Why American Cheese Makes the Best (and Easiest) Mac and Cheese

Why American Cheese Makes the Best (and Easiest) Mac and Cheese | What's Eating Dan?

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Күн бұрын

Want the creamiest mac and cheese? Buy American. Dan shows you an innovative recipe that is scientifically proven to achieve the smoothest sauce.
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Пікірлер: 425

@DanielJSouza 4 ай бұрын

My mac and cheese lovers! Thanks for watching. Let me know if you try one or both recipes.

@fabe61 4 ай бұрын

Hey Dan - just wondering why you would use water and citrate for the cheese sauce and not cream? I would assume cream would be more flavourful and always seems to create a stable sauce for me no matter what cheese I use, but I only use a few varieties. Is the citrate bombproof in ways that other methods of making a cheese sauce (like using starchy water or a roux) aren’t?

@HighKingTurgon 4 ай бұрын

Good call on your sweater, Dan. My favorite weird fact about sodium citrate is that it's used in phlebotomy and other medical contexts as a useful anticoagulant. Any time I donate blood products I'm excited to get my nacho water.

@artistlovepeace 4 ай бұрын

Preach!

@lisaboban 4 ай бұрын

Can't try any of the recipes. They're behind a paywall.

@DanielJSouza 4 ай бұрын

@@fabe61 Yes, sodium citrate much more powerful. And that cheese sauce is super intense and cheesy and rich in a way that you won't be asking for cream. There is not starch, etc. to get in the way of the cheese flavor.

@chrisbird9196 4 ай бұрын

If you can't easily get sodium citrate, you can make it by dissolving baking soda (sodium bicarbonate/bi-carb soda; not baking powder) and citric acid (in my experience both are easier to find in shops, though this will depend on where you live) in the water (and waiting for the bubbling to finish; this is CO2 being released as a by-product of the reaction). The 12g sodium citrate in the recipe can be made by combining 11.72g bicarb soda, and 8.93g citric acid.

@jibreelfernandez9601 4 ай бұрын

ur like a stoichiometric god thank you for this

@OneDollarWilliam 4 ай бұрын

Since Citric Acid can also be difficult to find you can also use lemon or lime juice. Based on the recipe from Adam Ragusea you'd want 200ml of juice for 12g baking soda.

@tsawy6 4 ай бұрын

@OneDollarWilliam thats... a lot. There's a ton of usecases where that much lemon flavour, sugar, and water is gonna be troublesome

@MMuraseofSandvich 4 ай бұрын

@@tsawy6The other problem with using fresh citrus is that you no longer know exactly how much citric acid you're getting. You COULD use bottled juice... but honestly citric acid is easy enough to order online.

@tsawy6 4 ай бұрын

@MMuraseofSandvich would you believe i was gonna go back and edit my comment to add exactly this note, but the comment wouldnt load for me? Def would be impacts of having unreacted products!

@vittoriabakes 4 ай бұрын

Um I don't usually buy apparel from videos I see, but that nacho sweatshirt is friggin awesome lol

@Saltie_Pie 4 ай бұрын

I've used this recipe several times and I definitely recommend it.

@maryannnichols1043 4 ай бұрын

How much do I love the modeling segment? So very much! Dan is my favorite on ATK!

@meadsummer6547 4 ай бұрын

Damn, I love Dan's kitchen takes. I make mac and cheese from scratch twice a year... I add crumbled bacon and top it with seasoned bread crumbs.

@johncalatayud8065 Ай бұрын

Fascinating! I never knew. This is why I love ATK. The science of cooking with the art of cooking. Great presentation Dan!

@borisc6714 4 ай бұрын

When I do mac and cheese, I use the Béchamel method: I sauté shallots, celery and garlic in butter, add milk, and I hand grate some cheese, the sharper the better, mixed with flour and mixe everything... when the sauce is done, I had some ham and red and green bell pepper, salt pepper and nut meg. You put the whole thing an oven dish, and top with panko, butter and parmesan mixture, broil for 10 minutes, and voila!!!

@chadhamel8707 4 ай бұрын

I would punch you if you brought Mac and cheese with shallot, celery, ham, and peppers. Cheese, noods, maybe a topping. No veggies and meat

@jm-lc3jp 4 ай бұрын

I like that version too, but it's more stiff, hence why you can cut it into blocks. But sometimes I (and esp the kids) like the super flowy/creamy version in the video. They are both great.

