# Macaroni and Cheese

Learn how to make macaroni and cheese from scratch, with variations and tips for enhancing the flavor and texture.

- Cuisine: Italian
- Category: Soup
- Language: en

## Ingredients

- 3 Tbsp butter
- 3 Tbsp flour
- 4 cups milk
- smoked paprika
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- nutmeg
- chili powder
- Dijon mustard
- mustard powder
- salt
- pepper
- sharp cheddar cheese
- manchego cheese
- asiago cheese
- provolone cheese
- gouda cheese
- smoked gouda cheese
- ricotta cheese
- mozzarella cheese
- brie cheese
- gruyere cheese
- fontina cheese
- taleggio cheese
- camembert cheese
- American cheese
- pasta
- garlic bread crumbs
- shredded cheese
- caramelized leek
- onion
- shallot
- crispy fried onions
- crispy shallots
- minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp gochujang
- soy sauce
- scallions
- Korean pepper flakes

## Instructions

1. Melt butter in a pot over medium heat.
2. Add flour to the melted butter and whisk to combine, cooking for about a minute to create a roux.
3. Slowly stream in milk while whisking to create a béchamel sauce.
4. Season the béchamel with salt and pepper, and optionally with aromatics like smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, nutmeg, chili powder, Dijon mustard, or mustard powder.
5. Grate your chosen cheeses.
6. Add the grated cheeses to the béchamel sauce off heat and mix, leaving some pockets of unmelted cheese.
7. Cook the pasta of your choice.
8. Drain the cooked pasta.
9. Add the drained pasta to the cheese sauce and mix well.
10. Pour the mac and cheese mixture into a baking dish.
11. Top with your choice of toppings, such as garlic breadcrumbs or shredded cheese.
12. Bake in the oven until the sides are bubbling and the center is hot.
13. Serve the classic mac and cheese.
14. For variation #1, caramelize sliced shallots in a pan until jammy.
15. Add the caramelized shallots to the béchamel and cheese sauce and mix.
16. Add cooked pasta to the shallot and cheese sauce mixture and mix.
17. Pour the shallot mac and cheese into a baking dish.
18. Top with crispy fried onions or crispy shallots.
19. Bake the shallot mac and cheese.
20. For variation #2, cook the pasta of your choice.
21. Add minced garlic and gochujang to the béchamel base.
22. Season with a splash of soy sauce instead of mustard and salt.
23. Add your choice of cheeses that pair well with gochujang.
24. Drain the cooked pasta.
25. Add the drained pasta to the gochujang cheese sauce and mix.
26. Pour the gochujang mac and cheese into a baking dish.
27. Top with breadcrumbs with Korean pepper flakes.
28. Bake the gochujang mac and cheese.
29. Serve the gochujang mac and cheese with thinly sliced green onions.

## Equipment

- pot
- whisk
- grater
- baking dish
- oven
- spatula
- colander
- metal bowl

## Tips

- To make a roux, use equal parts fat and flour, e.g., 3 Tbsp butter and 3 Tbsp flour.
- 3 Tbsp of flour can thicken up to 4 cups of milk for the béchamel.
- Add aromatics like smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, nutmeg, or chili powder to your béchamel to infuse flavor into the mac and cheese.
- For a depth of flavor without tainting the cheese taste, season with Dijon mustard or mustard powder, in addition to salt and pepper.
- Choose your cheeses wisely, ensuring a mix of sharp, creamy, and funky cheeses for a balanced flavor profile.
- To prevent a cheesy sauce from breaking or getting oily, add an emulsifying cheese like American cheese.
- Add cheese off heat to prevent a gritty cheese sauce.
- Mix your cheese into the sauce but not all the way, creating pockets of cheesy goodness that will melt when baked.
- Choose pasta shapes that have a good mouthfeel and hold cheese sauce well, such as medium shells, large elbows, or cavatappi.

## Source

- Original video: https://www.tiktok.com/@zoebarriesode/video/7437299081094909226?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7550004359083755022
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/998d0187-9f0b-46ef-b418-3c44e3a29913
- Extracted: 2025-09-28

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt