Mac and cheese is our favourite consolation meals. And whereas we love the nostalgia of that orange mac n cheese in a blue field, typically you need the actual deal. Our recipe is made with actual cheese, and it doesn’t that rather more work than making it from a field! We promise, it’s value it!
Make it a meal and serve with these scrumptious Crockpot Ribs and a few Coleslaw.
Why My Recipe
- Takes only a few extra minutes than the boxed stuff—and tastes 100 occasions higher.
- Made with actual cheese for an excellent creamy, flavorful sauce.
- Follow sharp cheddar or combine it up along with your favourite cheeses.
This recipe is ideal for busy weeknights, choosy eaters, or anybody who simply needs a bowl of basic mac and cheese made proper. Sharp cheddar offers you that basic taste, however you may also mess around with different cheeses relying on what’s in your fridge. It’s quick, straightforward, and far more scrumptious than something that comes from a field.
Ingredient Notes
- Elbow Macaroni: Basic and dependable, however you’ll be able to swap in shells, cavatappi, penne, or another comparable small pasta form.
- Salted Butter: If utilizing unsalted butter, simply add an additional pinch of salt to the sauce.
- All-Function Flour: This helps thicken the cheese sauce. Remember to whisk it nicely with the butter to keep away from any lumps.
- Onion Powder: Provides taste with out precise onions. Don’t skip it. It makes a distinction.
- Floor Mustard: This enhances the cheese taste. You should utilize 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard as a substitute.
- Salt: Begin with 1 teaspoon and modify to style after including the cheese.
- White Pepper: Retains the sauce trying easy with out black flecks, however you should utilize black pepper whether it is what you will have.
- Milk: Complete milk offers the creamiest end result, however 2% or 1% nonetheless works nice.
- Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese: Freshly shredded melts finest. See our cheese swap word for extra concepts.
Utilizing Pre-Shredded Cheese
We get it, typically grabbing a bag of pre-shredded cheese is simply simpler. And sure, it should work on this recipe! Simply know that pre-shredded cheeses are coated with anti-clumping brokers like potato starch, cellulose, or natamycin. These components can mess a bit with how easily the cheese melts, so your sauce won’t end up fairly as silky.
For the creamiest, dreamiest mac and cheese, freshly shredded cheese is the way in which to go. But when pre-shredded is what you’ve acquired, go forward and use it. Your mac and cheese will nonetheless be scrumptious.
Different Cheese Choices
Sharp cheddar is a basic for a motive, however you don’t must cease there. This recipe works with all types of cheese, so be at liberty to get inventive along with your cheese decisions. Simply stick to ones that soften nicely. Nobody needs a bizarre, clumpy sauce.
Gouda, gruyère, fontina, provolone, and mozzarella are all nice choices. Even brie or goat cheese can work if you wish to be fancy. Need to stick to cheddar however change it up? Strive a pointy white cheddar for one thing just a bit totally different. Combine and match to search out your favourite combo!
After I need to get actually fancy, one in every of my favourite mixtures is cheddar, goat cheese, brie, and smoked provolone, which I take advantage of in my gourmet mac and cheese.
Chef’s Secret: Sizzling Sauce
Right here’s a trick straight from professional cooks. Add a splash of scorching sauce to your cheese sauce. It doesn’t make it spicy, we promise! We’ve served it this technique to actually tons of of children and we’ve by no means had a criticism about it being spicy. It simply bumps up the cheese taste and makes all the things style somewhat higher.
For this recipe, you’ll be able to add about 4 dashes of Tabasco or 2 tablespoons of Frank’s Purple Sizzling if you pour within the milk. It’s a small step that makes an enormous distinction, particularly in case you’re utilizing milder cheeses. Give it a try to you may by no means skip it once more. My youngsters can all the time inform if I do!
Storage & Reheating Directions
Retailer leftovers within the fridge in an hermetic container for as much as 4 days. Be sure that it’s totally cooled earlier than sealing it up.
Reheat in a saucepan on the range over low warmth till heated via. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk to a serving to carry again some creaminess.
Reheat within the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in between to assist it warmth evenly. You possibly can add 1 tablespoon of milk to a serving to assist carry again among the creaminess.
Extra mac and cheese goodness…
Watch the video beneath the place Rachel will stroll you thru each step of this recipe. Generally it helps to have a visible, and we’ve all the time acquired you lined with our cooking present. Yow will discover the whole assortment of recipes on YouTube, our Facebook Page, or proper right here on our web site with their corresponding recipes.
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