@ajs11201 4 ай бұрын

I also like the bechamel method because that's where I can saute some vegetables that become part of the sauce. I can't imagine mac & cheese without some onions, for example. However, I can see why this other method also has its place. Not every application for melted cheese requires a bechamel.

@SoonRaccoon 4 ай бұрын

I've found when using a bechamel base, the thickening power of the flour means I can't add enough cheese to get the flavor as cheesy as I want it. It's either a nice texture and uncheesey, or has a nice strong cheese flavor and has a consistency of concrete. Liquid + cheese + sodium citrate is the way to go, for me.

@sashamaj3949 4 ай бұрын

I’m not gonna hold you that sounds disgusting

@allisbe 4 ай бұрын

A chef in Portland, OR once shared their recipe for Sake Mac & Cheese with me that uses American cheese along with cheddar, Swiss and Parmesan and I have been unable to make any other recipe for mac and cheese since-it is divine.

@digestingbeer 4 ай бұрын

american cheese is like a pantry staple you keep in the fridge. it stays good for many months and has so many uses. i like using it and evaporated milk for a rich, creamy yet very stable sauce. a thin hollandaise or gravy can even benefit from half a slice of american cheese.

@carvetop 4 ай бұрын

Dan: Now, back to the nerdy stuff… Me: Didn’t know we ever left!

@DanielJSouza 4 ай бұрын

lol

@ericawentz2734 4 ай бұрын

Yummy! I could watch you all day, Dan! ❤

@canna_nymph 4 ай бұрын

Can’t wait to try this!!

@floydblandston108 4 ай бұрын

I discovered the sodium citrate method back when 'Breaking Bad' was all the rage. I was explaining my newfound chemical mastery to my daughter, but couldn't convince her to try it. I guess I was coming on a bit strong when I said "When it comes to Mac&Cheese- I AM the one who knocks!", because she yelled, "HEISENBERG!!" at me. 😂🤣😁

@Grayald 3 ай бұрын

I've gotten into homemade stove top mac recently and I like the way this last one looks. I've tried similar methods but never this specific one and I think I'll give it a try for my next one. Although I'll do one thing differently and use my preferred cheese blend. Cheddar for sharpness. Parm for mild saltiness and funk. American for silky smooth texture.

@zonawilson6245 4 ай бұрын

I start with what my mom's old Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook calls a "white sauce" and grate in sharp cheddar, baby Swiss, and Cojack. Winner - delicious.

@ajs11201 4 ай бұрын

Yup---aka the "bechamel method." It's a classic.

@jamesallen01 4 ай бұрын

The sodium citrate is a good idea, I'll have to try that. I can't use American cheese because I am lactose intolerant and it upsets my stomach, so if I am making a cheese sauce I like to use Cabot cheeses and lactose free milk. What I like to add depends on what I'm in the mood for, but I think a little smoked paprika, mustard powder and worchestershire sauce never hurts. Sometimes I like a sprinkle or two of arbol chili powder and some diced pickled jalapenos if I'm doing anything tex-mex adjacent.

@kevinparcher8514 4 ай бұрын

There is a recipe from ATK long ago in the book Best Lost Suppers that is still my favorite - Martini Mac & Cheese, with olives and cocktail onions. I add a dash of vermouth. :)

@bast713 4 ай бұрын

Chili garlic sauce. And a little sprinkle of nutmeg. I've been using a slice of American cheese when I make my sauce to keep it emulsified for a while now, but I start with...I think it's a bechamel sauce and add spices and cheese. I like the idea of cooking the pasta in the water and milk!

@BeckyBrumley 4 ай бұрын

The stovetop mac and cheese recipe you showed in the video has been my go to for several years. It's the best!

@sumsharp 4 ай бұрын

I love adding smoked ham in my mac and cheese. I don't like most mac and cheese but I love mine. I also bake it. Oh my, so good

@margaretbenhamu7784 4 ай бұрын

I put a layer of corn flake crumbs and paprika on top and then bake it to be crispy. My kids love the crispy edges of the pasta

@DanielJSouza 4 ай бұрын

I love that

@katiemallak8419 4 ай бұрын

Wish the recipes from these episodes would be free to access.

