Gourmet mac and cheese- any favorite cheese combinations?

[bmorecupcake]

@Auspicious

Are you mixing the roux sufficiently before adding dairy? Grating the cheese?

I cook it on moderate heat for 5 minutes. It smells like biscuits. I always taste a little too. I use a box grater.

@biondanonima

the higher quality and more aged the cheddar, the more likely it is to become grainy in a sauce. You can add a bit of sodium citrate to your sauce to prevent this, but if you don’t have that in your pantry, a few ounces of American or Velveeta will accomplish the same thing.

I’m using cheap Aldi/LIDL cheese, but it’s still aged. I will try with mild cheddar and/or the other suggested cheeses above. I know even a pinch will work like magic, but I’m not a sodium citrate person. I don’t even use corn starch in my bechamel. I tried evaporated milk once, and it worked very well, but it bothered me. Part of the fun for me is practicing again and again, trying to figure out the puzzle.

@biondanonima

I would try cooking your pasta a minute or two past al dente - you don’t want mush, but those tips will dry out in the oven so you want them soft before they go in. Then lots of grated cheese (Parmesan or other hard cheese will work best here if you want crusty but not oily- Cheddar will break) on top and into a hot convection oven.

This last time, I did exactly this. I cooked the pasta longer and used a hot convection oven. The cheddar on top did leak some oil, so I will try a harder cheese on top next time. Overall, it was a success. The little one is just okay with mac and cheese, but loved it. My other eater, well … “It’s fine but it would’ve been better if it was curdled.”