I first tried “matzah mac & cheese” at my friend Daniel’s Shabbat potluck dinner. For a few years running, he hosted huge groups of people every single Friday night, and his family provided most of the food. The menu hardly changed and this was one of the staple dishes. It may technically be a Passover food, but that didn’t stop him from serving it year-round to a room of happy eaters.
Like a lot of Passover foods, you may question the name. This has no macaroni, nor does it use kosher for Passover pasta. It unquestionably tastes like matzah. Matzah mac & cheese falls into the category of “matzah pizza” or “matzah lasagna,” i.e., things that get named after comfort foods you can’t have if you’re keeping kosher for Passover, and might taste a little different from the original. I have no problem using matzah as a substitute for crust or in place of sheets of pasta, especially if it tastes good. There’s a humility about it that feels true to the spirit of the holiday.
Whatever you choose to call it, this dish is cheesy, creamy, and filling. And as a comfort food, it should not be confused with health food. This is the get-me-through-the-last-days-of-this-holiday-all-I-want-is-pizza food. This is the kind of dish you throw together last minute when you want to spend less time in the kitchen; served with a big salad and you have a complete meal. Try making it after the seders — and after the leftover matzah ball soup and brisket are gone. This is the dish you taste and think about eating next Passover.
Matzah Mac & Cheese Recipe
This easy Passover dish is indulgent, satisfying and I’ve been known to eat it year-round.
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4-5
Ingredients
- 8 squares matzah, or as needed
- 2 cups milk
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground pepper, or to taste
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 ½–2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 ½–2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven 350°F.
- Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish, ideally ceramic or Pyrex.
- In a large shallow dish, whisk together the milk, eggs, salt and pepper. Use a dish that is large enough to place whole squares of matzah into.
- Dip squares of matzah into the egg and milk mixture before placing them in an even layer on the bottom of the baking dish. Use about ¼ cup of sour cream and spread it evenly onto the bottom layer of matzah. Top the matzah with a heaping ⅓ cup of shredded cheddar cheese, and a heaping ⅓ cup of shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Repeat the process two more times with layers of dipped matzah squares, sour cream and cheeses.
- Add one last layer of matzah for a total of 4 layers. Top the matzah with the remaining sour cream and a generous ½ cup of each kind of cheese. Pour the remaining egg and milk mixture over the layers of matzah and cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes.
- Uncover the dish and bake for 5 minutes uncovered, until bubbly and cheesy. Almost all of the liquid should be absorbed into the matzah at this point. If you like your matzah mac & cheese browned on top, turn the oven to broil, and broil for 1-2 minutes (watch carefully, the top will brown fast).
- Let the dish rest for 5-10 minutes and then serve.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Passover
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
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Any sub for the sour cream? Thanks
Hi Eileen, you could use Greek yogurt or cottage cheese. Enjoy!
Sounds so good, will definitely try it. Thank you for the recipe!!
A delicious and forgiving recipe: I decided to eyeball the sour cream and cheese and ended up accidentally adding twice the amount of sour cream called for, and it still turned out great. The sort of recipe that makes me excited for matzah!
Would almond milk work for this recipe?
Sure!
Amazing and easier than it seems. Just takes a moment to get into the precess. It was a welcomed change from all the heavy dinners!
This could also be lasagna if you add tomatoes, but Mac and cheese has been on my mind these past few weeks! Now I can make it!
Looks wonderful. Can it be frozen?
Hi Bonnie! While it can be frozen, this dish will be best eaten after baking!
I made this with 3 cups of marzo farfel mixed into the liquid instead of whole matzos. I mixed the cheese and sour cream with it. Not diet food, but hits the spot!
It looks delicious but how about adding some sauted or roasted vegetables to the Matzah Mac & Cheese before placing it in the oven. This would up the fibre content and also make this Passover rich dairy dish more friendly for those of us who need to watch our figures. The vegetables would taste so good with all that cheese and Matzah. Zuccini, eggplant, tomatos, brocolli, et…
I was doing far too much multitasking and when I got around to this recipe, I forgot to add the milk and eggs! Uh oh. No worries: it came out absolutely delicious with just the cheese and sour cream. It actually resembled my bubble’s Mac and cheese because it was crunchy. Guests ate several large portions each.
This was well received! Cheese-y and gooey but not overly so. It reheats well too. Used plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream to cut down the calories.
Thank you for sharing this real winner: it was easy to assemble, delicious, and thankfully didn’t taste like everything else on Passover. It is definitely staying in my save file for next year!
Everyone loved it. And so easy to make
Didn’t have cheddar cheese, so I substituted Swiss cheese. Still used the mozzarella. It was delicious! Nice change from meat. Add a fresh salad and voila!
This was delicious. I will make it again.