the flavor of this mac and cheese. However, I decided to put it under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp the top and it completely dried out the mac and cheese. Luckily, I had left over sauce and added it. Next time, no broiler
Glad you liked the flavor :) Sorry to hear about it drying out, Lisa. You didn’t use breadcrumbs? I’ve never tried without the breadcrumbs as I suggest. I suspect that’s why it dried out. At least you know for next time :)
Will gluten free pasta work in this recipe? You always have the most delicious recipes and I’m hoping maybe some can be converted to gluten free!
Absolutely, Dawna! In fact I just bought the cheese to make this and am making some for a gf friend with gf pasta! If you look at my Instagram story, you’ll see my pile of cheese!! Great minds think alike! Enjoy!
This is my absolute favorite mac n cheese recipe. I’m so grateful for it — and so is my daughter! :)
You’ve made my day! Thank you Mama Chef!!
I’m not a cook and never know what to do when not given an exact measurement –my mom even bought me measuring spoons for a dash, a pinch, and a smidge! Would you please provide a recommendation on the amount of white pepper and nutmeg to use rather than just to taste? I love Teader Joe’s mac n cheese and don’t want to mess this recipe up. Thanks in advance!
Hi Jessica, I understand what you’re saying, basically that you don’t feel confident in deciding how much to put in, right? Well, rest assured, you won’t mess up the recipe unless you you add a ridiculous amount of white pepper or nutmeg (as in a teaspoon of each). Here’s a compromise, how about adding 3 shakes of white pepper and 2 shakes of nutmeg (I’m assuming you have shakers of the spices?) to start off with. Once you taste the sauce when it’s ready (before adding the pasta), see if you taste the white pepper or nutmeg. If it tastes good to you, leave it as is, if you don’t taste one or the other or both, then add a shake (or 2 or 3) more. You can even omit both of them as it won’t ruin the recipe, but I feel it just adds to it to add a little of each spice. When you cook more, you learn just like anything else, then you’ll feel more comfortable in adding the amount you like to start off with. You can always add more, but can’t take it away, so always start with very little and add as you go. :) Hope this helps!
Yes, it does! Thanks!
Awesome!! You’re going to love this dish!!
CC Where do u buys the good quality cheese from and also the pasta.
Hi Gabriel, not sure where you live, but in LA there are many options, however, I usually buy most of my cheese from Trader Joe’s and Costco. I buy De Cecco pasta many different places, from my local Italian shop to Amazon. Hope this helps!
I made this last night and it was perfect, exactly what I was craving. Thank you!
Fabulous, Kristina! So funny because I just made it two nights ago! :) Thanks so much for coming back to let me know, I appreciate it! Happy New Year!
How many people does this feed? I’m trying to make enough for 10 people. Thanks!
Hi Ashley, as noted, the cheese sauce is enough for 2 lbs of pasta which is definitely enough for 10 people (you may have leftovers unless everyone is a big eater). Enjoy!
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I made this tonight and it was wonderful. But if you’re feeding it to kiddos, they don’t like the nutmeg taste and turned their nose to it, So, I eliminated the nutmeg and they ate it up. Thanks for sharing!
Great! Love to hear it, although the nutmeg shouldn’t really be that strong that your kids could taste it (unless they’re super tasters)! Thanks for letting me know :)
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I know this an old post but your cheese sauce is white and Trade Joe’s sauce isn’t white is it because you use white cheddar and they maybe use yellow?
Not sure anyone will answer this but worth a try.
Thank you,
Janet
I try to answer all my comments/questions, Janet! :) Yes, you are correct, I’m sure TJ’s Diner Mac and Cheese has yellow cheddar, and I simply used white. You can definitely substitute yellow cheddar if you want the yellow color. It’s delicious! Let me know if you try it! CC
We LOVE Trader Joe’s Mac-n-Cheese and so glad to have found this recipe! I wonder if you might have advice on reheating if you do freeze in a casserole dish? I am thinking of making this for my daughters 6th birthday and wanted to do it ahead of time, therefore the need to freeze and reheat. THANK YOU!
Hi Anne Marie, I’m happy you found my recipe, too! I have only frozen the cheese sauce and then reheated it in a pot and added freshly cooked pasta, so I’m not certain about freezing it already made, however, given how delicious the TJ’s mac and cheese is and they just specify to heat in the microwave, that may be the best option! Do you have time to do a test batch? Let me know your outcome and happy birthday to your daughter! :) CC
Christina I totally agree with you about this mac and cheese — but in my case I dare not buy it too often, I can’t control myself! Your photos are amazing, I love this post!
I know what you mean, Sue! Thank you! CC
Love mac and cheese, never tried Trader Joe’s but your version sure looks delicious!
The four different cheeses give it a fabulous flavor! You should try it! ;) CC
Hi Christina,
This gourmet style mac n cheese reminds me a lot of Paula Deen’s ultimate mac n cheese recipe. I see lots of good quality used in your mac n cheese… Who says mac n cheese is junk food??? Yours is definitely NOT!
Zoe
Absolutely, Zoe! Only the best ingredients, for the best results! Thank you so much!! CC
Yum, Christina! Before all the government budget cuts, John used to travel all the time – this was one of the things I treated myself to occasionally when he was gone. And, you’re right, it’s hard to believe it’s pre-made!
I will surely try your copycat version.
I would have done the same, Susan, but I only just discovered it recently! So happy you’re going to try it! Let me know what you think, since you are a TJ’s Mac & Cheese aficionado! :) CC