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.

@speakout We use the term ironically in our house. When I say dp's signature dish is scrambled eggs you'll get an idea of the culinary standard.

Muddled is fine. I'm not claiming to be Nigella. (Although I think she's a little muddled) Bung it all in and report back. I use vintage cheddar, Philadelphia, Cornish blue as standard. I think my max cheese stock at any one time, excluding December, is possibly 5.

3 different cheeses and Milk

Bacon Lardons

Mustard

I do mine in the Instant Pot and also cook it in chicken stock not water,

i blend a pack of fresh spinach and add to it at the end. Only takes a minute to cook and a sprinkle of garlic powder

Smoky bacon and sliced tomato on the top yuuuuuum

Peas need to be added, then smash up some ready salted crisps, cover it with those, sprinkle cheese on top & finish in the oven.

You're missing crab and chilli, obviously 😍

But if you dont fancy that, fry some bacon lardons, use the same pan (no washing) with the bacon fat in to make the cheese sauce and then top the finished mac+cheese with the fried bacon bits.

Lobster

Get the Annie Mae Mac & cheese book - amazing recipes. The basic answer is “more cheese than you think you need”.

But I love the smoked garlic version in the book.

There’s also “trailer park pie” - chilli topped with amazing macaroni cheese. It’s DH’s favourite food on earth 😂

Yes to mustard.

Delia's Macaroni Cheese with Leeks and Bacon Absolutely Scrummy!!

Boil macaroni, when cooked and seived stir in tomato purée ...add Red Leicester cheese. Cook for about 15 mins.... yum

Finely chopped raw red onion and jalapenos

And make sure you are using full fat everything. Proper real butter, full fat milk and more cheese than the recipe calls for. Then sprinkle with cheese.

My gran used to put tomato on top of hers I remember it being lava hot!

Cook the pasta in water with plenty of chicken stock cubes, mustard in the cheese sauce. Lots of cheese on top

Thanks all, lots to work with there!

By way of an update, the only thing I had handy this evening was mustard powder so I added some in when making my cheese sauce, and also made it extra cheesy. It's definitely an improvement, but I still feel it's on the bland side.

I like the sound of @speakout's cheesy vegetable bake so might try something like that next.

I forgot to mention the crispy topping. You really can't have too much cheese but I mix the grated cheese with a couple of packets of crushed plain hula hoops too. Oh I'm making myself hungry!

Stir a can of tuna into it and some sliced hard-boiled eggs. Top with mashed potato. Mmm.

Little bit of garlic and a veggie stock cube

Mustard in the cheese sauce, fried bacon lardons stirred through, once it's cooked then grate more cheese on top and grill for a few minutes so it's all crunchy mmmmm

Lots of vintage cheddar, crispy bacon, black pudding and cherry tomatoes. In no way bland, and in no way good for you.

Also, Waitrose sell packs of pulled ham hock which works brilliantly

Strong cheese, leeks sautéd until soft, don't overcook the pasta. Serve with a side salad (essential for texture)

Yes to Colman's English mustard powder in the cheese sauce and crushed cheese and onion crisps and grated cheese to make a crunchy topping.

I add. Smoked bacon and hard boiled egg. Must use good strong cheese or a mix of 2 or 3 kinds.