18 Secrets to the Richest, Creamiest Mac and Cheese
Ever wondered why your mac and cheese failed to perform? Too soft, too thick, too eggy…and you’re tired of trying recipe after endless recipe in search of the right one. Good news for you: I’m a master of the successful mac and cheese and today you’ll learn my 18 proven secrets to the richest, creamiest mac and cheese you’ll ever put in your mouth.
Macaroni and cheese isn’t a hard dish to make, but there are so many versions, cheeses and variations, how in the WORLD do you know which one is right? To get you started, check out my most popular versions:
The creamy classic:
A little kick:
Spicy baked macaroni and cheese
Stovetop:
Three cheese stovetop macaroni and cheese
Something hearty and different:
Baked mac and cheese with tomatoes
Now that you have the basics to choose from, here are the 18 secrets for the richest, creamiest mac and cheese that I put in to play each and every time I make it for anyone. They never fail me, and I know they’ll work for you, too:
- Cook your butter and flour together for about one minute to remove any raw flour flavor before adding the milk or cream to your recipe.
- Undercook your pasta—cook one minute less than the package directions to avoid a mushy mac and cheese.
- Swap rich cream for all or half of the milk in the recipe.
- Cook your pasta in salted water.
- Season every layer of your sauce: the roux, after the milk is added and after the cheese is melted in. Just a little sprinkle of salt is plenty–it will add up. You can even take the total amount of salt recommended in the recipe and just add a bit to each step. That works just fine.
- Choose noodle shapes that will hold on to the sauce—this includes shells, corkscrews, rotini or anything with ridges.
- Add the cheese to the milk and flour mix with the heat off so the mixture doesn’t separate.
- Don’t add all your noodles at once; see how much sauce you have and add more noodles as needed OR Make more sauce than you think you’ll need for a super creamy final product.
- Avoid over baking. Bake only for the time recommended, or when the center is bubbling and you see some golden edges. Cooking it too long will give you a mushy final product.
- Consider a dash of dry mustard powder.
- Add a pinch of cayenne pepper for some heat .
- Spice it up with jalapenos, a little salsa and pepper jack cheese.
- Swap out your cheeses. Cheddar is best but add a melter like fontina, Monterey jack or some parmesan.
- Bake your mac and cheese in a more shallow, wider dish if you want more of that crunchy top.
And speaking of toppings, you might try:
15. Breadcrumbs with garlic and parmesan
16. Crispy panko style crumbs with herbs
17.Add a little melted a butter into your bread crumbs before topping your mac
Now pick your cheeses:
(this is #18 for all of you keeping track)
For the best results, choose at least one flavor cheese and one melting cheese.
Flavor cheeses Melting Cheeses
Sharp cheddar Fontina
Asiago Gruyere
Pepper Jack Mascarpone
Provolone Mozzarella
Bleu cheese Meunster
Gorgonzola Velveeta
Anything smoked Monterey Jack
Romano Swiss
Colby Jack American
So there it is: every tip and trick I keep under my belt to make one of the most loved family favorites. How will you make your mac and cheese unique? Drop a comment here and and let me know what changes you’ve made and how your family likes theirs.
What would Gouda be? Flavor or melter? Thanks for answering.
OOOhh Trish I’d almost call that one both…but if I had to choose it would be a melter. –Rachel
@Trish, just used Gouda, mozzarella and cheddar – was really good- melted easily and tasted great
I added stewed tomatoes to the recipe.
There’s a mac and cheese with tomatoes recipe here on the site Michael. My favorite!!!
Going to try this method mix with mine ..I use real Butter and can Milk W/ half and half with some Chicken Stock and sometimes real cream cheese !! I fry bacon with some fresh garlic and little white wine and little parsley .. I blend that in with the cheese sauce and it’s super good .. Bacon is great w/ Mac and cheese and the wine goes great with cheese 😁😁 and I top off with some bacon bits and bread crumbs on the top
That sounds lovely Marie!
I like my mac and cheese kind of firm with a sweet heat. I always replace the milk with sugar-free French vanilla creamer and add an egg. Walmart has fried pork rinds in barbecue flavor that have a nice heat. I send those through my food processor to make sure they’re really fine. I shake on a light sprinkle just before popping it into the oven.
Those are certainly adjustments I would never have thought of but I’m glad you like it Eve. From a health perspective sugar free creamer would be a big no-no for me, but you do whatever makes you happy!
Any recommended brands for cheese?
Akina I don’t have a specific brand I stick to, but I like the good ones like Kerrygold cheeses, Tilamook, or just a good aged sharp cheddar. Any Swiss will do. –Rachel
Swap out at least one tablespoon of butter with black truffle butter… yum!
For those who like truffles. They are a very love or hate flavor. –Rachel
I plan on putting live maine lobster and large shrimp in mine. The months ending in the letter R is the best time to buy lobster.
Elaine H. Reno NV
I got this tip from my brother in law to swap milk entirely with one part cream (or half and half) and one part stock.
Yes that’s a great swap! Cream is just always too rich for me personally though.
Where’s the ingredient list??
Angie you need to choose a recipe from the article. They are in the first section you came to at the top. You can choose a recipe and adjust with these tips as you see fit. –Rachel
My family loves baked mac n cheese! I flavor mine with a good dollop of Heinz Chili Sauce. It’s my little secret to share?
OOOh that would probably be delicious Elaine! Thanks for sharing your secret. 😉 –Rachel
Can use smoked cheddar and fontina? How many will this feed?
Thanks!
Tammi
You most certainly can Tammi! As to how many it feeds you’ll need to choose a recipe from this post–the baked macaroni and cheese listed here serves about 6 people in 1/2 cup servings. –Rachel