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.

The sauce was thicker, creamier, and shinier. It behaved like actual cheese, with tiny little cheese pulls between the elbow noodles. I may never add milk—or any other liquid dairy for that matter—ever again.

It's all about the sauce. Put plenty of milk in that sauce and even add a little sour cream. The pasta will absorb some of the liquid, but not all of it and your sauce will be moist and cheesy.

Keep baked macaroni and cheese moist by adding plenty of milk and not too much flour.

Cheddar, Gruyère, Monterey Jack, mozzarella, Fontina, and Gouda cheese are good options.

For a mac and cheese recipe, consider the combination of sharper cheddar cheeses and a flavorful Parmesan. This cheese adds a boost of fruity, nutty notes to your favorite macaroni recipes. Parmesan is also ideal for grating on top of mac and cheese before you bake it to add golden color.

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.

Similar recipes call for cooking pasta in milk, which can scorch. Cooking in water and adding evaporated milk toward the end fixes this problem. Evaporated milk contains protein micelles, which help keep an emulsified sauce smooth and creamy.

It will be richer and creamier. It's actually a very good substitute for regular milk. I've often used evaporated milk in mac&cheese which makes it better than milk. Both heavy cream and evaporated milk are much better in mashed potatoes, too!

What happens if you use heavy cream instead of milk in mac and cheese? ›

Heavy cream is, in my opinion, the best milk substitute for kraft mac and cheese. It's thicker and more luxurious than milk, so I actually think this makes a better end result! just add the heavy whipping cream in the same way you would add the milk.

Gordon Ramsay's mac and cheese is a simplified recipe. Just boil pasta in milk and then, add butter, cheese, salt, and pepper to it. Merge all the elements and Gordon Ramsay's mac and cheese will be ready in no time.

It actually works very well! This is the best substitute because the cream cheese serves as a binder and thickening agent, the sour cream lightens the mixture and adds tanginess, and the pasta water (you could also use chicken broth) thins it out into a creamy consistency while adding binding power.

Keep cooked macaroni and cheese warm in a crockpot for serving at a potluck or anytime you need the dish to stay warm for hours. Spraying the crockpot insert with nonstick cooking spray prevents the macaroni from sticking to the insert without adding extra calories and fat.

For larger amounts of frozen mac and cheese, use the oven or toaster oven. For all methods, to keep the mac and cheese from drying out, stir 1 tablespoon milk into each 1 cup mac and cheese before reheating. Before you reheat mac and cheese, you want to make sure it's stored properly.

As mac and cheese sits in the fridge, the cheese mixture sets — that turns this once-creamy dish solid. To make your mac and cheese velvety again, First for Women Food Editor Charles Grayauskie suggests combining it with a bit of milk. “Stir in about 2 Tbs. of milk per 1 cup of mac and cheese and reheat,” he says.