Trader Joe’s mac and cheese that’s found in the frozen section is so, so good! 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, the Trader Joe’s Mac & Cheese (Diner mac and 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 frozen Trader 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 good! I decided that my husband and I would share a serving, 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! And I’m not the only one who feels this way: Club Trader Joe’s (a site that ranks all things TJs) gave it 9 out of 10 bells!
Well, if you read my posts 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.
You’ll be making a béchamel sauce which is the same as you’d use in this lasagna recipe.
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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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!
[…] In a medium pot over medium heat, melt the butter and add the flour, constantly stirring. Keep stirring and do not allow to brown, but cook for about 4 to 5 minutes (or else the flour will taste raw in the sauce). Add the milk a little at a time, incorporating it into the flour mixture each time until a sauce begins to form. For more detailed instructions click HERE. […]
[…] use this recipe altered a bit, for the cheese, I usually just whatever type we have on hand (shredded mozza and […]