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?

English mustard powder or whole grain mustard, plenty of grated nutmeg, and finely a crushed garlic clove or two, a light touch of cayenne pepper, and a splash of white wine in the white sauce.
Use a couple of different cheeses in the sauce, eg parmesan and cheddar, for depth of flavour. top with extra grated cheese for a nice golden crust.

More cheese than you think it can possibly need then throw in a bit more. I think using a variety of cheeses gives the best flavour, maybe some cheddar, blue cheese and some Parmesan.

I'm making the Barbados recipe tonight (slight deviation, I don't have evaporated milk so I'm making a runny white sauce with whole milk instead) but will DEF try the bacon and jalapeno suggestions. Breadcrumbs sound fantastic too. I knew I could count on you lot!

I’ve tried so many recipes to find the perfect macaroni and cheese 😭😂 but I can say that this one with buttery crumbs is easily the nicest one!!

www.foodandwine.com/recipes/macaroni-and-cheese-buttery-crumbs

PS use butter when making the sauce.

I use mustard, ground pepper (but not nutmeg!). Sometime chili. Sometimes some marmite.

At least two types of cheese, just depends what's in the fridge.

Half cheddar half stilton works well (as does marmite....)

Stilton is wonderful in a macaroni cheese. Sadly we’ve already finished our Stilton, otherwise there’d definitely be some of that in ours this week!

Chunks of Gouda in the pasta and mozzarella ok the top. It browns and crisps up so nicely. Cheddar in the sauce. My favourite meal.

Hawksmoor, hands down

thehawksmoor.com/news/macaroni-cheese-recipe/

Mustard powder and also a pinch of paprika.

My cheat is Tesco cheese sauce, then top with more cheese and Mexican spices or sometimes breadcrumbs but I’m going to give the Barbadian recipe a go too.

Why white pepper rather than black?

You need more sauce than you think, pasta is sponge like.

I now make a cheese sauce, cook the macaroni and grill the top rather than bake to stop it being claggy.

Or buy it from M&S....

Definitely mix your cheeses - half Stilton/Parmesan and half cheddar is good

Also lee & perrins! Why has no one mentioned this yet. It transforms it.

It's one of the few dinners my two both love.

I use white pepper because it’s a better pairing for cheese sauces imo. It’s also often used in white sauces for aesthetic reasons where you don’t want black specks to ruin the look of the dish. Doesn’t really matter though - it’s fine to just use black.

I add truffle powder or marmite to mine

Yes Worcestershire sauce works brilliantly too, but I tend to save that for cheese on toast, for some reason. I get into habits like that.

Another tip is to use cold pasta, so cook it and let it go cold before you mix it in, so it doesn’t eat all your sauce away!

I, like others, add white pepper, a touch of garlic powder, and a dollop of eng mustard to the sauce. I also try to use 3 types of cheese (one being a hard cheese like grana Padano, I just buy the value packet of grated stuff) because when it’s just one cheddar it has no oomph.

Definitely add mustard. I always have s thick layer of cheese with sliced tomato on top. I shove it under the grill so the cheese is browned and the tomatoes soften.

Marmite and worcestershire...why didn't I think of those? I love welsh rarebit. Good lord, I'm dense. Shows you how little I've used my brain when making this so often.

www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/cheeseboard-macaroni-cheese/amp
I should get commission for the number of times I've posted this 😂
I find red Leicester (especially the matured ones) brilliant in maccaroni cheese. I usually do a mix of that, cheddar and parmesan.
I have whatsits in my cupboard for the Nadiya version, but I haven't quite got up the nerve to make it yet....

Also this is what I make www.recipetineats.com/baked-mac-and-cheese/

This one. Every time.

www.feistytapas.com/2015/12/jaysons-pressure-cooked-mac-and-cheese-with-instant-pot-instructions/

@nearlychristmas21

This one. Every time.

www.feistytapas.com/2015/12/jaysons-pressure-cooked-mac-and-cheese-with-instant-pot-instructions/

Just came to share exactly the same one. It’s so good and so quick.