Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is my homemade mac and cheese not creamy? ›

Pro Tip: Don't use pre-shredded cheese. 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 is the perfect ingredient to substitute for milk when making mac and cheese, giving it a rich and creamy flavor without sacrificing texture. It's easy to add in, and you can adjust it to your liking — add extra sour cream for more creaminess, and counter with extra cheese for more cheesiness.

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.

Both the flour and the cheese help thicken the sauce.

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!)

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.

Though Velveeta is no longer an FDA-defined genuine cheese, it does have some similarities, namely pasteurized milk and cheese culture.

Mix Cheeses For Delicious Results

Use 5 oz. of Gruyère and 5 oz. of Cheddar for a marriage of creamy and nutty with tangy and punchy. You can even top the whole dish with some salty, grated Parmesan for a trifecta of glorious cheesy flavor.

Try adding a little more salt first, because that might fix it. If the problem was the cheese you use doesn't have much flavor, then try adding some other flavors, such has mustard or hot sauce. The next time you make it, try to find some more strongly flavor cheese, or adding more cheese.

Why does my mac and cheese not taste good? ›

Not salting the pasta water

We're talking ocean water levels of salt. Not adding salt to your water leads to bland, tasteless noodles. This, in turn, leads to a finished product that is flavorless even after adding the cheese sauce.

Overcooking the sauce can also contribute to the grainy texture. To avoid this, ensure that the roux is cooked just until it thickens to coat the back of a spoon and remove it from the heat as soon as the cheese melts in [2].

If the sauce is too thick, add a bit of your pasta water until the texture improves. Then allow your noodles to finish cooking on the stove or in the oven, serve, and enjoy!

Can you put too much cheese in mac and cheese? Yes, adding more cheese than a recipe calls for will not improve the dish. Too much cheese will result in a dish that is heavy and greasy.

Overcooking the pasta

We all know what happens when pasta boils for just a few minutes too long. The noodles become soft and fall apart easily. Soggy pasta is exactly what you want to avoid, especially in mac and cheese — too soft, and you'll be eating cheese sludge with a spoon.