Secret Ingredient Macaroni and Cheese
How can I get a thick cheese sauce for my macaroni and cheese?
The flour in the recipe acts as a thickening agent. If you just added flour to milk you’d end up with a clumpy mess. By combining the flour with a fat source (in this recipe it is melted butter), you will be able to distribute the thickening agent throughout the sauce without leaving clumps behind. This same principle can be applied to any sauce or soup that needs to be thickened. A roux is equal parts flour to fat. Cornstarch is a stronger thickening agent that I use (with butter) in things like puddings and cream pies.
What kind of cheese should I use to make macaroni and cheese?
Classic American macaroni and cheese is made with cheddar cheese. I prefer to use a sharp cheddar cheese. This recipe can also be made with other similar cheeses that melt well, or a combination of cheeses. Use the same amount and experiment! Gouda, white cheddar, provolone, brie, fontina, and provolone are some of our favorites.
What is the secret ingredient? Why add hot sauce?
The secret ingredient in my macaroni and cheese is hot sauce, specifically Frank’s Red Hot. Adding hot sauce to a recipe involving cheese is an old chef’s trick that enhances the flavor of the cheese. You can use any hot sauce you’d like, but each one may require a different amount. Julia Child’s, for example, was a tabasco sauce user and would add a dash or two of tabasco sauce to her macaroni and cheese and other melted cheese dishes. This recipe is specifically written for Frank’s Red Hot.
Is this macaroni and cheese recipe spicy?
No! This recipe is not spicy when made as written. I have personally serve this recipe to over 1,000 different people, many of them children, and no one complains that it is too spicy. If you DO want to add a little heat, you can try doubling or tripling the amount of hot sauce in the recipe. I find that 1/4 cup of Frank’s Red Hot gives a good mild heat.
If you like this recipe, you may also be interested in these other cheesy recipes:
- Best Baked Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Gourmet Pork Belly Mac and Cheese
- 3 Cheese Chicken Cavatappi
- Sweet Potato Bacon Mac and Cheese
- Cheesy Chicken Crepes
Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, Facebook Watch, or our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
Secret Ingredient Macaroni and Cheese
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Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow noodles
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 4 cups milk
- 2 Tablespoons Frank's Hot Sauce
- 8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 pan.
- Fill a large saucepan with water, and bring to a boil. Stir in the macaroni; cook until al dente. Drain well. Pour noodles into prepared 9x13 pan.
- Meanwhile in another large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, onion powder, mustard powder, and milk; whisk until smooth. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, for 3-5 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken. Reduce heat to low, and whisk in cheese and hot sauce. Pour cheese sauce over noodles in prepared 9x13 pan and stir to coat.
- Bake, uncovered, 10 minutes. Serve hot.
Nutrition
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