Costco’s Mac and Cheese recipe leaked: Ingredients and steps explored

Costco fans were met with an unexpected surprise this month as the recipe of the Kirkland Signature Mac and Cheese leaked on the internet. Known for being extra creamy and cheesy, the comfort meal packs just the right amount of flavors and goes for over $3.49 per lb. Similar to the chain's rotisserie chicken, the mac and cheese has been the center of several copycat recipes, but neither of them hits home like the original ones.

However, that may have only been the case until the popular Instagrammer Jordan (@jordan_the_stallion8) decided to share the 'secret recipe' with his fans. As per Jordan's revelations, the magic of the creamy meal lies in several crucial ingredients like - cavatappi pasta, butter, all-purpose flour, cream and milk, white Cheddar cheese, Gruyère cheese, Romano cheese, kosher salt, and garlic powder, among others.

The list of ingredients mentioned on Costco's Kirkland Signature Mac and Cheese container (Image via @perrito-incognito / Reddit)

While Jordan's long list of secret ingredients seemed pretty reliable, a comment from a user claiming to be an employee at Costco seemed to disagree as he commented that the chain's recipe uses alfredo sauce instead.

Glossing over the label on the container proved that the commenter wasn't wrong as the ingredients mentioned alfredo sauce.

Even though Jordan may have missed out on the Alfredo sauce, the other ingredients on the list seemed right to the point.

While the creator did not get enough time to share the cooking methods in the Instagram video, we believe that following the steps for holiday mac and cheese should do the trick.

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List of ingredients for Costco's Kirkland Signature Mac and Cheese

Now there's no denying that the mac and cheese made by our mothers and grannies back at home tastes the best, retailers like Costco have been doing a pretty good job at the popular meal as well.

A popular comfort meal among youngsters and busy adults, the Kirkland Signature Mac and Cheese, comes as a pre-made meal that is ready to serve in less than 60 minutes in the oven at over 400 degrees.

The Kirkland Signature Mac and Cheese is a pre-made meal that goes for over $3.49 per lb. (Image via Costco)

While cooking it from scratch may not be as easy, the recently leaked recipe by Jordan (@jordan_the_stallion8) seems to make it feasible as long as you can get the following ingredients in the mentioned quantities:

1. 1 pound cavatappi pasta
2. 1/2 cup butter
3. 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4. 1 cup cream (*I didn’t use)
5. 3 cups milk
6. 3 1/2 cups shredded white Cheddar cheese
7. 2 cups shredded Gruyère cheese
8. 3/4 cup grated Romano cheese
9. 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
10. 1/2 cup shredded medium Cheddar cheese
11. 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
12. 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
13. 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
14. 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

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Steps to follow for cooking Costco’s creamy Mac and Cheese

Once you have all the ingredients ready, you can start by cooking the pasta till it turns tender but stays slightly firm at the same time. Drain the excess water from the pasta and set it aside to rest. You can then start making the roux by mixing butter and flour in a pan followed by milk and cream.

Add in your cheeses and allow them to melt. Continuously keep stirring the cheese sauce and then add in all aforementioned seasonings and salt.

Add the pasta to the sauce and combine it well till the cheesy and gooey sauce thoroughly coats the pasta.

The homemade Costco's Mac and Cheese recipe can be enjoyed with toppings of your choice (Image via Ronmar Lacamiento / Pexels)

Transfer the mac and cheese to a greased baking dish and bake it in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for over 30 minutes. Once the pasta turns golden brown and the cheese starts bubbling, take it out and serve with the toppings of your choice.