@MMMmyshawarma 2 ай бұрын

But he mentions the recipe in the video to the gram, just write it down?

@darlaguerra1500 Ай бұрын

kzfaq.info/get/bejne/fLh6a5qnt8uUn4k.htmlsi=_rZkbgF-PldbN9k7&t=243

@mrkingsudo 4 ай бұрын

I'm gonna have to make that mac n cheese and get one of those NACHO sweaters! One of my favorite ingredients to add to Mac n Cheese is crispy bacon bits (or really crisped up carnitas.) So delicious!

@juliequates9529 4 ай бұрын

Baking soda plus lemon juice equals sodium citrate. It makes that melty cheese so easy without buying some other ingredient

@maryannnichols1043 4 ай бұрын

Well that sounds easy! Thanks!

@WebeloZappBrannigan 4 ай бұрын

You can also use the much more widely available citric acid, baking soda, and a small amount of water.

@stevip2050 3 ай бұрын

🤣You sold the sweatshirt for sure!!!! Love this recipe and the science behind its yumminess!

@benwegner9373 4 ай бұрын

Based off of other recipes I have started using unsweetened condensed milk when adding the cheese which is a bit of a game changer However, growing up my mom would always save a ham bone and boil that off for a couple hours and create a ham broth with the extra leftover bits of ham. Cook the macaroni in that and it imparts all that salty, savory deliciousness that ends up in the end product.

@TheLaloulou 4 ай бұрын

CAULIFLOWER! Midway through cooking the pasta I love adding a head of shredded cauliflower to let it finish cooking at the same time. All coated in scrumptious cheesy goodness with the same soft texture but with hidden fibrous nutrients, this variation is seriously addictive.

@williammckiddy3722 4 ай бұрын

I’m happy & you’re looking good. Yum yum to both 😊

@kserra4699 4 ай бұрын

I love canned tomatoes in my M&C, baked or stove top. I am more likely to put Rotel (diced tomatoes with chilies) in a stove top version and whole tomatoes that I hand crush in baked. When I make baked M&C, I layer them in. I definitely have a preference for canned tomatoes for M&C, though I don't know why. Most other times fresh is best for me! 😂

@ltvanburen8555 4 ай бұрын

I love to put salsa in my Mac and cheese. Also, a little black bean soup mixed into Mac and cheese is fantastic.

@juliac6256 4 ай бұрын

annie’s white cheddar and tuna was a go-to growing up, i never ate kraft mac and cheese unless it was at friendlys hahah

@SoonRaccoon 4 ай бұрын

Chop up some string cheese and stir it in at the end for big gooey strings of cheese as you eat it. Also, any opportunity to combine cheddar cheese and kimchi is a win.

@MorganMghee 4 ай бұрын

I'm usually a purist but when I'm feeling fancy I add smoked salmon. Not lightly smoked/lox but fully smoked chunks of sockey.

@Me-td8eo 4 ай бұрын

You can actually melt cheese in water with this then add spices, herbs or anything else you want. Pour out into a mold and let it come to room temp. As it cools it will harden back to it's original state. Slice it for sandwiches or whatever you desire. Homemade flavored cheese.

@sock_account 4 ай бұрын

I've been using Sodium citrate in my cheese sauces for years and I can vouch for it being a game changer. Highly recommend 👌

@pnourani 4 ай бұрын

There's an even better way. Using evaporated milk as the emulsifier.

@jpp7783 4 ай бұрын

What I don’t understand (and is not explained in this video) is why the “other” way-Ina Garten’s way-which doesn’t use sodium citrate works. She cooks milk and flour, then fold the cheese into that. And it’s very good (albeit a touch more fussy than this recipe).

@lantami1199 4 ай бұрын

@@jpp7783 Because starches and milk proteins both also act as emulsifiers

@HLT646 4 ай бұрын

When I make my mac and cheese. I use 2/3 American cheese and 1/3 cheddar cheese. This makes my mac and cheese so creamy and good.

@raymondmuench3266 4 ай бұрын

In addition to dry mustard and cayenne, I also add some Worcestershire sauce. Welsh rarebit-y, but so it goes.

@OnDasherOnDancer 4 ай бұрын

Oooh! Yum!

@DanielJSouza 4 ай бұрын

worcestershire sounds great for mac and cheese!

