Scallion-Miso Mac and Cheese
Updated November 13, 2025
Kate Sears for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Hadas Smirnoff.
- Ready In
- 1 hr
- Rating
- Comments
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Ingredients
1 pound medium or large pasta shells
Salt and pepper
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 tablespoons melted plus 4 tablespoons unmelted)
3 ounces buttery crackers (preferably Ritz), finely crumbled (1 cup)
¼ cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons white miso
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cups/8 ounces coarsely grated sharp Cheddar, preferably aged
1 cup/4 ounces coarsely grated Gruyère or Comté cheese
¼ cup/1 ounce freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup finely chopped scallions (from 3 to 4 scallions), plus more for garnish if desired
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
118 grams carbs; 159 milligrams cholesterol; 1223 calories; 16 grams monosaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 34 grams saturated fat; 62 grams fat; 1 gram trans fat; 6 grams fiber; 1234 milligrams sodium; 49 grams protein; 18 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water according to package directions until a few minutes shy of al dente. Drain.
- Step 2
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the melted butter and crackers and mix until well blended.
- Step 3
Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large Dutch oven, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium. Add flour and cook, whisking frequently, until well incorporated and flour is no longer raw, about 1 minute. While whisking constantly, add milk in a slow, steady stream. Add miso, season with salt and pepper and bring back to a simmer, whisking occasionally and mashing the miso to help it dissolve. Cook, whisking frequently, until mixture is smooth and slightly thickened, 3 minutes.
- Step 4
Turn off heat and add mustard, Cheddar, Gruyère and Parmesan. Whisk until smooth and season with salt and pepper.
- Step 5
Add pasta to the cheese sauce and mix well. Stir scallions into the cracker mixture, then scatter it over the top of the pasta in an even layer. Bake until golden brown, 20 minutes.
- Step 6
Serve warm in shallow bowls. Garnish with more scallions and pepper, if desired.
Private Notes
Comments
this african american household can offer some ways to improve the blandness to which some have referred. (let me also say that i believe that the ritz cracker-scallop crust to be a genius technique) first: where it says season with salt and pepper, i recommend sprinkling onion and garlic powder LIBERALLY. compliments the creaminess with some needed savoriness to complement the umami of the miso second: learn from the vegans. a tablespoon of nutritional yeast goes a long way in complementing the nuttiness of the gruyere without adding gruyere cost. three, and i cannot recommend this enough: you do not need that much milk. makes sauce too watery. i did two cups milk and one cup of BROTH. flavor was hitting. fourth: maybe this will be tacky to the more refined palate, but combine sharp and smoked cheddar. follow my african american household technique and this recipe will slap, as we say in oakland, california.
NYT must have some BIG scallions! 4 scallions gave me a scant 1/3 c. Ended up chopping about 8 scallions to get 3/4 c. Made for a very scallion-y topping which I think is the intent. Added some parm to the topping too. Increased miso to a healthy 3 TB bec everything is better with miso! Overall a 5 star dish! A big upgrade from traditional Mac n cheese.
@Marc Wortsman maybe GF panko for the Ritz sub
I need to start this by saying I am NOT a fan of Mac and Cheese, but my husband really likes it, I find it too be too cloying, but this one was nice. I halved the recipe and still had enough for 4 meals! I really liked the umami bomb of the miso (yes, I added double the amount) and I liked the 3 types of Cheese, the Comte added a nice nutty flavour. I had some baby spinach to use up, so threw that in before putting it in the oven and think that sliced zucchini would be good too. I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I will definitely make this again.
Thank you to whomever suggested soaking pasta in hot water for 30 minutes, in lieu of boiling. In the hot weather this is a lifesaver and it worked beautifully!
I tried this with the Schar Entertainment Crackers. That technique is dangerous! I could eat them solo with a spoon. The first time I had a short tablespoon of miso left so I threw it in. Way too salty. I don't recommend that. I reduced the milk and found the flavors subtle, but delicious. I appreciate the New Orleans-style flavor suggestions here and will likely try the onion and garlic power additions next time.