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.

Parmesan & cheddar, smoked paprika, a little garlic and CRUCIAL:
Truffle oil.

Well I know what we'll be having for dinner tomorrow. This is making me so hungry!

As well as bacon and leek I'm a fan of adding sliced hot dogs and leeks. Not at all classy but very delicious.

I use my Gran's cheese sauce recipe- which includes a little bit of mustard powder. I've added bacon, pancetta, shredded gammon, chorizo (not all together!) It's good with grilled breadcrumbs on the top. Or crushed up tortilla chips. Sometimes I stir in a load of mozzarella. I love it no matter what but someone else always moans.

Today I made it with a tub of bisto cheese sauce granules and everyone loved it. Usually DS acts like pasta will kill him- today he had seconds. I don't think I'll bother with home made sauce again!

Nutmeg nutmeg and more NUTMEG!!!!

Really strong cheddar grated into a homemade white sauce.....season with salt, pepper, grated nutmeg. Sometimes make the sauce with soy or nut milk, whatever is a yellow sticker bargain that night. Another cheese in with the cheddar is even better...Red Leicester, Brie, Mozarella, Parmesan etc. Grate the most interesting bread crust you have on top ( baguette, sourdough etc) with more grated cheese and nutmeg on top. Lovely crust and colour with smooth, silky, creamy unctuous mac underneath!

Plus green salad or peas or sweetcorn with chilli flakes. Heaven!

I add mustard and Worcestershire sauce to the cheese sauce and put in onion and ham - lovely.

Worcester sauce.
Not mustard. I use it in cauliflower cheese but I think it wrong with macaroni cheese.

Tsp of Coleman's mustard & tsb of cinnamon in cheese sauce. Also fried tomato, onion and sweetcorn on top (optional extra).

I know this sounds incredibly dirty but..

Put a can of evaporated milk in the cheese sauce.

My mum used to crunch up some crisps on top.

Bacon, broccoli and peppers mixed in. A small amount of English mustard in the sauce and sliced tomatoes and cheese on top to crisp up.

Peppers, ewwww, no, never, horrid things.

@berryfull
I've tried the evaporated milk, it was an American recipe and it was disgustingly trashy and bloody great!

1 oz butter
1 oz plain flour
make a toy (spelling)
gradually add 300 ml milk whisking all the time to avoid lumpadd 1 to 2 tap of English mustarsld
gently bring to the boil for a couple of mins to thicken
add 2 types of grated cheese, totalling around 3-4 oz.... I opt for cathedral cheddar and red leicester

Lorraine pascals glam Mac n cheese is the best I've ever had 😋 grrrrr now I'm craving it OP and I'm on a diet ☹️

The sauce should have so much cheese in that it's like fondue, and I always put HP sauce on it. Smoked bacon or ham is good too.

oooh and a sprinkling of Ceyenne pepper on top, sprinkling of grated cheddar and in oven for around 20 mins

lush

LoungeLizardLlama I will be making that this weekend - looks amazing

But yes, mustard and don't skimp on the cheese. No mild cheddar because it's cheap, doesn't matter how much you use, there's no flavour. Extra mature or vintage and a ton of it

ooh I'm going to try some of these!

Nutmeg, worcester sauce, blue cheese as well as lots of cheddar, and bacon. Or tomato if you haven't got any bacon.

Another Pigs in Blankets here!
and cranberry sause.

Why can you only buy cranberries at christmas time!

Tesco do a prepped veg soup pack with onion, sweet potato, butternut squash and onion in.

DP roasts the contents of one of those (I think he adds garlic granules as well) and mixes it with the macaroni and cheese sauce, tops off with a mix of breadcrumbs and cheese then bakes till golden. If our 19mth old isn't having any we mix it up a bit with some mexicana cheese instead of plain mature cheddar.

It's always really good.

Grilled bacon, peas and sweet corn. Also mix cheddar and fresh breadcrumbs, put on top and grill till golden/ crunchy.

I'm a Mac n Cheese purist. Strong, mature cheese. And lots of it.

Bugger I forgot to say I also add nutmeg!

Thanks blue I can't believe I forgot to mention it!

Dijon mustard, two types of cheese and a squirt of tomato ketchup in the sauce for colour and breadcrumbs mixed with grated cheese on top.