Both of these horrors look like those Walmart one pan recipes where you dump a 4lb bag of cheese on some noodles with some kind of broth and cook for an hour hoping what comes out is edible…
Bechemel dammit your Mac and cheese needs to start with a bechemel
I had no idea it was called Béchamel, lol. I always referred to it all as roux as you really just add more to the base sauce. The more you know…
It’s possible to have a good mac and cheese without bechamel (e.g. by using Velveeta instead), but those two pictured ain’t it.
I don’t think you’re wrong, but if we’re talking about winning the right for the Thanksgiving meal, you know I’m using at least 3 kinds of cheese and some of that is gonna be Velveeta. But some ain’t, so, bechemel.
I’m open to debate on the breadcrumb topping, but, personally, I’m partial to it.
Usually, processed cheeses have enough extra sodium citrate (or other emulsifier) to help make a smooth melt from anywhere to half the processed cheese weight up to equal weight.
Mind you, there’s still the tradition factor. Making the bechemel gives a different taste and texture that citrate. So, even if you decided to just keep the sodium citrate around by itself (it’s cheap and easy to get), it won’t be the same end result in terms of what people expect of a good, homemade mac n cheese.
I’m okay with bread crumb topping, but I prefer a good shredded cheese across the top so that it gets a little crust to it by the end of the bake. The topping is usually going to be cheddar, or a cheddar/American mix (not Velveeta, and only an actual cheese American as opposed to fake), with cheddar, Colby, and either swiss or muenster as the preferred inside cheeses. Maybe add some jack or pepper jack for the right crowd. Can even crumble up some bleu in the mix instead/as well.
But the exact cheeses don’t matter as much as that base bechemel. As long as it’s smooth, the cheese sauce is going to be the right texture.
And with that you’ve just won the right to make the mac-n-cheese next Thanksgiving!
Sweet :)
No, don’t make it sweet please!
Nah, that’s for the sweet potato casserole.
Phenomenal post, buddy, thanks a ton for the knowledge.
I’m with ya on the pepper jack, I think some of that is a great addition. If the company permits it, I’ll shake things up with some smoked gouda and throw some smoked paprika in the bread crumb topping which I’ll then throw under the broiler to get that nice finish on top. Gonna try the shredded cheese topping next time tho, love a good crusty cheese layer.
I’m open to debate on the breadcrumb topping, but, personally, I’m partial to it.
For me, it depends whether the mac and cheese in question is oven-type or stovetop-type.
I was like - ew, breadcrumbs. But you do have a point here.
Im also interested in the garlic breadcrumbs topping idea - i cook my garlic in the butter before I add flour so this sounds great.
I prefer panko to traditional breadcrumbs myself.
Edit: Also, why Velveeta instead of just adding some sodium citrate and using all real cheese?
Mmm pasteurized process cheese product with a vaguely cheese-like flavor
It makes a nice fleshlight and you can still use it for the mac and cheese after.
As a white girl in a culinary wasteland, this hurts me on a level that my English ancestors can feel. My favourite food is plain unsalted potatoes, and yet this abomination is offensive to me.
I’m certain serving either of these would be considered a war crime. I’m actually confident if we offered these choices to insurgent armies as the only alternative to a truce, we’d have peace on earth.
What I’m saying is both of these crimes against pasta are soul-crushingly awful. Jesus wept.
Ok, so plain unsalted potatoes are fine, but as your favorite food??
Aye. I know it’s weird.
At least you own it. Plus, makes it easy to have your favorite food whenever you want it.
My favourite food is plain unsalted potatoes
Weirdly enough I feel like I’m fast approaching that too. Some days I just can’t be arsed to make real food so I bake a potato and call it a day.
Its green. WHY IS IT GREEN
Their camera is as bad as their mac and cheese.
Both with potato.
I the best way to do it is to cook the kraft slices in hotdog water, then add the noodle until plump.
How can you mess up Mac and Cheese that badly?
By thinking it requires only 2 ingredients.
It’s clearly got three. Imagine forgetting the And
- Mac
- Cheese
Yup, makes sense.
Yeah, but the first ingredient is actually two ingredients, mac and cheese, so it needs three ingredients.
Chemical X?
Dunno man, even macaroni and a block of Velveeta can be okay, if done properly. Somehow they both managed to fuck something up that I could passably do when I was 8.
Even the Kraft stuff in a box needs 4
You can make a pretty decent Mac and cheese using only macaroni, cheese and evaporated milk.
Or macaroni, cheese, and sodium citrate.
By making it a casserole
The best Mac and cheese is baked, but a crock pot is a close second.
No.
Crockpot mac and cheese would be an overcooked limp mess.
Would you serve it with steamed tater tots?
I am going to assume you are wrong because your name is awful.
I don’t even eat cheese, but if I were to make it, I’d make this:
https://www.savortoothtiger.com/recipes/jefferson-amp-mac-amp-cheese
But you have to add sodium citrate:
Good call on the sodium citrate, now I want to try that.
You might find this interesting:
Not as cooks though. Some of these prisoners are there for murder, but still…
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I love the low key savage response. Tbh, if I had nothing else I’d eat the right one because it looks less…congealed?
Mac and cheese is just lasagne for people too poor to afford meat.
Tell me you’ve never had good Mac & Cheese without telling me you’ve never had good Mac & Cheese.
the singular form of the word is spelled “lasagna”, you used the plural form of the word.
There are literally gourmet mac and cheese restaurants. And they put meat in the mac and cheese. Believe it or not, that is possible.
