I’m not sure I’m so much a fan of this. Maybe the recipe isn’t the best there is but it felt not that creamy and lacked acidity despite my attempts to adapt with some more apple cider vinegar.
Here’s how you find out whose a bot and whose a human…
“this needs ketchup”
🤢
Baked Mac and cheese is dry overcooked shit. Cook the noodles in water, drain, add your milk and cheese, melt over low heat. Done.
There’s no need to get so fucking extra about it.
cook your noodles to just before aldente, blend with your cheese sauce and bake with crushed crackers on top.
Its not supposed to be dry or overcooked.
The baking is a wholly unnecessary step and just removes moisture. I’ll die on this hill!
You’re doing it wrong then. The browned bits on top are the best part.
What on gods green earth? Acidic Mac? Vinegar? Oh lort 😵💫
You better be rage baiting us, OP.
Have you not put just a slight amount of acidity into your mac and cheese? It’s not enough to give it a primary flavor or anything, but it cuts through the richness and gives it a touch of contrast.
A little mustard or a little hot sauce, a teaspoon for the entire pan. Doesn’t take much.
Yeah, but never directly into it while baking. Usually as sides or as topings.
Soooo it’s really just greasy pasta with an over abundance of cheese in a béchamel sauce?
Its only greasy if your emulsion breaks, which adding lots of acid will do. There should be no grease, only smooth sauce. But yes, some foods are generally richer and heavy. Carbonara is even more rich and while some people might add a small squeeze of lemon juice it generally isnt made with acid- the black pepper is what contrasts with the richness
If you want more acid I’d recommend adding things on top: some hotsauce or acidic BBQ sauce, some pickled red onions and chorizo (the Mexican kind, no casing), pulled pork bbq with a NC vinegar bbq sauce (vinegar BBQ sauce is the regional variant where I’m from in north Carolina for pulled pork), carnitas, or pico de gallon, or serve with sides or an acidic beverage
But trying to put an acid like vinegar into the sauce directly will break your sauce and you’ll get a weird greasy texture, while also tasting wrong. If your cheese tastes too heavy try using sharp cheddar or another sharper more acidic cheese (here in the us cheddar would be the classic choice for Mac and cheese anyway, its flavor works well as the primary flavor in Mac and cheese), and some people use a little bit of dijon mustard because it can compliment the flavor of the cheese and has emulcifiers in it that can help stabilize your sauce. Don’t put a ton though, its not supposed to be an acidic food, just a little, like roughly a teaspoon for a large serving at max. You shouldn’t be able to distinctly taste any mustard, that would be weird
For anyone who finds the mustard weird take it up with Alton brown
If you have any questions on making Mac and cheese feel free to ask, I’m happy to help :) I used to regularly make it from scratch
Pico de gallon?
ROFL epic autocorrect fail.
I’m afraid of asking your recipe for carbonara if you compare it to baking your pasta in a comparable mass of cheese and cream
It was not greasy in the sense of separation of components / emulsion failing at all. Maybe I don’t have the correct wording for this. It had texture but lacked tasted maybe? Just too cheesy not in a good way? Maybe I should try balancing the plate with an acidic side as you recomment. On top of the 100000 tweaks I got on cheese & ratio from the 100 of offended passionate americans I hurt with this attempt xD
Ok this is a trustworthy source, got a favorite recipe you care to share? I haven’t considered adding mustard but it makes sense.
Sadly I don’t have a recipe, I would just wing it every time 😅 which probably wasnt smart cause I always struggled to make the right ratio of cheese sauce and noodles together
Usually when I’m learning how to make something I look up and read a bunch of seperate recipes and look for the common elements and variations, and then I decide how I wanna make mine, but I don’t remember any recipes I’ve used. If I were to go looking for one I’d probably see if chef john has one, as his recipes are usually fairly classic and to the point, which is usually what I want as a starting place for making something my own
Hey! Fellow European that have tried to do mac&cheese without having tasted the real thing ever… the thing that made it go from muh to absolutely deliciousness was:
First, using the right quantity of cheese which is about twice the quantity of pasta by weight (1 lb pasta -> 2 lb cheese, 0.5kg pasta -> 1kg cheese.
Second, the right cheeses, I used 500g cheddar (sharp, and a bit of extra sharp. It was Irish, not American), 200g Gruyère, 100g smoked Gouda, 100g mozzarella, 100 g of a local cheese I like. Using sodium citrate will make the sauce keep the right texture and not break, recommended specially since you mentioned it was greasy. American cheese (‘cheese food’, not any cheese made in America) already has it so no need to add more.
