21 Mac and Cheese Recipes that Are Gooey Perfection (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep macaroni and cheese gooey? ›

I've found that the best thing to do is add a few tablespoons of milk, which is essentially water with a bit of fat and a few proteins and sugars mixed in. The water content of the milk fixes the ratio, while the proteins help ensure that the sauce gets re-emulsified, as long as you stir while you reheat.

Cook your pasta past al dente

You need to make sure that you cook the pasta you're using al dente, which is Italian for "to the tooth," because if you undercook it, your sauce can get gritty from the extra starch. You also may want to adjust the flour in the roux to accommodate how you're planning to cook your noodles.

There are a few different ways to keep your macaroni and cheese moist, from adding a solid layer of shredded cheese on top to holding back on the cream when making your sauce.

We've found that the secret to perfectly velvety-smooth nacho cheese sauce is a combination of keeping the cheese at low temperature while cooking, and the use of sodium citrate (derived from citric acid)—one of a class of chemicals that food scientists refer to as “melting salts”.

Break up any clumps of the leftovers in a mixing bowl and add one tablespoon of milk per cup of macaroni and cheese. Add a little bit of extra cheese, and then fill a casserole dish with the mixture.

Using a lid to trap heat in the pot will speed up this process. Water at an adequate boil will cook pasta faster, without suffering a significant temperature drop when the noodles are added, and this will keep your pasta from getting mushy.

Butter and flour: The combination of butter and flour thickens our creamy cheese sauce. You'll cook them together on the stove and then add the milk. The mixture thickens, and you can add your cheese.

Can you put too much cheese in mac and cheese? ›

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.

Overcooked pasta is mushy and unpleasant. To avoid overcooking it in baked pasta dishes like mac and cheese, you must first undercook it. That means, boil the pasta until it's still quite firm. I like to test a noodle about five minutes into the cooking process.

The Very Best Macaroni and Cheese: Alton Brown's Baked Macaroni and Cheese.

Break up any clumps of the leftovers in a mixing bowl and add one tablespoon of milk per cup of macaroni and cheese. Add a little bit of extra cheese, and then fill a casserole dish with the mixture.

"Stir in about 2 Tbs. of milk per 1 cup of mac and cheese and reheat," he says. The milk loosens up the pasta and helps create the creamy sauce as it's reheating. Heavy cream works well in this case too and adds an extra touch of richness to the mac and cheese.

If the sauce doesn't thicken enough after five minutes of cooking you can either make a little more roux in a separate pan, whisk it into the sauce and cook for another five minutes, or you can reduce the heat and simmer the sauce to thicken it before adding your cheese.