The BEST and EASIEST Mac and Cheese Recipe

When it comes to the recipe for the perfect mac and cheese, everybody has its own and it’s hard to debate whether one is better than another. For sure, macaroni and cheese are one of those quick family recipes that everyone loves and that can also be customized based on people’s tastes. It can be baked or cooked on a casserole, depends on your taste.

People say macaroni and cheese it Italian by origins and for sure it resembles something Italian but being Italian myself, for me, mac ‘n’ cheese has never existed; I usually make something similar, in some way, called Pasta au gratin which includes a lot of cheese but also charcuterie.

According to the myth, the first ones to prepare macaroni and cheese would have been the French, and traces of the recipe can be found in a 14th-century cookbook. They were brought to the United States by President Thomas Jefferson who tasted this pasta in France in 1700: the mac ‘n’ cheese spread in a very short time in all the American kitchens.

That said, Americans always claim macaroni cheese as their own, and it’s not a mystery that Kraft invented the boxed version using macaroni pasta in 1937.

To keep it short, macaroni and cheese are short pasta baked with cheddar cheese melted in a kind of béchamel with the addition of more cheese: once cooked, the macaroni and cheese are meant to be soft and creamy and to have a delicious golden crust on the surface.

The taste is strong because there’s a lot of cheese involved and very buttery, for the same reason.

Let me stress this, again: there are thousands of amazing recipes to make mac ‘n’ cheese and mine is one of the many. And let me be honest: if you’re reading and you’re American, step away from the boxed mac ‘n’ cheese and make your own pasta.

Let me explain how to make macaroni and cheese from scratch, give you advice and variations to create a very special dish.

How to Make an Even Better Mac ‘n’ Cheese

1. Remember: the cheese sauce is the main element of this dish so you always need to use a pungent cheese so that the white sauce won’t absorb all the flavor;
2. Undercook your pasta so that when it will be baked won’t be overcooked;
3. Always remember to buy durum wheat Italian pasta for your macaroni and cheese;
4. Never forget to salt your water when cooking your pasta, otherwise, your macaroni won’t have many flavors;
5. How to make sure the cheese cream is really cheesy? By adding a splash of cream to the bechamel sauce, substituting some of the milk with cream;
6. For an even more tasty flavor, add different types of cheese to the mix, always remember to use strong ones;
7. Add a bit of crunch on top of the baking dish by using breadcrumbs;
8. Remember not to stick too much to the clock: the best mac ‘n’ cheese is ready when it’s bubbly and golden, so take into consideration the baking time but do not stick to it and eventually change it to your liking.

Mac and Cheese: Video Recipe

Macaroni and Cheese: a few interesting variations to try at home

Mac and Cheese is one of those dishes everyone love to experiment with so I’ve collected a few inspirational recipes you should try, to make a perfect macaroni and cheese at home:

• Gluten-Free Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese
• Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese
• Leftover Mac and Cheese
• Creamy Mac and Cheese
• Baked Macaroni Double Cheese