This Mac and Cheese recipe is one from a friend, Kevin Smith. I have tried it and believe me it is REALLY Good. I have tried many different recipes before, including the Kraft powder cheese mix. Truth be told, that was a staple for my sons when they were growing up!! How about the trick of just melting a block of cheese and adding it to some elbow macaroni? What is the best way? What is the cheapest way? What is a delicious homemade way?
Who invented mac and cheese? When Thomas Jefferson traveled to Paris in 1784, he brought along James Hemings, an enslaved man who worked at Monticello. Hemings studied French cuisine, and when they returned, he cooked for events hosted by Jefferson. One dish he served was macaroni pie: noodles boiled in milk, layered with cheese and baked in a Dutch oven. — Kim Severson (as [posted in the NT Times 7/3/26
Kevin has provided us the secret here. He said he originally found it the YouTube channel Binging With Babbish. He covered 10 ways to cook mac and cheese. This varied from the Kraft microwavable single serving bowl to a batch that would cost $60+ a batch to cook. This one caught his eye, so he gave it a try and then put his own twist to it. Don’t you just love a man who is willing to experiment and bring out the best in a recipe?
Now I will shut up and bring you Kevin’s presentation below:
Noodles for Mac and Cheese
What is the best noodle to use for mac and cheese? Truth be told, there is no wrong answer here as long as you don’t try something to big. You wouldn’t want to try this with lasagna unless you want to waste a LOT of time cutting it into bite-size pieces. I used small elbow macaroni noodles, but this one is up to you.
Surprising Cheese
Cheese for mac and cheese is the question here. I’ve already covered the norms and we know this is “outside the box”. For this you want a per-shredded bagged cheese. The original used sharp cheddar, but my family told me they don’t like it. I used a Mexican blend of mild cheddar and pepper jack.
You can actually play around and experiment here. Try whatever you like. There is one BIG thing though. Check the ingredient label. For this to come together the cheese MUST have a vegetable starch. Potato or corn starch is best, or even a mixture of both.
The starch is MUCH more important than the type of cheese you decide to use. This is the ONLY recipe that this chef has EVER said using packaged cheese is good vs shredding your own. It requires the right starch to break down and let the cheese melt properly. With that said, let’s get to the 3 simple ingredients.
Ingredients for Mac and Cheese
- 1 12 oz bag of noodles
- 1 8 oz bag of shredded cheese
- 1 12 oz can evaporated milk
This has a total of 3 ingredients. How much simpler can you get? Have you priced the traditional block cheese used lately? If you want to stick with that Velveeta experience, you can even get that in a shredded bag for quite a bit cheaper than the block.
Let’s Get to Cooking Mac and Cheese
First off, get a large pot 3/4 full with hot water. Place that on the burner on high. Add in a tablespoon of oil and a teaspoon of salt. The oil and salt is optional, but that is how I like to boil my noodles. Once it’s boiling add in the noodles and cook per instructions. My bag said 6 minutes for al dente, 7 minutes for firm, and 8 minutes for soft. I find that between 6 and 7 minutes works well. You don’t want to overcook it at this point, you are still going to add hot cheese.
As those noodles get done, take a cupful of water out with a cup or bowl and save it. Drain the water and then return the noodles to the pan. Stir them occasionally so they don’t stick together. Next, we move onto the cheese.
Add the can of evaporated milk to a pan you don’t mind using a whisk in. With that said, don’t use your favorite non-stick pan for this. Metal utensils in a non-stick is not good. That can scratch the surface of that pan and ruin the non-stick aspects of it. Just don’t do it. Pick an older pan that is still good, but you don’t use very often anymore.
With the burner on high let that milk heat nearly to boiling. Start slowly adding in the shredded cheese while whisking. I would say do this in 4-5 parts of the bag of cheese. As the first part is melted and blended add the 2nd part and continue until all the cheese is in there. Now it’s probably going to be a little thick, so whisk in some of that water you saved earlier a little at a time.
Combine and Enjoy the Mac and Cheese
Once the cheese sauce comes to your desired thickness, get it off the burner. Pour it onto the noodles and stir until well combined. At this point it is going to be incredibly hot, so let it sit a few minutes. During this cooling process, stir it a few more times every 30 seconds to a minute. This will ensure the cheese is thoroughly mixed with the noodles.
Enjoy on it’s own, or add it as a side to any meal. Meatloaf, chicken tenders, chicken fried steak or chicken, turkey and dressing for the holidays, the list is never ending. Mac and Cheese goes with almost any meal. I don’t think I would serve it with soup and salad though.
Family Grill Night
My parents live next door to me and it has been a tradition for many years for us to grill something on Saturday night. My dad passed away a little over a year ago, but I’m keeping up the tradition with my mom. Occasionally my sister and brother-in-law will come out and join us. Every now and then my other sister and brother-in-law will make the 75 mile drive up and join the fun.
This Saturday we are trying a new grilled chicken tenders recipe I came across. It has an interesting seasoning and only takes 12 minutes in the air fryer. You know I’m making the mac and cheese to go with it. I’m sure we will add some potatoes or a veggie to go with it. We usually decide that last minute just depending on what we have on hand. No matter what, it’s going to be delish!
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