For a bit of punch use spices, not acids, black and/or white pepper, chile flakes, nutmeg, smoked paprika…
Preparation, use 6/10 of the cheese melted within the sauce (600g, in the case of 1kg total), the rest you mix it while pouring the sauce, already mixed with the pasta, on the backing dish. Save a handful to top it all, so you get a nice cheesy crust.
Mind if I ask what cheese(s) did you use?
Edit: edited back autocorrect mistake.
adding a little american cheese style (we have Land o Lakes american cheese) is optimal for best results, because it does habe the emulsifyers. American and cheddar. I like putting hella black pepper in mine. aye. so good.
Professional chef weighing in: yes.
hoooo now we talk neighboor :) I used “non descript” cheddar. The sort that did not advertise country of origin :( About 180g of it. With 120g of Comté and 60g of parmesan. No sodium citrate ; that’s a new one for me. that with 375g of small pasta so not quite in the ratio you mention.
Yep, it’s hard for the European mind to accept that much cheese in a sauce, I suspect we aren’t the only two Eurowankers to have made that mistake. The citrate is to emulsify the water and fats in the sauce so they stay mixed together, quite useful also for European-style sauces. All recipes agree on half of the cheese, at least, being cheddar, there’s variation on the rest. In my case the mozzarella is there for texture, each of the others added its own touch to the flavour, that I found rich and balanced. Parmesan sounded also great, and not really pricier than the others over here, but it would’ve been too many and I had to choose. I used Italian pasta, radiatori specifically (this was the first time I bought them, literal wee pasta radiators lol) which held the sauce very well, it’s gonna be in the oven for a bit so don’t overcook it or it’ll end up soft.
We also have cheese heavy recipes and we’re top on the cheese production just this recipe didn’t click… I refuse to get beaten by this cheesy failure… Your base is also a béchamel right? Butter / flour / milk? If so can you share your cheese to milk ratio as well?
Yes, bechamel based, but I can’t tell the ratio, I only took note of the cheese. I go a lot by vibes and, as I usually do, looked up a bunch of recipes on the internet and took from here and there what felt right… sorry.
Truthfully, when my family makes a good mac & cheese here in America, we go a lot by vibes too. You got the base and that’s what’s important.
Oi! I found this comment, that was the one that enlightened me. But as I said, I might’ve not followed this one, or not to the letter, tho.
Thanks for the shout-out! I’m glad others are learning the “secrets”
I never liked this kind of mac n cheese, either. Just a simple bechmel (butter, milk, cheese) with the pasta, not baked, is what I prefer.
The chef Kenji on YouTube has a really easy recipe for mac and cheese with simple ingredients (no over processed mixtures or anything like that)
Is acidic mac and cheese a thing?
I put sodium citrate in mine as an emulsifier, it gives it a hint of a tang but its not acidic.
That is why America cheese is often an ingredient, since it contains sodium citrate.
I usually do put a little lemon juice in my homemade Mac & cheese. Not enough to make it taste lemony, just to cut through all the cheese a bit. Like the saying goes, if it tastes like nothing it needs salt, if it tastes like it’s missing something it needs acid.
I don’t think so.
Also, kind of hard to really screw up mac and cheese - it’s more like levels of awesome.
From boxed Kraft being the worst, to full homemade starting with a bechamel, and everything in between.
Boxed kraft is no where near the worst.
I assure you that it is possible to get worse mac and cheese than boxed Kraft. It shouldn’t be, but it is possible.
Wow. Just… Wow. I had no idea.
I dunno. But the thing felt too heavy and typically I would address that with increased acidity.
I may get downvoted for this, but in my family we always chop an onion and add it to the cooking water along with the macaronis. It flavors the pasta and adds more bites. Or you can saute it in the butter as you make your bechamel, if you want a stronger onion flavor.
Whatever you got in the picture there ain’t it.
Try this
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Medium heat stir until its a paste then add
1 cup whole milk
1 3/4 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
stir until it has a consistent texture
Then you dump it on drained boiled macaroni and mix it in.
Damn, I must overcomplicate things because I usually add a brick of cream cheese ( I make a bigger amount ) alongside a dash of pumpkin pie spice and paprika. But otherwise, basically the same… give or take changing cheese depending on what I got.
Cream cheese is pretty tasty but I never felt it was crucial.
Gotta be careful with acid in mac n cheese. It can break the sauce. Tbh, I don’t find any benefit in it, but everyone has preferences, so you roll with what works for you :)
I might suggest using acids at service though. Cheesy stuff like this tends to do better after things that are meant to either cut the cheese, or brighten it being added as a topping and not cooked. It’s why a little grated onion can work in that regard. Just a half teaspoon served on top. If you’re gong too use ACV, a light sprinkle will get the job done.
