Macaroni cheese - hit me with your secrets

[snappycamper]

AIBU to find macaroni cheese really dull?

The family love it but it's so plain... what do you add to yours to gift it a lift? I feel there must be a secret ingredient that I'm missing, mine is never as good as others I've had.

Dijon mustard in the white sauce, with cheesy, buttery breadcrumbs on the top.

YY to lots of several cheeses. I also stir crispy pancetta cubes through it and top the whole thing with halved cherry tomatoes with cheese and breadcrumbs on top. Have with a dressed salad.

Jamie Oliver's green mac and cheese is delicious, although probably not one for the purists...

Crushed cheese and onion or smokey bacon crisps plus grated cheese as a topping.
And ketchup on the side of course.

I fry a whole packet of bacon, cut into strips and add that to mine - everybody loves it.

Mustard, diffeeent types of cheese, crispy smoked streaky bacon crumbled in, sesame seeds for extra texture and breadcrumbs on the top to make it extra crispy. Beyond delicious!

Or you could flavour your milk for the béchamel with onion, bay and peppercorns. Chuck in a pan and gradually bring up to the boil. Total faff but delicious.

grainy mustard, and tonight it is having added haggis both in the sauce, and crumbled on top.

Shockers and iklboo have said what I'd say too! Mustard makes it taste more cheesy

I did this one a few days ago, but using up all the cheeseboard leftovers from Christmas (although went easy on the blue cheese), and it was awesome!

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/best-ever-macaroni-cheese-recipe

I blend cauliflower into the cheese sauce (because I have a fussy toddler, but I like it too). I also add onion granules and a touch of garlic powder, and black pepper. It's actually really nice with a tube of tomato puree added but I suppose it's not really macaroni cheese then...

I agree with the mustard, also lardons and mushrooms!

Finely diced onion in the butter of the white sauce, also a couple of ham slices cut into short strips in sauce with the cauliflower. sprinkle with extra cheese and in oven until golden brown, yummy.

Also much more cheese in the sauce than recipe suggests.

@snuffykins

OMG
Am soooooo going to try that.

Are you adding enough salt? I find the sauce needs to taste way too salty by itself to be salty enough when added with the pasta. I also add about half a block of cheese to sauce and then more on top. But all I do is salt and cheese for flavour and it gets lots of compliments!

OP I am with you- it is a very dull dish.

Even pimped up, still remains a dish consisting of white flour, milk and cheese. First few mouthfuls are interesting but gets boring very quickly.

I prefer a vegetable gratin if I want that cooked cheesy hit- platter of cauliflower, broccolli, new potatoes, courgette if you like- cheese sauce made with a wincingly mature cheddar.,Extra bits if you want, perhaps some parmesan.
All the comfort and hot cheesiness of macaroni but made with vegetables instead a much more texturally inyeresting dish, tastier and does not leave you feeling like you have eaten half a duvet.

I came on to say Worcestershire sauce, but its dull in comparison to others

I add a tsp or so of marmite to mine, when I’m making the sauce, as well as a couple of different cheeses depending on what’s in the fridge . Tomatoes, breadcrumbs, more cheese and bacon bits on the top and then made crunchy in the oven ...

We do the Lorraine Pascale “glam mac” recipe.

www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/glam_mac_and_cheese_92848

It’s probably a million calories, but god, it is GOOD. Serve with peas, and usually garlic bread because we are greedy.

English mustard and a good mature cheddar. Sometimes I'll throw in a nice mature Red Leicester like Red Fox if I've got it.

You need Valentine Warner's Alpine macaroni.
It's absolutely amazing.
www.threecounties.co.uk/news/valentines-alpine-macaroni/

Mustard in the white sauce
Strong cheddar, Parmesan and plastic American cheese melted through
Leek, bacon and breadcrumb topping.
Heaven

What the perfectly named @Tartyflette said.

It's my signature dish 😬

White wine in the sauce, as many varieties of cheese as you have in (Philadelphia is fab) a blob of Dijon mustard and bread chunks on top.

I have converted macaroni haters with this dish.

Note - I'm crap at pretty much anything else

I roast some cherry tomatoes (halved) and mix them in, delish.