Macaroni cheese

[HaroldMeeker]

Can anyone share their absolutely perfect, would die for a serving, recipe for macaroni cheese please?

I make my own, and whilst it's okay, it's not divine. I make a basic white sauce, add cheddar, add cooked macaroni and then bake it in the oven for 20 mins or so to thicken. It's just......basic. And pretty damn boring. Even a lot of cheese leaves it less cheesy than I think it should be. Is there a secret I'm missing? Anyone?

Mustard powder, salt and white pepper in the sauce

Mozzarella for stringiness.

Parmesan on top.

This isn't exactly macaroni cheese, but since I discovered this, I've only ever made this version. It's delicious. barbados.org/barbados-recipes-macaroni-pie.htm#.Ydxu0Lenxkx

Mustard and nutmeg in the white sauce

Crispy bacon lardons are nice in macaroni cheese too

Mustard powder in the white sauce.
Cheese sprinkled on top. Tomatoes on top.

English mustard. Too bland without mustard.

This is a stupid question but how much cheese, for 2 portions, do you think? I feel I add loads but it's still not very cheesy. I use a mature cheddar.

I only use mustard powder but saw on TV recently that Nadiya Hussain puts Wotsits and Marmite in hers!

thehappyfoodie.co.uk/recipes/nadiyas-mac-and-cheesy/

[quote MatchsticksForMyEyesReturns]This isn't exactly macaroni cheese, but since I discovered this, I've only ever made this version. It's delicious. barbados.org/barbados-recipes-macaroni-pie.htm#.Ydxu0Lenxkx[/quote]
OMG tomato ketchup in the recipe???? That may well be the missing thing - I always have to put ketchup with mine to give it some "tang".
Thank you!!!

We don't like mozzarella in it. For my family lots of sauce so it stays wet, use a good quality strong cheddar- last week I used my cornish cruncher extra mature - left over from my Christmas stash with extra mature grated cheddar on top. Then half the dish has bread crumbs the other half none and the family are happy.
(My white sauce is 1 to 2 pints milk, 1 large tablespoon flour per pint, enough butter to not feel too greedy but need to taste it, and whisk till it boils plus 5 mins - It's the Delia all in one method without weighing and measuring).

Jalapeños to cut through the cheese are nice

English or French mustard and Parmesan in the sauce.

I use the Delia easy peasy recipe (I also add mustard). I also put a spoonful of red pesto onto the bottom of the baking dish, pop on the pasta, pour over the cheese sauce, then top with grated cheese and breadcrumbs. Grill until mmmmm.

www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/anykindofcheesesauce_70007

I put Dijon mustard in the sauce, lots of salt and pepper and a bay leaf. I put bacon in with it before it goes in the oven and sliced tomato on top.

I add a vegetable stock cube crumbled up in the sauce along with salt, pepper, garlic granules and onion granules.

My DD makes the best macaroni cheese. It's all about getting the sauce to pasta ratio right.(and loads of cheese!) I often put too much pasta and then it's a bit stodgy.

This is fab, thank you all

I make it the same way as you (the same way as my dad, who makes the BEST macaroni cheese on the planet).
Plenty of cheese and a bit of mustard are key for punchy flavour. Other potential additions are bacon bits (fried up and stirred in), or chorizo.

I appreciate this isn't for everyone, but I like to get a tin of tomatoes and drain off the juice. Put them in the bottom of the dish with a decent splash of worcester sauce and whack under the grill whilst you're making the sauce/cooking the pasta. By the time the sauce is done, the bowl is toasty hot, so I just put the (mixed together) pasta and sauce into the bowl on top of the tomatoes - it sizzles like mad when it goes into the bowl - put a good grating of cheese on top and then back under the grill for a couple of minutes. No need to put in the oven, so it's very quick.

Now I'm wishing I hadn't got a turkey curry out of the freezer for dinner- I want macaroni cheese!

I use a shake of garlic powder in mine. I find it makes the cheese taste a bit cheesier iykwim? I also fry off chorizo and add to sauce at the end.

I'm a lazy cow so I use 2 backs if grated mature cheese.

Butter
Flour
Milk
Boil until thick and then add cheese And cooked pasta.

I add cooked bacon and cherry tomatoes and cook for at least 45 minutes to thicken it up.

I do what you do OP but I add mustard powder (or sometimes normal English mustard) and I add a chopped onion to the pan of macaroni a few mins before it's cooked.

Fry bacon bits (1-2 rashers of bacon per person) with finely chopped spring onion.

Make a standard white sauce (flour, butter, milk), then add the bacon mixture and cheese amounting to half the weight of the pasta you're making. So, for say 300g of pasta (two adults & two kids), I'd add:

100g grated cheddar
50g grated gruyere

Melt cheese in sauce. Mix white sauce with half-cooked pasta.

On top, put a thin layer of crumble mixture made of breadcrumbs, olive oil (only about half a tablespoon, so the breadbrumbs get oily but not soaked) and some grated parmesan. Plus black pepper.

Then bake for about 20min

Sainsburys four cheese sauce
Mozzarella
Pancetta
Onion
Mushrooms

Topped with Parmesan and roast cherry tomatoes

I've cooked this for about 20 years and it's divine

Yes to mustard and nutmeg to the white sauce.

You have to add gouda to the sauce (barefoot contessa has a great recipe), makes it so yummy and creamy. I also add mature cheddar and parmesan. Sliced tomatoes on top with breadcrumbs, comes out delicious

Why do I look at these threads - why? All I want is macaroni cheese and buttered toast now.

I expect my contribution will be a repeat, but this is one of those threads you just can’t not reply to!

If you have any cheeses left over from Christmas put them all in!

We’re making one this week which will have aged Gouda, mature cheddar and gruyere, plus a bit of Roquefort.

A good bit of white pepper into the sauce as well.

We always add bacon, mustard and jalapeños.

Breadcrumbs and Parmesan on top.

We like to have it with a fresh salad.