Grandma's Mac And Cheese Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the 3 best cheeses for mac and cheese? ›

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.

Sauce too thick? Stir in a splash of milk and mix until the sauce has loosened up. (This is also a great trick for reheating mac and cheese - if you're microwaving leftovers and the sauce seems to have dried up, stir a splash of milk or half-and-half into the pasta to bring the sauce back to life!)

Finally, using a plain yogurt is one of the best options for replacing milk in kraft mac and cheese! A plain whole milk yogurt or a greek yogurt would work well. Mix it in the same way you'd mix in sour cream, until it is well incorporated. This may have a slightly tangier flavor, but that is a personal preference.

Remember that the noodles for macaroni and cheese are not entirely cooked when they hit the baking dish, so they will continue to cook and absorb sauce while baking. Plus, the starch from the pasta will thicken the sauce as it bakes too, so you need to initially make the sauce looser than your final desired viscosity.

Milk: Keeps our cheese sauce super creamy. I use whole milk or reduced-fat milk. Mustard and spices: A combination of Dijon mustard, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and salt makes this macaroni and cheese extra delicious. Cheese: I use white cheddar and parmesan or pecorino cheese.

Gruyere is a classic addition because it melts much like Cheddar, but has a lovely nutty flavor. Other classics include Gouda, Muenster, Parmesan, fontina, Havarti and Monterey Jack. Brie works well too, just make sure you remove the rind before mixing it in.

Evaporated milk is a highly concentrated source of milk protein micelles—bundles of proteins that can act as powerful emulsifying agents—which help to keep the sauce creamy and smooth.

Any milk is fine. I usually use whole milk, then add some cream, sometimes, just to make it richer. Then you add the cheese of your choice, and melt that, then put the cooked macaroni in. If you are used to using evaporated milk, it's because it makes the sauce a little creamier/richer.

Add more milk if you haven't already. More milk leads to less dry mac and cheese. If that doesn't work and you've already tried, use a different type of cheese. Velveeta works well.

Sour Cream

Regular or plant-based sour cream makes a suitable replacement for milk in mac and cheese recipes. Use sour cream just as you would milk in a 1:1 ratio. It adds slightly tangy flavor notes that are nonetheless delicious!

Can I use evaporated milk instead of milk? ›

Evaporated milk is made by slowly heating milk to remove about half of its water—a process that develops a light golden color and mildly sweet flavor. Nestlé states that Carnation evaporated milk can be substituted in a 1:1 ratio for regular whole milk.

In fact, you can substitute sour cream for milk almost anytime the recipe calls for less than a cup of milk. One of the most common ingredients to use milk with is potatoes. Spuds love dairy, so if a recipe calls for milk, sour cream almost always works in its place.

To make 5 cheese macaroni and cheese, you need extra sharp cheddar, American or Velveeta cheese, smoked gouda, smoked gruyere, and colby jack. The smoked gouda and gruyere are favorites of ours, but you can totally use plain versions of each.

Monterey Jack is perhaps the ultimate melting cheese. Fontina is a crowd-pleasing melter that was born to pair with pasta. Baby swiss has a natural creaminess that is perfect for mac & cheese. Mozzarella is the classic melter pairs well with any pasta.