Cooking macaroni in a small volume of water concentrates the starch from the pasta, helping the cheese form a creamy emulsion.
Similar recipes call for cooking pasta in milk, which can scorch. Cooking in water and adding evaporated milk toward the end fixes this problem.
Evaporated milk contains protein micelles, which help keep an emulsified sauce smooth and creamy.
This macaroni and cheese—this pot of creamy, gooey, cheesy, glorious macaroni and cheese—was made with three ingredients in about 10 minutes. Seriously. That's one fewer ingredient than you need to add to the pot to make a box of Kraft macaroni and cheese.
Not only that, but all three ingredients are staples, with shelf lives of weeks or months, which means that a simple lunch is always on hand.
This idea came from working onmycacio e pepe recipe, the Roman dish with pasta, pecorino, and black pepper. In that recipe, I cook spaghetti in a small volume of water, using the starchy pasta water to emulsify the cheese into a creamy sauce. I wondered if the same thing would work for an American-style macaroni and cheese, using more cheese and cheddar in place of pecorino.
It didn't quite work the first time—the high proportion of cheese caused the sauce to break and turn greasy—but with a few tweaks, I nailed it.
Key #1: Use Less Water
The first key was to reduce the amount of water I was using to the bare minimum: I place the macaroni in a pot and add just enough cold water to cover it, then throw in a little pinch of salt and bring it all to a boil. So long as you stir while it cooks, the pasta cooks up perfectly al dente.
Why less water? Easy: more concentrated starch. As the pasta cooks, it sheds starch. You want that starch to stay in the pot, as it plays a crucial role in helping the sauce stay creamy and emulsified. Without it, the cheese turns tough and greasy.
Key #2: Use Evaporated Milk
The second big key was to use evaporated milk as the base liquid. Evaporated milk is a highly concentrated source of milk proteinmicelles—bundles of proteins that can act as powerful emulsifying agents—which help to keep the sauce creamy and smooth.
To make two servings, just think in sixes. All you've got to do is cook six ounces of dry pasta until the water is almost absorbed and the pasta is just shy of al dente (this takes about six minutes), then add six ounces of evaporated milk and six ounces of grated cheddar cheese (it also works fine with any good melting cheese, like Fontina, Gruyère, or Jack). Stir it all together until it's creamy and emulsified, and you're ready to eat. (If dinner gets slightly delayed for some reason, the sauce will thicken up, but you can thin it out again with a splash of water and some good stirring.)
Now, normally I do all my research on existing recipesbeforeI start working on my own version. This time, I was so excited to get into the kitchen that I completely neglected to do so until afterward. Good thing I eventually did, too, because it turns out that there are quite a few similar recipes out there. Many call for cooking pasta directly in milk, a technique that worksokay, but it can lead to scorching if you're not super careful with stirring. I prefer the evaporated-milk route because it ensures a clean pan with no burnt bits on the bottom.
Of course, it also turns out thatPillsbury has a recipe that's almost completely identical, save for a few differences (less cheese, more pasta, longer cook time). Looks like I've got more in common with the Doughboy than just an overly poke-able belly.
Anyway, just because Pillsbury did it first doesn't make the recipe any less delicious (and I happen to like my extra-cheesy version better).
So tell me. Would you rather eat what comes out of that blue box, or this?
Yeah, I thought so.*
Luckily,six minutes is all you need for a complete ab workout, so give yourself a quarter of an hour and you can make dinner and then immediately work it off, with some time left over to drop your dishes in the dishwasher. Is this going to replace myultra-gooey stovetop mac and cheeseas my favorite stovetop mac and cheese recipe? I don't think so, but as far as work-to-results ratios go, this new one is one of the best recipes around.**
*Okay, even I admit that sometimes Kraft mac and cheese is exactly what I want, especially if I make it the way my mom did, with an extra slice of American cheese melted into it.
** If you are willing to kick it up by a couple ingredients, try a good dash of hot sauce, some mustard powder, or a little knob of butter stirred in there as well. I won't consider it cheating.
6ounces (170g) grated mild or medium cheddar cheese, or any good melting cheese, such as Fontina, Gruyère, or Jack
Directions
Place macaroni in a medium saucepan or skillet and add just enough cold water to cover. Add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Continue to cook, stirring, until water has been almost completely absorbed and macaroni is just shy of al dente, about 6 minutes.
