Making marvelous mac n' cheese
The beauty of mac n' cheese: any way you make it, it's gonna be great. That said, there are a few tips we can pass on that'll deliver even louder cheers of culinary delight at the table.
1. It takes two cheeses to tango with mac. For really great macaroni and cheese, you need a cheese that melts well and a cheese that packs a punch. A few cheeses do both (that's a shout out to you, cheddar, emmentaler, and your other alpine-style, fondue favorites). But lots of cheeses only check one box. No worries – you can combine two or more cheeses to get the perfect balance of creamy goodness and soul-satisfying flavor.
2. Nice and easy means good and cheesy. When melting your cheese, if you heat it too fast, you're likely to end up with lumps. Take it slow, over low heat.
3. Cheese likes the curves. When choosing pasta, skip over the sleek and skinny noodles for curvy shapes that have nooks, crannies, grooves, and holes that can trap the cheesy goodness.
4. Put the brakes on the pasta. Your cheese sauce wants the pasta to still have some form when it comes out of the oven. To keep it from becoming a mushy mess, undercook the pasta by a minute or two before adding the cheese and popping it in the oven.