@jeanneann1 4 ай бұрын

You did not have to get back to the nerdy stuff. The sweatshirt is nerdy too. 😂Going to buy mine now!

@sera-chan8194 3 ай бұрын

I fell in love with mac and cheese when I was in the states for a year, but when I returned home to Germany I could never recreate the delicious gooyness of the mac and cheese you guys make. Now I know why! None of the cheese kinds we have, has emulsifying salts in them. (And obviously you can not buy american cheese here) But thanks to you, Dan and the good ol' internet selling everything and anything, I will now be able to purchase sodium citrate and finally recreate delicious mac and cheese ❤

@rcmaniac25 4 ай бұрын

Most unexpected thing I put in mac and cheese: tomato sauce, or as have found I preferred, sliced cherry tomatoes. The rich mac and cheese + the acidic (and slightly sweet) tomatoes work really well together.

@lissapowell967 4 ай бұрын

My Swedish great grandmother put some beef broth in her mac n cheese. It tended cut the richness of the cheese a bit.

@sharonthegreat5264 4 ай бұрын

Awesome sweatshirt. Wish I could get it in Canada!

@parkerstoops6058 4 ай бұрын

Great video! Can we get a pepper video?

@morefiction3264 2 ай бұрын

Panko, Butter and Parmesan make a wonderful topping for alotta things.

@stevip2050 3 ай бұрын

I have been putting BBQ sauce on my mac & cheese since I was a child! Just a dollop but its a great combo😋

@lstone.09 4 ай бұрын

I've used American cheese in my mac and cheess for over 30 yrs. It's what my grandmother used as well.

@DanielJSouza 4 ай бұрын

That's so cool!

@gardenhappy4 4 ай бұрын

Do you use American cheese or American "processed" cheese? I am wondering if it even matters.

@lstone.09 4 ай бұрын

@@gardenhappy4 American. Can't stand that nasty processed stuff.

@magicworldbyjorg 4 ай бұрын

,,a cool video keep up the great content.. Thank you… Greetings Jörg

@gcvrsa 4 ай бұрын

I just use 4 oz shredded mild cheddar, 4 oz. heavy cream, and 4 oz. dry pasta. Cook the pasta normally. In a non-stick skillet, heat the cream and cheese over low heat, stirring constantly, until you have a smooth sauce. If you have sodium citrate, use that, too. Don't over heat it, or the cheese sauce will break. You don't want it to boil. Add the cooked and drained pasta to the skillet, and stirr until well combined. Add salt to taste. Serve immediately. Easy peasy.

@scottmichaelharris 4 ай бұрын

You can add lemon to baking soda until the bubbles stop if you want to make your own citrate.

@genevieve3589 4 ай бұрын

I thought they'd mention that

@Buckeye_97 4 ай бұрын

Absolutely! Do be wary yields may be...interesting, as were looking for citric acid to combine with the Sodium Bicarbonate and both the fruit and soda product will usually vary (sometimes significantly in the fruit). EOD all "should" be natural so why not

@Saraphina_Marie 4 ай бұрын

I once had a few bites of boar leftover from a fancy dinner party so I folded that into some leftover m&c. It was sooooo goooood.

@SidneyChism 4 ай бұрын

You should note after the recipe links that "subscription required". :(

@darlaguerra1500 Ай бұрын

Always with ATK. ;-(

@ohger1 4 ай бұрын

To the brave and very hungry soul who stumbled upon a forgotten bucket of moldy milk and decided to throw caution into the wind and eat it, I salute you sir. My life is so much better for your bravery (and outright hunger).

@leefiller604 Ай бұрын

What white American cheese in a block are you using?? I have never seen that in a storei I use Sharp Cheddar blocks

@leonardhatcher3272 4 ай бұрын

The thickness of the sauce will depend on the ratio of liquid to cheese. If you weigh the cheese and then add the liquid as a percent of the weight you will get: Cheese plus 0% to 35% liquid - firm, molded cheese, cheese slices Cheese plus 35% to 85% liquid - thick and flowing cheese sauce, good for dips and quesos Cheese plus 85% to 120% liquid - thin cheese sauce, cheese foam, fondues, mac and cheese Cheese plus 120% liquid or more - continues to become thinner and thinner. The final ingredient is the sodium citrate, which causes the cheese to stay together as it melts. It's typically used in a 2.0% to 3.0% ratio of total liquid plus cheese weight.

@qmegmills 4 ай бұрын

We need a What's Eating Dan on corn meal... Grits, polenta, stone ground etc. What's the difference? When do I want what for when?

@leeedwards3783 4 ай бұрын

Delicious! I have been making this for the past decade after getting the Modernist Cuisine at Home book from taking a science and cooking course online that Dan was actually a part of. Making scrambled eggs and searing a steak.

@PokhrajRoy. 4 ай бұрын

Fun Fact: ‘Nacho’ means ‘Dance’ (the verb) in Bengali and Hindi.

@michael-qg1gb 4 ай бұрын

What alternatives can you offer for someone on a low sodium diet?

@GaviLazan 4 ай бұрын

It always amazes me to remember that many Americans don't know what citric acid is, let alone own some in it's salt form (sodium citrate). It's such an easily obtained item in other parts of the world, and used in many applications besides making cheese melt.

@op3129 4 ай бұрын

what else can you use it for?

@GaviLazan 4 ай бұрын

@@op3129 you can make sour candies with it (it's mixed with sugar and the candies are rolled in it), it can be used to get rid of scale on kettles, it's used in middle eastern cooking at times - for example it's often added in small amounts when making hummus. It's basically like adding lemon juice or vinegar without the liquid. It's also an ingredient in many soft drinks, not that that's exactly a "home use".

@phalaxis3573 4 ай бұрын

Do you offer shipping on this amazing sweatshirt to Australia?

@douglasdcarpenter9548 4 ай бұрын

I love this guy and all he does.

@DanielJSouza 4 ай бұрын

🙏

@adelehoople2457 4 ай бұрын

We attempted the nacho cheese recipe for the Super Bowl this year. Somehow we ended up ordering sodium nitrate instead of citrate and the sauce didn’t come together at all. My husband tried eating some to make me feel better, but once we realized our mistake we called poison control. Everyone was fine, but it was traumatic and I think we will stick to the American cheese trick. We’ve made the Mac and cheese recipe many times with great success!

@jonesmeganm 4 ай бұрын

Kimchi mac & cheese!!

@dusanboss7749 4 ай бұрын

If you don't have sodium citrate you can also use little of lemon juice (or citric acid) and mix it with little of baking soda. It would react and you would have sodium citrate.

@gcvrsa 4 ай бұрын

Not really. The sodium citrate that results from reacting citric acid and sodium bicarbonate is monosodium citrate, and what you really want for emulsifying cheese is trisodium citrate.

@juliequates9529 4 ай бұрын

Yep, it works. It kept my cheese smooth and melty.

@justinhealy4102 4 ай бұрын

@@gcvrsastill works as an emulsifier tho!

@PatGilliland 4 ай бұрын

@@gcvrsa The monosodium works great - I've used it to make blue cheese whiz - great on burgers.

@mnemonik61 4 ай бұрын

YES! I _just_ discovered this myself a few months ago, purely by accident! 😆 I'm a VERY SHARP cheddar fan and sometimes when my (béchamel based) sauce is ready for pasta it's just not as sharp as I'd like. Thinking "What can I add?" to brighten the sauce up I thought "What the heck, let's try a bit of lemon juice." Now it's part of my go-to recipe!

@frankgerlach5059 4 ай бұрын

I add powdered sharp white cheddar cheese, it really ups the cheddar flavor. Crisp bacon bits, diced smoked ham, are also a good mix when you top it with buttered bread crumbs.

@danshearer2689 4 ай бұрын

Add B & M baked beans! Yum

@mayonnaiseeee 4 ай бұрын

My mac and cheese has always been stick to your ribs simple. The classic buttery, cheesy, crispy panko topping is my favorite when baking it. Less is more when it comes to American classics imo.

@jareknowak8712 4 ай бұрын

What is the closest substitute for American cheese among those widely available in Europe? (my personal favorite is Gouda)

@asdisskagen6487 4 ай бұрын

I usually make a "Maryland Crab Cake" version by adding lump crab meat and Old Bay seasoning to it. This is usually served during larger family gatherings and is ridiculously luxurious.