Immediately add evaporated milk and bring to a boil. Add cheese. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring continuously, until cheese is melted and liquid has reduced to a creamy sauce, about 2 minutes longer. Season to taste with more salt and serve immediately.
Notes
If you are willing to kick the total ingredients up to more than three, try a good dash of hot sauce, some mustard powder, or a little knob of butter stirred in with the evaporated milk.
Read More
Modern Baked Mac and Cheese With Cheddar and Gruyère
Using evaporated milk also means you don't have to make a roux. Many mac and cheese recipes require a roux for thickening and to stabilize the sauce. While this approach certainly works, it can leave the sauce thick and gloppy, and the flour dulls the flavor of the cheese.
One way to make boxed mac and cheese much richer is to ditch the milk and add extra butter. The box instructions will most likely call for both milk and butter, but, as it turns out, the milk is unnecessary — as long as you add enough butter, of course.
Water actually works perfectly well as a milk substitute in mac and cheese. It adds all the liquid you need, though it doesn't have the creaminess or flavor that other substitutes add. However, if you add a little pasta water, instead of plain tap water, to your cheese sauce, you might get better results.
You want equal amounts of butter and flour by weight. This is key. Throw in too much flour, and sure the sauce might get thick, but it also might taste floury and be lumpy. Even if you get the roux right, use too much or reduce your sauce down too far, and the macaroni and cheese will turn out dry.
For a creamy taste without the cream, try evaporated (canned) milk! Evaporated milk is made by removing water from fresh milk and then heating it. Heating the milk gives it the creamy, slightly cooked taste and darker colour. When mixed with an equal amount of water, it can be substituted for fresh milk in recipes.
It is better to use heavy cream for Mac and Cheese instead of milk, or better yet, use evaporated milk which has the thickness of heavy cream without all of the fat! Furthermore, it is more stable than heavy cream so your Macaroni and Cheese is less likely to curdle or separate.
Sour cream or full fat yogurt can be substituted 1:1 for whole milk. Use this substitute in baking quick breads or for adding creaminess to pan sauces. Sour cream works especially well in recipes calling for buttermilk, too and vanilla-flavored yogurt can be used for sweet quick breads and cakes.
Any potato dishes that use butter, like baked or mashed potatoes, also benefit from mayo if that's all you have in the fridge. Other dishes where the ingredient swap works are scrambled eggs, roasted chicken, macaroni and cheese, and even corn on the cob.
If you're really in a pinch, try adding around 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise (I highly recommend Duke's or Kewpie) and whisking it in. You may want to add a bit more salt or cheddar cheese or even some parmesan cheese to cover up the distinctive taste of mayonnaise. Don't knock it until you try it!
If you're wondering about making boxed mac and cheese without milk, such as Kraft mac and cheese, you can do that, too! Simply replace the milk with chicken broth or water, melt in a bit of cream cheese, and you'll still end up with a tasty, cheesy meal.
Just be careful to add the sour cream slowly to get the right texture, and consider taste differences. Sour cream can be a good macaroni and cheese milk substitute, but it will obviously be more sour and perhaps not the most kid-friendly mac and cheese you can make.
What Is the Best Cheese for Mac and Cheese? Sharp cheddar is the overwhelming popular choice, but for extra-creamy results, we think medium cheddar is even better. Other delicious options include Gruyère, smoked Gouda, and Monterey Jack.
Those starch molecules thicken the sauce, while the concentrated milk proteins from the evaporated milk add that signature dairy flavor, without all the water you'd get from cream or regular milk. Translation? Smooth, shiny, perfectly emulsified cheese that doesn't clump, taste floury, or break into greasy pools.
Milk: Keeps our cheese sauce super creamy. I use whole milk or reduced-fat milk. Mustard and spices: A combination of Dijon mustard, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and salt makes this macaroni and cheese extra delicious. Cheese: I use white cheddar and parmesan or pecorino cheese.
How to Substitute: Place milk in a saucepan and simmer it on the stovetop for about 30 minutes until it has reduced by about 60%. To make the equivalent of a 12 ounce can of evaporated milk, simmer a quart of milk or 32 ounces, until it reduces to about 12.
This old-school pantry staple brings velvety texture to soups, makes decadent desserts, prevents curdling in milk-based sauces, and even tenderizes proteins.
Introduction: My name is Tish Haag, I am a excited, delightful, curious, beautiful, agreeable, enchanting, fancy person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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