# Cheese - what's best for baked mac and cheese?



## goodgiver (Jan 22, 2008)

What in your humble opinion is the best cheese to use when making baked macaroni and cheese, we do not like the cheese sauces people make their mac and cheese with. Can any body help me?


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## Andy M. (Jan 22, 2008)

The traditional is cheddar. Any combination of good melting cheeses that you like the taste of will do the trick. Don't be afraid to use several cheese in a blend.


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## miniman (Jan 22, 2008)

We usually use cheddar but will generally go with any cheese about. I would say, use a mature cheddar for a sharper taste.

If you go to a cheese counter in a supermarket or shop, you should be able to taste different cheeses to see which cheeses match what you are looking for.


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## Constance (Jan 22, 2008)

My first MIL made a white sauce, mixed the macaroni in it, and stirred in grated Longhorn cheese, which gets stringy instead of melting. It was different, but really delicious.


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## Uncle Bob (Jan 22, 2008)

The cheese of choice at my house for mac & cheese.....Xtra Sharp Cheddar!


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## Katie H (Jan 22, 2008)

Gosh,  I have so many different recipes for mac and cheese.  Some are very pedestrian  and use part Velveeta.  Others include as many as 5 different kinds of cheese.  Just depends on the mood I'm in and what cheeses I have on hand.


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## tupperware (Jan 22, 2008)

*years ago*

there was a store near us that packaged the ends of cheese in their deli.

So you would buy a pack with a variety of cheeses and that made the best 

mac and cheese.


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## Toots (Jan 22, 2008)

I make Patti LaBelle's mac and cheese recipe, it uses several different types of cheese plus velvetta.  And it is easy to make - bonus!

Patti LaBelle's Mac and Cheese Recipe | Macaroni & Cheese Recipes @ CDKitchen.com :: it's what's cooking online!


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## corazon (Jan 22, 2008)

extra sharp cheddar here.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Jan 22, 2008)

Mac & cheese is an interesting dish because it speaks to us about comfort.  however, what is comfort to one person is not to another.  For instance, my late stepfather, who I admired and respected about most everything, loved mac & cheese that was made from government surplus American cheese.  It was a creamy casserole style mac & cheese that was common during the depression years, and throughout the 1940's & 50's.  To him, it was comfort food.  I grew up with Kraft Mac & Cheese.  To me, it's comfort food.  Is it my favorite, not by a long shot.

The point I'm getting at is that mac & cheese is a personal kind of thing.  A lot depends on what you like in cheese, the taste and textures you prefer.  What I will tell you is that technique is important.

First, mac & cheese should be smooth and not stringy.  This is accomplished by keeping the temperatures relatively low.  You shouldn't let the cheese sauce boil as that can cause it to break, that is, the natural cheese oils and liquids will seperate out of the cheese and the protiens will clump together.  

Second, it's easier to melt cheese into a sauce if you shred it fine and stir it in slowly.  This is true whether you are adding the cheese to a roux-based white sauce, or to simple cream.

Third, remember that the pasta has a way of diluting the cheese flavor, and so sharper cheeses are generally used.  But you can control that sharp flavor by adding other, milder cheeses to the mix.

Lastly, if the mac & cheese is baked in a casserole, it is best to use a round caserole dish to provide even heat distribution.  This will avoid overcooked corners as are usually found in rectangular caserole dishes due to the concentration of heat in the corners of the cooking vessel.

Here are some cheeses and cheese combinations that will give you great results.

Sharp Cheddar - the most popular of cheese types used to make mac & cheese.  The flavor is strong, very, if I might say, cheesey.  It will require less cheese to add flavor to the pasta, but can be too strong if too much is used.  Cheddar breaks easily in sauces and so must be grated fine, and mixed completely into the caserole.  Pre-cook the pasta, add milk and butter to half fill the caserole dish with the pasta in it, and add the greated cheese, folding it into the still hot pasta.  Cover with foil and bake in a 325 F. oven for 20 minutes.  Remove the foil and sprinkle the top with more cheese, and if you like the top with a bit of crunch, some bread crumbs.  Increase the heat to 375 and bake until the crumbs brown lightly (between seven to ten minutes.

Colby - colby is a form of cheddar, uniquely American.  It is usually sold as a mild to medium aged cheese as it has a robust nature, similar to cheddar, but with a richer, more complex nature.  Like cheddar, it breaks very easily in sauces.  It is best blended with other cheeses, or crumbled, and sprinkled across the top of the casserole while other cheeses are mixed into the dish.

Monteray Jack - a semi-soft white cheese, with a texture between a young mozarella and American cheese.  The flavor as a medium sharpness.  This cheese melts well, but can be somewhat stringy.  It is best used as part of a cheese mix.  It works well with Muenster, and creamy cheeses like a butterkase, or havarti.  This mixture should also contain either freshly grated Parmesano Regiano, Asiago, or Pecorino Romano to add a bit of saltiness.

