How To Make The Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese

September 24, 2021

How To Make The Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese

The Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese

When one thinks about their favorite comfort food, I would argue that macaroni and cheese likely falls at the top for many. Everything about it oozes comfort. Tender pasta enveloped in a creamy and cheesy sauce, sometimes topped with a thick layer of extra cheese or breadcrumbs. Some are baked to a bubbling oblivion, while others are simply finished on the stove top. However you make it, one thing is certain. It’s absolutely divine!

Well, let me say this: most recipes out there are delicious, while others may fall flat. It’s a dish that requires a few key steps to yield the creamiest and dreamiest results. When I set out to make the ultimate macaroni and cheese recipe, I thought of one person and one person alone that could help me in this feat.

The Macaroni and Cheese Queen

My friend Lindsay prepares delicious recipes that she shares on her YouTube channel, The Hunger Diaries. She’s absolutely perfected macaroni and cheese, featuring 12 different versions of the classic comfort food alone on her site! What I love most about her YouTube channel is that she shares step-by-step tutorials for how she makes her recipes, and not only includes the things that worked well, but also shares tips to make it even better. Her videos are informative and fun, and if you don’t already, you should go follow her!

That said, Lindsay and I got together to make two very different yet equally delicious recipes recently. Read on to learn more about these two cooking methods for the unbeatably cheesy dish, along with tips and tricks from Lindsay herself for how to make the Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese.

How To Make The Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese

The components of a great macaroni and cheese are simple. You’ll need the following ingredients to get started:

Pasta
Cheese
Liquid (typically half and half, whole milk, or cream, or some mixture of three)
Salt

Depending on the type you make, you may be adding other ingredients, but these are the critical 4 that every great macaroni and cheese recipe will include.

There are two basic ways to prepare this classic comfort: you can bake it, or you can make it directly on the stovetop. Both are equally delicious, yet a few things set them apart.

Southern Style Baked Macaroni and Cheese

A Southern style macaroni and cheese is typically baked with a thick layer of cheese or buttery breadcrumbs on top. This style features partially cooked pasta, liquid (i.e. half and half or milk), cheese, seasoning, and eggs to help bind the mixture together.

Lindsay’s equation for Southern style macaroni and cheese is as follows:

1 pound of macaroni +2 1/2 cups of liquid + 2 eggs + 4 -4 1/2 cups of cheese

Lindsay likes using a variety of cheeses in her recipes, and uses cream cheese to assist with the smooth consistency of the sauce. There’s also a non-negotiable step for all of her macaroni and cheese recipes. “You always should grate your own cheese. This helps the cheese distribute throughout the dish, as opposed to having larger chunks of it sitting in the mixture as it bakes.”

She also makes note of the fact that making the best macaroni and cheese is really about understanding the consistency that the dish should be before going in to the oven to bake. “You want it to look like it’s in a light milk bath: the pasta will continue to absorb the cheese sauce as it bakes in the oven”.

After mixing the liquid, eggs, and cheese in a large bowl, add the macaroni and stir it all to combine. Top with extra freshly grated cheese and cook in a 350º oven for 30-40 minutes. You can broil the dish after it’s done baking to brown the top, and be sure to allow it to cool for 10 minutes (or more!) to allow it to cool down and set.

Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese

This method is reminiscent of the blue boxed version that many grew up with (and perhaps still enjoy from time to time?!). Although this “grown up version” takes a little more effort, the payoff is priceless in regards to flavor, texture, and eyes-rolling-to-the-back-of-your-head goodness!

Like the Southern style, Lindsay has a specific equation to create the most sinfully smooth stovetop macaroni and cheese. It starts with a roux, which is equal parts butter and flour followed by the liquid. Her equation for 1 pound of pasta is:

1 stick butter + 1/2 cup flour + 4 cups of liquid

When it comes to the amount of cheese to add, her response will make the cheese lovers out there go weak in the knees: “Add as much as you want!”, she says enthusiastically. “You can always add more liquid to thin it out if needed.”

Truffle Macaroni and Cheese

Lindsay and I made an incredibly savory and mouthwatering Truffle Macaroni and Cheese that might just be my new go-to recipe. It is so simple and it turned out wildly good!

The variety of cheeses in this dish practically sing together: nutty fontina, sharp gruyere, and an earthy creamy truffle cheese. They all meld together perfectly in a thick creamy sauce which coats the elbow noodles inside and out. Try our version, or else use Lindsay’s equation to make your very own!

Lindsay's Tips For The Best Macaroni and Cheese

Both of these macaroni and cheese recipes seem simple, (and they really are!) but there are definitely a few tips that you catch on to after making as much macaroni and cheese as Lindsay has. These two methods come with their own set of recommendations:

Southern Style (Baked)

Stovetop

Undercook your pasta. Since you’ll continue baking the entire dish in the oven, the pasta will naturally absorb the cheese sauce. No soggy noods: undercook by half!
Grate your own hard cheese. This ensures the cheeses are distributed throughout your dish consistently and lead to a more even flavor. If you’e working with softer cheeses, such as mozzarella or Colby Jack, these are ok to buy pre-shredded to save time. The exception is American cheese, a classic in this dish, which grates nicely after it’s chilled quickly in the freezer (and again leads to creamier texture and better distribution throughout).
Use half and half. While you can use whatever liquid you prefer, Lindsay reaches for half and half most of the time. She notes you can even make this vegan by using oat milk and vegan cheeses: do what work with your dietary needs and preferences!
Use your head. Probably my favorite tip she shared, she again calls out that the consistency should be like a cheesy “milk bath”, which the pasta will continue to soak up as it bakes. If you add more cheese than what’s suggested in your above equation, be sure to add more liquid to counter it. Too much cheese with not enough liquid will result in a seized up macaroni and cheese (read: gloppy and thick!).

Cook your pasta to al dente…and maybe just a little less. Like the baked macaroni, as the pasta sits in the cheese sauce in the hot pan it’s been cooked in, it will continue to absorb the cheese sauce. Slightly undercooking your pasta (not by much though!) will yield the perfect bite.
Grate your own hard cheese. I cannot stress this enough! If you’re making the ultimate homemade macaroni and cheese…now is not the time for shortcuts. Grate your own per #2 for Southern Style- it’s worth it!
Remove the sauce from the heat BEFORE you add the cheese. When you add cheese directly to heat, it will cook too quickly which will impact the texture. Ever had a grainy macaroni and cheese? This is what went wrong! Remove the roux and liquid from the heat, whisk in the cheese, and then return to the burner once it’s all whisked together to keep it moving.
Slowly add the sauce. Rather than dumping the whole pan over your pasta, work in batches and add just enough sauce to coat the macaroni.

The Cheesiest!

In conclusion, I hope this article inspires you to try one of these two unbelievably delicious macaroni and cheese recipes. If you’re looking for more amazing macaroni and cheese recipes, be sure to check out Lindsay‘s YouTube channel, The Hunger Diaries, where she shares incredibly helpful tutorials for how to make the most delicious dishes.