Anyway. Creaminess comes down to the bechamel. You gotta make sure the flour is well hydrated before baking, which means letting it rest a little. Then tweak your fats to where you want. Milk is the default, but you can add actual cream. Then you just use some Colby, maybe some gouda or muenster, along with the cheddar.
And don’t skip regular american. Just get the actual cheese, that’s a cheese blend mixed with sodium citrate and maybe some added milk products, not the shift shitty oil disguised as cheese. There is a massive difference, and it matters for mac n cheese. Kraft makes deli select that’s the best mass market american you’ll find, and is everywhere in the us. But as long as it is cheese, not “cheese food” or the other labels, it’ll add a bit of Creaminess and improved cohesion to your sauce. Or make your own if you feel frisky and aren’t afraid of sodium citrate.
Yeah, bechamel is supposed to do the same job, but the truth is that it doesn’t. There’s something about the way SC works that improves the consistency of mac n cheese when used alongside bechamel. Even adding a slice or two changes the mouth feel significantly, and for the better in my mouth.
I dunno, without picking the recipe apart, I don’t think I can add anything else
Mhhh so regular American is going to be tricky to find here in Belgium. Cheddar to start with isn’t popular - the supermarket only carried the one variety I got. I mean beside the Kraft singles but that is hardly cheese it seems. I’ll investigate if I can find some « American cheddar » in cheese shops around. Munster I can find no problem. Gouda as well but it would not have occurred to use that.
Kids have absolutely loved the thing though.
Thanks for the detailed feedback ; I’ll use it for the v2 :)
If American cheese slices are difficult to find then just add about 4 tsp of Sodium Citrate to 2 lbs of cheese. It’s just an emulsifier that will prevent your sauce from breaking even when refrigerated.
The Kraft singles?? That’s easy to find. Though it would not have occured to me to use those.
Yep. 100% just add one single slice for every 3-4 pounds of cheese you use. It won’t change the flavor in any way, but it will add in the sodium citrate to give your sauce an extra silky smooth texture that won’t break.
Mac n cheese is definitely all about texture. Some enjoy it saucy and smooth, others like it more on the cheesy and firmer side. I’d encourage you to try a firmer style to see if you like it better. I also like to add breadcrumbs and bacon to mine for even more depth of texture.
The key to a good mac n cheese is starting with a solid bechamel (with a good fat/flour/milk ratio), and then using both a soft and hard cheese; one for melty texture and the other for flavor. My favorite combo is monterey jack and asiago for white mac n cheese. Mozzarella and cheddar are also common soft cheeses, and parmesan & pecorino are good hard cheeses.
Also acid is probably not the best route with something so cheese and butter heavy. Spice compliments it more if you want piquancy, I like to add chipotles in adobo. Jalapeno and bell pepper are also good aditions to the same end
From all the comment I’m suspecting that the cheeses were what caused the blandness. I’m going to hunt real american cheddar. Monterey jack is something I see more so maybe I’ll try with that one.
what kind of cheese did you use? maybe some sharp cheddar in the mix would help?
Cheddar (but maybe not « sharp » cheddar?), comté and parmesan. In order of mass.
Strange, it looks very good! What did you not like about it, if you don’t mind my asking?
It was quite flat. We are used to cheese fondue; melted cheeses you dip bread in it. So basically the same idea but bread instead of pasta I figured. I was expecting the same level of “tongue tingling” we get from a good fondue. But this was waaaaaaaaaay more “round” and greasy than that.
So, generally, with high quality American Mac and cheeses you won’t get the tongue tingling you get from fondue as it doesn’t have any wine in it - but, it is normally a relatively pure expression of cheese, usually through the addition of processed cheese product (American cheese, Velveeta) or - these days - sodium citrate.
The fun comes from the flavors of complex cheeses being delivered via an unusual texture (liquid brought on from cheese and milk/water binding via sodium citrate), and that’s harder to get at home.
If you’re looking for that “bite” as you call it, I’d highly recommend using Heston Blumenthal’s (the 3 star Michelin chef from the UK) recipe which uses white wine in lieu of sodium citrate or a roux (looks kind of like you used a roux in your recipe, but I’m not sure) . It creates a sauce that is much more comparable to fondue, and might be right up your alley!
I was trying to get some OG taste honestly otherwise I could do a mornay sauce and call it a day ,-) That’s how we do ham & cheese oven backed pasta dishes usually. I’ll double down on finding something closer to what we see in movies - eventually I’ll land something tastfull. The linked recipe looks waaaaaaaaaaay more elaborate and too far from what I want. I’m aiming at mac and cheese, coleslaw and brisket.