@DanielJSouza 4 ай бұрын

Wow, that sounds so good

@StevenDiPietroBeerParty 4 ай бұрын

I'm from Pasadena Maryland and I approve this message.

@darlaguerra1500 Ай бұрын

I'm confused, when do you add the other 1/2 of the water? We'll start by whisking half the water 4:16 and the sodium citrate together in a small sauce pan 4:18 until the sodium citrate dissolves. 4:20 Then, we bring it to a simmer over medium heat. 4:22 While whisking constantly, 4:23 I'm gradually adding the cheese mixture, 4:25 a small handful at a time, 4:27 whisking until fully incorporated before adding the next

@johnrielley7756 22 күн бұрын

At the end, to get the consistency you like.

@april_swingler 4 ай бұрын

For years I added cubed ham and green peas to my ATK bechamel mac & cheese but these days I only want dry mustard, nutmeg & a nice crumb topping

@anahidkassabian4471 4 ай бұрын

So if I can’t access American cheese (here in the wilds of NW England), can I just sprinkle in some sodium citrate to the second recipe? At what point? Please help this forlorn expat out 🙏🏽

@DanielJSouza 4 ай бұрын

It's actually the 2nd recipe called Cheesier Nacho Cheese Sauce that uses sodium citrate. You can dip chips in it or use it for mac and cheese like I do in the video. And it's laid out with ingredients in the video itself.

@tbaker2733 4 ай бұрын

This is a really good video with good recipe ideas. I like it a lot. But as with almost all ATK videos, it's just an add to subscribe to the website. The links above are NOT links to recipes as stated in the video. They are links to the subscription page. You have to sign up to get the recipes shown in the video. That's too deceitful and disappointing.

@savannarichard6059 Ай бұрын

Yummy

@cachecow 4 ай бұрын

That was great!

@CaravelClerihew 4 ай бұрын

3:19 - Just a quick and easy timestamp for anyone who wants to get to this bit quick

@ScottPenick 4 ай бұрын

This may sound repulsive, but pickled or canned beets added right into boxed macaroni and cheese is surprisingly delicious.

@DanielJSouza 4 ай бұрын

I bet that's a fun color combo!

@ScottPenick 4 ай бұрын

@@DanielJSouza It turns out pink and delightful!

@jamesuthmann940 4 ай бұрын

Something truly odd that I sometimes add to my mac & cheese is wheat germ, and oddly enough it's for nostalgia. When I was a kid ( fifty years ago ), my Mom worked Wednesday nights, leaving my Dad to make dinner for the two of us guys. One non-Wednesday night, when my Mom asked what I wanted for dinner, I asked for mac & cheese "the way Dad makes it" -- and she was shocked and appalled to find out the difference between versions was that he had been making it with whole wheat flour! ( Cue the Incredibles "Math is math" meme, only with flour. ). So now I sometimes use whole wheat if I'm making it from scratch, or add wheat germ to the boxed type if I'm being lazy, for that extra wheat-y flavor.

@DanielJSouza 4 ай бұрын

wheat germ is new to me!

@andrewmcquade9413 4 ай бұрын

I’ve made pork roll Mac n cheese plenty of times

@DanielJSouza 4 ай бұрын

Here for this NJ take.

@bartoscar 4 ай бұрын

Bacon or spam (crisped up of course) and peas. I know peas are perhaps an odd choice but honestly they're great

@meadowsgolf 4 ай бұрын

Awesome knowledge... we "bake" ours in our wood fired Lang Model 84 cooker/smokers for an hour after topping the casseroles with panko & butter crumbs ... looking forward to incorporating your ideas into our favorite side dish

@johnweaver4564 3 ай бұрын

I’ve been a bechamel sauce and add any cheddar or hard cheese that’s shredded. Not perfect, but makes a good cheese sauce

@ohger1 4 ай бұрын

Yes on mustard and also nutmeg.

@9ramthebuffs9 4 ай бұрын

my blood type is velveeta. mac and cheese always has to have chopped up jalops or the little red sweet peppers that are prebagged for charcuterie or whatever. Corn and/or ham with jalops is good too.

@EdWV56 4 ай бұрын

Fellow Velveeta fan, I salute you! Velveeta, a bit of milk for consistency...

@DanielJSouza 4 ай бұрын

lol

@burchie1224 4 ай бұрын

I got a bit carried away and made a mac and cheese with a bechamel with sodium citrate in it, but instead of using regular milk I used evaporated milk like Kenji recommends. It was unreal.

