Isn’t Mac & Cheese just one of the best comfort dishes to whip up? When it comes to Mac & Cheese, I look for that creamy texture and body. Flavour-wise, you want a nice balance of richness but not overly done, where it becomes a little bit sickening. After many tests and trials, from the choice of milk and cheese blends to various seasonings and spices, I’ve come down to this particular Mac & Cheese recipe, which has become my ultimate go-to. The recipe hits all the spots I’ve just mentioned and features a subtle tease to the palate. It’s one I’ve never turned back on ever since finding this perfect balance of a recipe!
Why You’d Love This Mac & Cheese Recipe
There are a few things that make this mac & cheese recipe stand out. Instead of regular milk, I use evaporated milk to cook my mac & cheese. Evaporated milk offers creaminess or body without the fat of real cream. In other words, it makes your mac & cheese creamier without tasting overly rich compared to using cream. I also spice up the mac & cheese, spiking it with a little tingle of spices just to tease the palate, but not so much that it turns into a spicy one. Last but not least, I keep my mac & cheese recipe simple by using just a mix of Cheddar Cheese and Mozzarella – no fancy blend of multiple cheeses required. All in all, it’s something easy and quick to whip up, but promising great, big flavours!
Essentially, evaporated milk is regular milk but without 60% of its water content, i.e. heated till evaporated. As a result, evaporated milk has a more concentrated flavour, even slightly caramelised, and is creamier in texture. It is not to be confused with condensed milk, as condensed milk is sweetened and mostly used for desserts or as a sweetener in coffees and teas. Evaporated milk is typically sold in tinned form and is commonly found at supermarkets.
How to Make the Best Mac & Cheese at Home
Ingredients You Need
- Macaroni Pasta – or any tubular pasta shapes
- Evaporated Milk
- Mixed Cheddar Cheese & Mozzarella, shredded
- Paprika
- Garlic Powder
- Harissa Spice Powder
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Butter/Margarine
- Plain Flour
- Chives – optional, for garnish
Recipe Notes
- When cooking the pasta, make sure you reserve about half a cup of pasta water for making the sauce. This is to loosen up the sauce and prevent the mac & cheese from going dry.
- Making the cheese sauce starts with a roux, which consists of cooking and incorporating equal parts of fat (butter/margarine in this case) and flour. A roux acts as a base and a thickening agent for the sauce.
- To prevent lumps in the sauce, whisk in the evaporated milk little by little when adding it to the roux. Whisk the sauce until smooth before adding more liquid.
- For convenience, I usually pick up mixed shredded cheddar and mozzarella at the supermarket. If not, a cup of each cheese would work perfectly here. You are more than welcome to either switch up the ratios of the cheeses or try a different cheese combination!
- For garnish, chives carry a naturally garlicky flavour, which gives the mac & cheese a final boost.
- Got leftover mac & cheese? Turn them into Air Fryer Mac & Cheese Balls!
Looking for more recipe ideas? Check these out too:
The Best Mac & Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 250 g Macaroni Pasta
- 2 cups Evaporated Milk
- 2 cups Mixed Cheddar Cheese & Mozzarella grated
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1½ tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Harissa Spice Powder
- 2 tbsp Butter/Margarine
- 2 tbsp Plain Flour
- 10 g Chives chopped
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil, season generously with salt, and cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve about ½ cup of pasta water.
- In a separate pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add in flour and all the seasonings & spices in it. Keep stirring until it forms a smooth paste, i.e a roux.
- Stir in evaporated milk, little by little, until it forms a smooth mixture.
- Mix in the shredded cheese until melted and a smooth sauce is formed.
- Stir in the reserved pasta water, ¼ cup at a time, to loosen the sauce up.
- Fold in the cooked pasta and chives until combined. Serve hot.
Baking for a golden cheesy top (optional)
- Preheat your oven to 200°C.
- Transfer the cooked mac & cheese into an ovenproof dish. Top with remaining cheddar cheese.
- Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the cheese has melted and turned golden in colour. Serve hot.
Notes
- Cooking time excludes the oven-baking part, which is optional
- Evaporated milk offers a creamier texture and richer flavour than regular milk whilst not being as overly rich as using cream.
- It is important to reserve the pasta water for making the sauce as it helps to loosen the sauce up and prevents the mac & cheese from getting dry.
- If unable to find pre-mixed cheddar cheese and mozzarella, use 1 cup of each for the recipe
- Feel free to switch up the ratios of the cheeses or try a different cheese combination. I’d recommend keeping the mature cheddar cheese and play around with different cheese types and ratios to yield different flavours to your own liking.
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hi Eutonne, where did you find these big macaroni shapes? all the supermarkets near me have the teeny tiny ones but yours look so much better. Can’t wait to try this, the evaporated milk hack sounds like a game changer!!
Hi Haneen! I usually get them at my local Waitrose – they have a range of different pasta shapes 🙂 Let me know what you think after you’ve tried it!