Fans of the Kansas City Chiefs hang on every word the team’s three-time Super Bowl-winning coach has to say. Surprisingly, Andy Reid has opinions on football and food. Living in the barbecue capital of the world made this coach a comfort food aficionado, and he’s often asked about his recipes. The one folks really want to get their hands on is Coach Reid’s mac and cheese.
I have to assume that his recipe is so in demand because he uses six (!) cheeses, including one of the best cheeses for mac and cheese.
What’s in Andy Reid’s mac and cheese recipe?
Nancy Mock for Taste of Home
Coach Reid often talks about making his mac and cheese, but he has been frustratingly tight-lipped about sharing the actual recipe. When asked by a reporter from Yahoo! Sports to share more details, Reid only said that he had to keep it secret. “I might open a restaurant,” he quipped.
Luckily for mac and cheese lovers, Reid shared one detail about his recipe with sports writer Charles McDonald (who in turn shared it on X). He folds in six different kinds of cheese: fontina, Gruyere, cheddar, Gouda, Parmesan and mozzarella. I took this cheese list and created a mac and cheese that I hope Coach Reid might find as good as his own.
While trying to hunt down Andy Reid’s recipe, I discovered that he has a secret menu dish named after him at Q39, a Kansas City barbecue restaurant: brisket burnt ends, mac and cheese and crispy onion straws. So, as an additional nod to the coach, I added a topping of crispy, french-fried onions to my take on Coach Reid’s mac and cheese recipe.
Ingredients
Elbow macaroni: The small, twisted shape of elbows is a classic for a reason. Some macaroni brands are better than others, but at the end of the day, it’s the shape that matters.
Six cheeses: Coach Reid packs this dish with a lot of shredded cheese. Cheddar and Parmesan bring plenty of flavor, while milder mozzarella, fontina, Gouda and Gruyere are some of the best for melting.
Diced onion: Sauteed in butter, onions create a savory base. Here’s how to chop an onion into even dice.
Butter: This ingredient has many jobs here. It cooks and softens the onions, is part of the roux for the cheese sauce and is tossed with bread crumbs to make a crispy topping.
Flour: Use all-purpose flour to create the roux—the mixture of flour and butter helps create a smooth cheese sauce.
Milk: For a creamy, rich sauce, use whole or 2% milk.
Spices: Use a blend of ground mustard, smoked paprika, salt, pepper and garlic powder to build savory flavor.
Bread crumbs: For a crunchy topping on the mac and cheese, use coarse panko bread crumbs.
French-fried onions: They’re the final touch on the mac and cheese and just one of many ways to use french-fried onions.
Directions
Step 1: Boil the pasta
Cook the elbow macaroni in salted water according to the package directions, until the pasta is al dente and still has a bit of a bite. Drain the macaroni and hold it aside.
Step 2: Make the cheese sauce
Melt 1/3 cup of butter in a large Dutch oven set over medium heat, then add in the diced onion. Stir and cook the onion for five to seven minutes, until it’s tender. Add in the flour and the spices: ground mustard, salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder and pepper. Stir until the dry ingredients are incorporated into the melted butter.
Pour in the milk. Increase the heat to medium-high and stir constantly just until it comes to a simmer. Turn off the heat, then stir in the Gouda, fontina, Gruyere, Parmesan, mozzarella and 1 cup of cheddar. Stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
Step 3: Assemble the mac and cheese
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pour the cooked pasta into the cheese sauce and stir until the macaroni is completely coated. Transfer the cheese-coated macaroni to a greased 13×9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar over the top. Melt 1/4 cup of butter in a small bowl in the microwave, then combine it with the panko bread crumbs. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top of the macaroni and cheese.
Step 4: Bake
Slide the pan into the oven and bake the mac and cheese for 30 minutes. Then, crumble the french-fried onions evenly over the top. Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the topping is lightly browned and the sauce is bubbling. Serve the mac and cheese while it’s hot.
Editor’s Tip: Create a Kansas City Chiefs feast! Serve the mac and cheese with Mama Kelce’s marshmallow rolls or her chocolate chip cookies for game day.
Variations
Add barbecue sauce: Pay homage to Kansas City’s famous barbecue by drizzling servings of mac and cheese with Kansas City-style barbecue sauce.
Make it with ham: When asked about his team’s visit to the White House in 2023, Coach Reid raved about the food—especially the ham and cheese Monte Cristo sandwiches. I think he’d approve of adding some smoky chopped ham to this mac and cheese.
Is Coach Reid’s mac and cheese good?
Nancy Mock for Taste of Home
Yes, this recipe is very good! With all that cheese, it’s hardly a surprise. Sharp cheddar and grated Parmesan bring so much savory and salty flavor to the dish. The other cheeses melt easily and smoothly, so the cheese sauce stays beautifully creamy during baking—and during reheats, too. I especially liked the flavor of both cooked and crispy onions in this recipe, an ingredient I hadn’t tried before in my own mac and cheese. My family noticed the difference immediately, so future mac and cheese dinners will definitely include them.
Until we can convince the coach to unveil his own mac and cheese recipe, this take on Andy Reid’s mac and cheese will keep us full of cheese and satisfied.