Page 2 | Mac and cheese

AaaaaandBreathe · 2023-02-02T12:23:37+00:00

Looking for a good mac and cheese recipe if anyone can help? I've tried different ways but it never quite turns out right!

alexdgr8 · 03/02/2023 21:35

in a pub a few years ago i saw, mac n cheese, on the menu.
i'd never heard of it, and asked what it was.
turns out it's simply macaroni cheese.
why change the name ?
to charge more presumably.

bellac11 · 03/02/2023 21:37

Cream and cheese is all you need for the cheese sauce. I hate a bechamel sauce.

Blueey · 03/02/2023 21:46

Equal weights plain flour and butter. Melt the butter, then add the flour, stir and cook gently for a couple of mins until it smells 'biscuity'.

Very gradually add milk, I don't measure the milk just slowly add until its the right consistency. It'll go doughy to start but that's fine. Once it's at a fairly thick consistency, but not quite as thick as you'd want, add a fuck ton of mature cheddar, or whatever cheeses you like. Couple of dollops of grainy mustard, season to taste (salt and pepper, sometimes a sprinkle of bouillion powder can help). Stir until all melted/mixed. Should be quite thick.

In terms of stodginess, it may be you just don't make enough cheese sauce compared to pasta, making it stick together in a slightly more solid lump when baked. You always need more sauce than you think IMO. Another tip can be to cook the macaroni al dente, then give it a little rinse in the colander under hot water before mixing with the sauce. Gets rid of some of the starch, especially if the water boiled down a lot. Makes it less stodgy when baked.

Things that let down macaroni are not cooking the flour leaving that weird floury taste (looking at you school dinners) or not enough cheese so it's a bit plain.

claracluck1978 · 03/02/2023 21:49

Mine involves a sauce with cheddar and Gruyère mixed with bat and cayenne pepper. Mix half the macaroni with half this mix, then put a sprinkling of grated cheddar on top then mix the remaining sauce and pasta on top and finally sprinkle with more cheddar and Parmesan
It's delicious but I only make it once or twice a year as it's so unhealthy!

lollipoprainbow · 03/02/2023 21:50

Make a basic white sauce, add mustard, Worcester sauce and blue cheese and cheddar. Throw in some cooked macaroni and put in oven to crisp up on top. I like to drizzle with honey mustard dressing it adds a slight sweetness and cuts through the cheese.

DailyMaui · 03/02/2023 21:51

KnittedCardi · 02/02/2023 12:48

My mac and cheese doesn't have bechamel! I kind of just made it up really, but I like it because it is not too rich.

So I cook the pasta and put it in a dish with tinned tomato, oregano, salt, pepper, splash of cream, knob of butter, and some kind of meat/chicken, either cooked bacon or pancetta, or frankfurters, or cooked chicken pieces. I stir in torn morzarella, and add some grated cheese and parmesan on top. Stick in the oven for 30 mins.

Often it is the last resort meal, because you can use up all the odd bits and pieces and leftovers and stick them in.

This... this is not macaroni cheese

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 03/02/2023 22:05

KnittedCardi · 02/02/2023 12:48

My mac and cheese doesn't have bechamel! I kind of just made it up really, but I like it because it is not too rich.

So I cook the pasta and put it in a dish with tinned tomato, oregano, salt, pepper, splash of cream, knob of butter, and some kind of meat/chicken, either cooked bacon or pancetta, or frankfurters, or cooked chicken pieces. I stir in torn morzarella, and add some grated cheese and parmesan on top. Stick in the oven for 30 mins.

Often it is the last resort meal, because you can use up all the odd bits and pieces and leftovers and stick them in.

That's a pasta bake that happens to contain cheese. It's not macaroni cheese.

Emmamoo89 · 03/02/2023 22:08

Just had it tonight. Have bacon in it 😋

Emmamoo89 · 03/02/2023 22:12

KnittedCardi · 02/02/2023 12:48

My mac and cheese doesn't have bechamel! I kind of just made it up really, but I like it because it is not too rich.

So I cook the pasta and put it in a dish with tinned tomato, oregano, salt, pepper, splash of cream, knob of butter, and some kind of meat/chicken, either cooked bacon or pancetta, or frankfurters, or cooked chicken pieces. I stir in torn morzarella, and add some grated cheese and parmesan on top. Stick in the oven for 30 mins.

Often it is the last resort meal, because you can use up all the odd bits and pieces and leftovers and stick them in.

Thats definitely not mac and cheese

KnittedCardi · 03/02/2023 22:37

Hahaha. I seem to have caused a stir. I suppose my Italian roots rebel against the thought of what you would all call a Macaroni Cheese.

IJustHadToLookHavingReadTheBook · 03/02/2023 23:14

I like Nigella's version. It's got evaporated milk in it. If I'm feeling fancy I add some cherry tomatoes and a bit of basil to mine at the point before it goes into the oven.

Headstones250 · 03/02/2023 23:35

Twice as much strong cheese as you think and a good dash of salt.

funnyoldonion · 03/02/2023 23:46

Giggling at the outrage at your version @KnittedCardi myself included 😂definitely not right that like! 😅

SeaToSki · 03/02/2023 23:59

If they like school mac n cheese, its likely made with cheap processed cheese, so trying to match it at home using lovely cheddar and other cheeses wont get you there (although it will taste much nicer imho). Look for the cheapest cheese substitute product you can find and mix it with skim milk and a bit of oil, then dump it on the quickest cooking pasta you can find (thinner and easier to chew for dc). Dont oven bake, just serve right away when hot and if its a bit cool then microwave it for 30 secs.

FlamingoCroquet · 04/02/2023 00:07

In British English it's macaroni cheese, it's 'mac and cheese' in US English.

buckeejit · 04/02/2023 00:56

A bastardised version of this as it's easy & loved by all. I add some Cajun powder too

https://thesaltymarshmallow.com/instant-pot-mac-and-cheese]]

Original poster

AaaaaandBreathe · 04/02/2023 14:49

Thanks everyone. Sorry haven;t returned to the thread sooner, have some health worries going on.

I tried it again and while it looked lovely...it was again stodgy and didn't even taste cheesy! So I think I'm using too much pasta as the sauce itself tasted lovely before mixing.

@Blueey that's really helpful, thank you.

@FlamingoCroquet most British restaurants use the term mac and cheese now although I flit between the two terms.

OP posts:

Original poster

AaaaaandBreathe · 04/02/2023 14:52

Well, on children's menus anyway. It's not something I look for or order when I go out for an adult only meal.

OP posts:

twoandcooplease · 04/02/2023 15:27

Thanks for this thread op I'm starving for macaroni cheese now and I think I'll give one of these recipes a go (not knitteds) as I don't have my own perfect one either

Reading the comments (I'm a shit cook) what consistency should the sauce in the beginning be? @RomansTheyGoTheHouse uses half butter and flour as @WeWillRockyou but almost the same amount of milk?