Reddit mac and cheese use by date for mac#

Cooking the pasta 1-2 mins less than advised on the packet keeps the pasta a bit firm (al dente means вЂto the toothвЂ™ i.e. This is something I think is SO important when youвЂ™re making a baked mac & cheese. Otherwise you can go for fusilli, farfalle or orecchiete but I donвЂ™t think they work as well for holding onto the cheese sauce! Cooking the pasta until al dente I bought the De Cecco version which is called вЂ fusilli corti bucatiвЂ. My favourite is cavatappi which is like a swirly/ twisty version of macaroni вЂ“ it goes by a few names e.g. Other hollow pasta shapes which work well are penne rigate and rigatoni (ziti). Obviously macaroni is a perfect shape as the hollow centre can fill with cheese sauce. not spaghetti/tagliatelle etcвЂ¦) as they work better for holding onto the sauce, for ease of serving and for texture.

BAKE: top with breadcrumbs and grated cheese then bake until bubbling and crisp.ДЇirst of all, the best shapes for a mac and cheese are the shorter ones (i.e.

You can serve the mac & cheese now if you like (this is known as a вЂstovetop mac and cheeseвЂ™) or you canвЂ¦.

Combine: drain the pasta and combine with the sauce.

If you cook the pasta to well-done before baking, it can become mushy in the oven.

Cook the pasta: in a pot of boiling water until al dente (slightly firm/undercooked) вЂ“ this is so that when itвЂ™s in the oven, the pasta becomes perfectly cooked.

Add flavourings: any extra flavour boost ingredients like herbs or spices can be added now.

Add cheese: stir the grated cheese into the sauce until it has melted.

This is now a вЂwhite sauceвЂ™ or вЂbechamel sauceвЂ™. Cook until the starch in the flour gelatinises and thickens the sauce.

Add milk: gradually whisk milk into the roux until fully combined and smooth.

Make a roux: melt butter in a pot, add flour and cook for a couple of minutes to toast the flour.

The method here can be used with basically any cheese sauce & pasta combo so you can make it your own. ItвЂ™s overall quite a simple process once you get the hang of making a good cheese sauce.

Optional flavour boosters вЂ“ more on this below but I like to add marmite, MSG, vinegar/lemon juice, mustard & smoked paprika to my mac & cheese sauce for more flavour.

Breadcrumbs вЂ“ scattering these over the mac and cheese before baking leads to a crsipy crunchy crust as the breadcrumbs become golden in the oven.

It has a good salty, tangy flavour and has some gooey stretch to it

Cheese вЂ“ thereвЂ™s more info on choosing types of cheese below but the main gist is that if not doing a blend of cheeses, go with a mature cheddar.

Otherwise, IвЂ™ve had success using unsweetened, plain soy milk, almond milk or oat milk.

Milk вЂ“ itвЂ™s essential for the sauce to have a liquid component so it has the right texture! Now, itвЂ™s best to use a semi-skimmed/whole cowвЂ™s milk here but you could actually get away with skimmed milk or even water tbh (more on that below).

The starch in the flour absorbs liquid from the milk and gelatinises which just means that it helps to thicken the sauce.

Flour вЂ“ this is also part of the roux.

If you prefer, you can replace the butter with an equal amount of olive oil.

Butter вЂ“ this is used for making your roux (a butter-flour paste) which helps thicken the cheese sauce.

Dry pasta вЂ“ see below for more info but TLDR is to choose a short pasta shape (preferably hollow) and cook until al dente.

Reddit mac and cheese use by date for mac#

Tried this recipe? Let me know how it went! Mention or tag #topwithcinnamon! Ingredients for mac & cheese