Always start with a block of cheese and grate or crumble it yourself.Bake in preheated oven about 20 minutes, or until golden and bubbly. Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.Īdd the drained pasta to the cheese sauce and stir well to combine. Allow to stand two minutes, then stir sauce until sauce is mostly smooth (small chunks are fine). Cook, stirring, until mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of the spoon well, about 7-8 minutes.Īdd the garlic powder, chili powder and salt to the sauce and stir in. Add a bit of the milk and mix in, adding the rest of the milk slowly.

Stir into a paste and cook about 2 minutes. Start the cheese sauce by melting the butter, then adding the flour. Start a large pot of water boiling and salt well. You can use any cheddars you like, but the better the cheese, the better the mac and cheese :) For my topping, I'm using another mature cheddar called Cathedral. I'm using Coastal Mature white cheddar for my main cheese and adding Imperial sharp cold-packed cheese as my second cheese. Gather your ingredients and weigh out the pasta and cheese and crumble or grate the cheese. Toss the grated cheese with dried bread crumbs, Panko or crushed soda crackers, mixed with a little melted butter, for a crunchy topping.If you're not sure, start with a pinch and go from there. Adjust the amount of chili powder to taste. Toss the grated cheese with a bit of Chipotle Chili Powder for a bit of smokey heat.Add just a sprinkling of grated cheese on top.You can top your mac and cheese as you like it! Here are some great options to add before baking. The process is the same, just change up the cheese. You can certainly use more mainstream cheddar cheese options here, as well, if you like. This combination will make a wonderfully flavourful, grown-up mac and cheese, but may not always be perfectly kid-friendly. You can also just use more of the sharp cheese for the topping. A standard medium or old cheddar would work nicely here, if you like. Optional Third Cheese - If you feel so inclined, you can add a third cheddar to the mix for the bit of cheese that goes on the top.If this isn't available to you, just look in the cheese sections for a cheddar labelled 'Sharp'. When it comes to sharp, my go-to is actually a cold-packed cheese that is widely and easily available here in Canada called Imperial Cheese (it's sold in small red containers and is usually found in with the block cheese). Again, look for the word 'Sharp' on the label. It's a great complement to the mature cheddar and provides great depth of flavour. Second Cheese - Add a second, Sharp Cheddar to the mix.It is delicious and easily and widely available, too! My favourite is called Coastal, a British mature cheddar. This type of cheese is crumbly in texture and nutty and creamy in flavour. They are always white cheddars and you'll usually find some good choices in the gourmet cheese section of your grocery store or a nice cheese monger. These will often have the word 'Mature' right on the label. Main Cheese - Start with a Mature Aged Cheddar.I've provided some other great topping options here, as well. It's cheddar cheese, tossed with Chipotle Chili Powder, for a bit of smokey heat. I'm a fan of the Chili Cheese topping (shown here). You can certainly use your favourites and experiment with different cheese, to make your own signature mac and cheese.Īnd finally, customize your creation with your favourite topping. I've made some suggestions for some types of cheese to use and will share my favourite combination, as well. Secondly, this mac and cheese uses great cheddar cheeses - two varieties, at least, for great depth of flavour. What makes this mac and cheese 'ultimate'?įirst, have you ever made a mac and cheese that was lovely and creamy before it went into the oven, but after it was baked, you were disappointed to find that all that creaminess disappeared? That's why you will love this version! It starts with lots of creamy cheese sauce, so even after baking, it's still wonderfully creamy. Some Reviews of the great reviews of this mac and cheese.What makes this mac and cheese 'ultimate'?.That said, when mac and cheese is made with great cheese and combined with a generous amount of perfectly creamy sauce, it can be a true thing of beauty and absolute comfort food perfection! Let's face it, a plate of pasta and cheese sauce going to be pretty good no matter the recipe you start with. I don't think I've ever eaten a bad Macaroni and Cheese. This dish is comfort food perfection! Customize with your own selection of cheeses and toppings. The ultimate, creamy baked mac and cheese, for when only the best will do.

Receipe for mac and cheese