@gardenhappy4 4 ай бұрын

Is my understanding correct that white cheddar melts better than yellow cheddar? I thing I heard that from Martha Stewart ages ago.

@johnwilde164 4 ай бұрын

I don't know about that, but I think mild cheddar is said to melt better than sharp cheddar. The mild cheddar I use works well in both mac and cheese and toasted cheese sandwiches,

@paullukis3315 4 ай бұрын

It's not pretty or culinarily amazing but back in the day a skirt steak and mac & cheese burrito was transcendental.

@seriouslyreally5413 4 ай бұрын

So I was taught to make a roux, add small amount of cream, half and half or milk, (whatever I had) melt the cheddar or colby jack cheese in it, add drained cooked macaroni, cover with toasted panko crumbs and bake. The flour in the roux is similar to the starch water from cooking the macaroni but I get a thicker sauce. ??? No separation. No added Na Citrate....🤷‍♀️ must have the citrate in the cheese brand I use? Tillamook mostly.

@kindablue1959 4 ай бұрын

The texture of a roux-base cheese sauce will just be different. There's a reason people love the Blue Box stuff - it's the American cheese. Using sodium citrate allows you to use your Tillamook Colby and Cheddar and get the 'right' texture.

@xlilsasuke4x 4 ай бұрын

Why wouldn’t flour give you a thicker sauce?

@Rdasboss 4 ай бұрын

I always thought someone should brand sodium citrate as cheese salt

@nlong4028 4 ай бұрын

just here for that sweater model!

@justpeachy4938 4 ай бұрын

Ham steak cut into cubes and nicely browned in a skillet with butter is a classic addition to mac & cheese. Ditto crispy bacon bits (I prefer applewood smoked) and/or fried spam cubes! And, in a pinch, sliced deli ham (Polish or Virginia-style), sliced into 1.5 inch wide ribbons, also works well. Also love to play with the flavor profile but substituting small amounts of “funky” cheeses like aged provolone or blue. And consider topping with “crumbs” made from crispy fried onions. All good!

@MelHillphotos 4 ай бұрын

My add in are avocado and tomatoes along with California Pepper Plant hot sauce. Been making the MC silky M7C since the MC cookbook came out. On my second pound bag of SC.

@yassinsover 3 ай бұрын

what is under your sweatshirt?

@erikpersson5762 4 ай бұрын

How are the sweaters already out of stock? Orange XL must be popular : - /

@Nonakame 4 ай бұрын

Hatch Green Chile in Mac and cheese is a game changer.

@PatriciainOz 4 ай бұрын

I know, trust me I KNOW...can we use gorgonzola or blue cheese? I always just end up sprinkling it on the end with the bread crumbs but I really like blue cheese and it never works. Yes, I am swedish and yes I have eaten headcheese too but blue cheese is the bomb for me even if I get a tummy ache.

@sandrah7512 4 ай бұрын

Andrea also developed a "grown up" version of her stovetop mac and cheese that uses 3.5 ounces of Gruyere plus a couple of tablespoons of crumbled blue cheese instead of the 4 ounces of cheese(s) in the recipe here. Looks like everything else is the same. 🤷🏼‍♀

@greenzone5146 4 ай бұрын

You can just coat the shredded cheese with a little cornstarch and it will melt without clumping.

@CheeseGreater 4 ай бұрын

I need that sweatshirt back in stock 😭

@duketogo13 4 ай бұрын

The main recipe linked at the very top doesn't include sodium citrate located anywhere in the ingredients or instructions, just mentions it briefly in the note before it.

@liamharrell 4 ай бұрын

The sodium citrate is in the American Cheese.

@duketogo13 4 ай бұрын

@@liamharrell thanks, wasn't thinking about that. I was just surprised because in the actual video he's adding it as an ingredient. So I thought it was going to be a one for one, in terms of the video to the recipe!

@DanielJSouza 4 ай бұрын

It's actually the 2nd recipe called Cheesier Nacho Cheese Sauce that uses sodium citrate. You can dip chips in it or use it for mac and cheese like I do in the video.

@duketogo13 4 ай бұрын

@@DanielJSouza thank you! That definitely makes things clearer!