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this post was submitted on 29 Sep 2025
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Learn the basics of sauces from a French cooking book/course.
Make a blonde roux, for 4 pounds of cheese, add 1.5 cups of milk and 2 cups of half and half. Add in the shredded cheese saving about a pound to a pound and a half for layering. Add 4 tsp of sodium citrate. Voila you have a cheese sauce that won't break on you that pours into the pasta easily.
I'm no chef, so look up a book if you want proper instructions, but here's how tondo things:
It's not that hard and the result will be better than anything you get from the store or eat at your aunt's house.
This is, of course, the proper way of doing things.
My practical version for everyday cooking/trying not to consume large amounts of cream looks like -
Bring a couple cups of milk (usually have 2% in the house) to a near simmer, then whisk in another cup of milk with a few fat spoonfuls of flour mixed into it (as a slurry.) Let it barely come to a boil for a few minutes, thickening the milk mixture, scraping the bottom and sides slowly the whole time. Once it coats the back of the spoon well turn the heat way down and add salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder to taste. Turn the heat off and add an obscene amount of shredded cheese (usually whatever partially used bags and random slices that need to be used from the fridge.) Once melted, double check seasoning and add to fully cooked pasta for a stovetop version. For baked Mac and cheese, undercook the pasta a bit and save some shredded cheese for the top.
Boiling the mix after the cheese has been added increases the risk of the cheese splitting and getting oily. Adding a slice of American cheese provides enough sodium citrate to create the same smooth, saucy texture. Shredding your own cheese may also be best practice, but I've never had an issue with pre shredded cheese.
As a non-American, how much pasta goes with all that cheese? And how many serves do you get out of it?
Generally I use 1 pound of dry pasta (I prefer shells to macaroni) per 2 pounds of cheese. Four pounds makes a casserole dish that is 12"×8"×4" or 12-16 servings
Ok, thanks! I tried to make mac and cheese twice, years ago, and they came out pretty good, but even though I don't remember the recipes I'm certain I went shorter on the cheese (it was 4-5 servings, not even close to a whole pound), shame on me. Next time I'm also trying with the citrate, I've been wanting to use it for some cheese sauces for quite a while but it's not something they sell at any store here and I always remember when I'm about to cook. Also, what cheese(s) do you use?
I personally use 1.5 lbs ofCuba NY Extra Sharp White Cheddar, 1 lb of mozzarella, 1 lb of Gruyere, and .5 lbs of smoked Gouda.
Swap the Gouda for a nice buttery Parmesan if you have $$$
You could also swap the gruyere out for Monterey Jack, or Pepper Jack.
But the cheese in blocks and shred in a food processor. It's cheaper that way.
I made a custard Mac and cheese last Thanksgiving and I liked it so much more than Roux style.
Can't find any pictures, unfortunately.
Yea I used to use a roux, but honestly it's not much better than melting the cheese directly into heavy cream. If price was an issue a roux would be the cheaper option.
I make a really good macaroni cheese and have never had the sauce "break" despite not using sodium citrate. No cream either, just full-fat milk. And a good spoon of mustard, yum. Maybe it's the cheese? I use extra tasty cheddar.
God thank you I am so fucking frustrated by how much every fucking person in America has some idiotic combination of cheese and noodles and sometimes fucking eggs??! Which they combine and bake for an hour to make a terrible, dry, bland casserole which everyone insists is anything other than inedible slop like some weird collective delusion, when the real answer is literally just to do a thing from the first fucking week of French cooking lessons.