Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is my baked mac and cheese not creamy? ›

Many store-bought shredded cheese brands coat their cheese with an anti-caking agent than can make sauces grainy and less creamy. While it requires a bit of an arm workout, grating your own yields the best texture.

What Is the Best Cheese for Mac and Cheese? Sharp cheddar is the overwhelming popular choice, but for extra-creamy results, we think medium cheddar is even better. Other delicious options include Gruyère, smoked Gouda, and Monterey Jack.

Sour cream: Sour cream helps thicken the creamy sauce and lends a lovely, subtle tang that pairs beautifully with the cheese and mustard powder. Velveeta: Velveeta is our secret ingredient for a luscious and creamy mac and cheese sauce.

Add 1 tablespoon of milk per cup of mac and cheese and mix to incorprate as much as possible. *If you'd like to add more creaminess and flavor, substitute half-and-half or cream.

Butter and flour: This makes our roux, which thickens the cheese sauce. Milk: Keeps our cheese sauce super creamy. I use whole milk or reduced-fat milk.

Boil it better

Skip the draining step, and add more milk as the noodles cook, if needed. Once al dente, stir in an extra 1 cup of shredded cheese and voila: less powdered cheese flavor, more homemade vibes and a hint of cheesy goodness infused right into the macaroni itself.

Great mac n' cheese needs one or more cheeses that melt well, and one or more cheeses that bring the flavor. The best melters include monterey jack, fontina, baby swiss, asiago, provolone, mozzarella, and alpine-style. Cheeses for flavor: cheddar, havarti, smoked gouda, gorgonzola, feta and any other of your favorites.

Mac and cheese needs whole milk to achieve perfection

Even the boxed-type of mac and cheese involves a sauce made from milk, butter, and powdered cheese that does double-duty as a stand-in for flour.

Why add cream cheese to mac and cheese? ›

While the cream cheese adds an important lusciousness, it doesn't do the macaroni and cheese any favors when it comes to its flavor, so it's important to use the sharpest, tangiest Cheddar you can get your hands on. For perfectly coated noodles, make sure to cook the pasta in the sauce for a minute or two.

Dry, crumbly cheeses like feta or cotija are not ideal.

The egg and oil components of mayonnaise prevent the cheese from clumping, which makes for a much more cohesive meal. Even if your cheese isn't clumping, mayo makes a great binder for many other ingredients as well, so adding a little dollop will usually work in your favor.

Try a combination of truffle oil, Oprah's favorite truffle salt, or truffle cheese for a surprisingly intense flavor. Add truffle oil to your mac and cheese before cooking, and add an extra drizzle for good measure. Truffle salt and cheese, on the other hand, can be cooked straight into your recipe.

High heat: Cooking the cheese at high temperatures can cause it to break down and become grainy. It is important to melt the cheese over low to medium heat, stirring constantly [1]. Ratio of ingredients: The ratio of ingredients, particularly in the roux, can affect the texture of the sauce.

Reheat macaroni and cheese in an oven-safe baking dish covered with foil at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes, depending on the size of the portion you are reheating. If the macaroni and cheese seems dry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk. The microwave is the best option to heat a single portion.

Pour about a tablespoon of milk per cup of mac and cheese into the dish and mix well. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place it in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until it's heated through.

I'll spare you any more science-y talk, but the main culprits in curdled or split mac and cheese are too much heat and what kind of cheese you use. When you toss a bunch of cheese all at once into a béchamel mixture (milk-cream-roux) that's too hot (I like to keep the temp between 140 and 180°F) the sauce will split.