Velvety, Gooey Mac & Cheese

This is the recipe that got me put on mac & cheese duty forever… so proceed with caution.

Taycier Elhindi

Quarter Cup Kitchen

Hi hi hi hello QCK, how are you?

Welcome back to the nameless Thanksgiving dinner series, I still have no idea what to call it but today, we’re making mac & cheese1.

This recipe probably took me the longest to perfect and that’s because I’m an extremely picky texture person and that is especially true for when it comes to mac & cheese. Everyone has their preferences and mine is like an almost Velvita texture. Smooth, creamy, wet (?? is that the right word??), with a nice cheese pull. A 1 part mac 1.5 part cheese ratio, well seasoned, and a melty, almost golden brown layer of cheese on top.

Okay, cool now that I’ve chronicled that out…

Here’s how you do it:

Shred your own cheese: It is, unfortunately, so important that you shred your own cheese… yeaaahhh. Sorry! Pre-shredded cheese has an anti-caking agent (usually corn starch) and when you melt it into sauce, it just doesn’t get as velvety. On the plus side, as long as you shred just enough for the top, you can cut the rest into small cubes, once it’s in the sauce and stirred properly, it all melts just the same.
The Roux: I use a 2:1 roux (2 parts butter, 1 part flour). I think the flour is necessary to keep the sauce sturdy enough that you don’t end up with soup, but I also don’t want too much, cause like I said wet (? it still doesn’t feel right) sauce. Do make sure you cook all the flour out because you definitely can taste and feel it if you don’t.
Evaporated Milk: So the whole deal is that the water in the milk evaporates and you’re left with a lot of the milk fats, which makes it super creamy. You’ll also notice I use heavy cream, the higher fat content in both just gives the sauce a better finish and also helps prevent curdling during the cooking process.

And then after alllll that, you’re left with this!

Recipe:

Prep: 12 mins

Cook: 45 Mins

Category: Side Dish

Servings: 8

Ingredients

2 cups Gouda, shredded
2 cups Colby Jack, shredded
2 cups Sharp Cheddar, shredded
2 cups Provolone, shredded
1 lb elbow noodles
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
¼ cup flour
2 cans evaporated milk
1 cup heavy cream
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp mustard powder or 1 tsp Dijon mustard
¼ tsp smoked paprika

Directions

1. Boil the pasta. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook noodles according to package directions until just al dente. Drain and set aside.

2. Make the roux. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1–2 minutes, whisking continuously, until smooth and no raw flour remains.

3. Build the sauce. Lower the heat to medium-low and whisk in evaporated milk and heavy cream until smooth. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder (or Dijon), and smoked paprika. Stir to combine.

4. Add the cheese. Gradually add half (1 cup each) of the shredded cheeses, stirring often to melt and fully incorporate. Continue stirring gently until the sauce thickens and becomes silky. Set the other half aside for the topping.
Tip: If the sauce feels too thick, whisk in up to ¼ cup of pasta water, plain water, or chicken stock to loosen.

5. Combine with pasta. Fold the cooked noodles into the cheese sauce until evenly coated.

6. Bake. Transfer to a lightly greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Top with the remaining shredded cheese and a sprinkle of smoked paprika. Cover with foil and bake at 375°F for 20–25 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted.

7. Finish & serve. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, until the top is golden, bubbly, and slightly crisp. Let rest for a few minutes before serving.

Thank you so much for visiting QCK! I’m happy to have you here. If you try any recipes, or have any requests, please let me know! Otherwise happy cooking and lots of love from my kitchen to yours. ❤

Check out the rest of the menu!

Full Fat Garlic & Herb Mashed Potatoes
Velvety, Gooey Mac & Cheese
Classic Collard Greens
Marsala Glazed Carrots with Carrot Top Garnish
Tendernisms Finest Roast Turkey
Deep Dish Salted Maple Pumpkin Pie

Quarter Cup Kitchen