Very young Mozzarella - this is a dreamy cheese with a mild flavor.  It is soft and stringy when melted and has a wonderful mout-feel.  It must be used with other cheeses though as its flavor is quickly overwhelmed by the pasta.  Use with Fontina, Gouda, Havarti, or similar cheeses to add a salt componant and boost the cheese flavor.

American - A mildly acidic cheese with a pleasant flavor.  I melts exceptionally well and is used by itself by many.  Try using this cheese with something different, like a Port Salute, or maybe a good brick cheese.

Gorgonzola - a veined cheese with a rich flavor.  This is great all by itself, or mixed with feta cheese, ricotta, or even cottage cheese.  Just know that cottage cheese contains a fair amount of liquid and so can make your pasta caserole somewhat soupy if your not careful.  One way to combat this is to use partially cooked pasta so that the noodles can absorb much of the liquid.

Of course there are a thousand different variations on this theme.  Find the cheese that best suit your taste.  Try making cheese sauces with them before trying them in mac & cheese.

The two best ways to make cheese sauce, IMHO, are:
Make a blonde sauce from a roux made from equal parts butter and flour, thined with milk to form a creamy sauce.  Add the shredded cheeses slowly, stiring in each addition until completely incorporated into the sauce, over low heat.

Heat heavy cream in a pot until it just barely starts to bubble.  REduce the heat and again slowly add the cheese/s, stirring untill all is smooth.

I can't tell you what the best cheese to use are, because it will be different for you than it is for me.  So go on, experiment a little.  See what you like.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## MexicoKaren (Jan 22, 2008)

That is the very best explanation of macaroni and cheese that I have ever read! Thanks, I thought I knew all about mac & cheese, but I learned some things. (Have you ever thought about writing a cookbook? You are a great food-writer.)


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## Fisher's Mom (Jan 22, 2008)

Oooh, oooh, let me, GoodWeed. I asked him the same thing a while back and was delighted to find he has indeed written cookbooks. I'm now the proud owner of said cookbooks and I can tell you that he explains _everything_ that well.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Jan 22, 2008)

Ah, but the typos...  Heavy sigh.   But I do proofread my written work better than my posts.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## MexicoKaren (Jan 23, 2008)

Wow - how do I find out more? (Like - where can I get them?)


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## Fisher's Mom (Jan 23, 2008)

MexicoKaren said:


> Wow - how do I find out more? (Like - where can I get them?)


I just PM'd GoodWeed and bought them from him. I don't know what stores you might buy them at but since you're in Mexico, it would probably be best to just PM him directly.


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## MexicoKaren (Jan 23, 2008)

Thanks - I'll do that.


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## jabbur (Jan 23, 2008)

I generally use cream cheese and velveeta for the base then add whatever I have around like swiss, colby,mozarella, jack, cheddar.  I add my cheese to the hot drained noodles along with butter and milk sometimes half and half.  Mix it all up and serve.  Sometimes I'll bake it but my kids don't like it baked.  I do like stringy mac so I take exception to Goodweed's comment about it should not be stringy!


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## Barbara L (Jan 23, 2008)

I'm not afraid (well at least not too afraid, lol) to admit that my favorite macaroni and cheese was my mom's which used Velveeta as the only cheese.  Even though I make mine like my mom did, it never seems to turn out quite as good as hers.

Barbara


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## jennyema (Jan 23, 2008)

Mac and cheese is all about the cheese so whatever kind you use, choose good quality cheese.

I usually make mine with sharp cheddar and add some odds and ends of other cheeses that I might have on hand, like aged provolone, aged gouda, vella jack etc.

I also like to make mac and cheese with gruyere or compte.

But Goodweed is very right, it's all about your personal preferance.


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## redkitty (Jan 23, 2008)

My favorite recipe I learned in cooking classes uses Parmigiano Reggiano and either Swiss or French Gruyere.  Heavenly recipe I don't make too often, might be about time to bake some!


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## Constance (Jan 23, 2008)

I bought myself GoodWeed's cookbooks for Christmas, and it was money well spent. 

Weed, I know mac and cheese is supposed to be smooth, but my MIL's m&c with the stringy cheese was delicious. I think she probably put an egg or two in it as well, because she scooped it out with a spatula, and it kept it's shape.


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## LadyCook61 (Feb 4, 2008)

I use extra sharp cheddar , sometimes with extra cheese like Emmathaler, or Gruyere. sometimes I make the sauce and sometimes I don't , it depends what I am in the mood for .


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## SHAMALICIOUS (Feb 4, 2008)

Red leister or cheddar. and loads of it!!


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## lifesaver (Nov 14, 2008)

when making my macaroni and cheese i use sharp cheddar, white cheddar and cream cheese. all three cheeses together. creamy and delicious.


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## africhef (Nov 14, 2008)

I use all the left over cheese in my fridge. so my mac and cheese is always surprise.


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## jet (Nov 14, 2008)

2 parts Sharp Cheddar to 1 part Gruyere, with some Parmigiano-Reggiano thrown in.


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## larry_stewart (Nov 14, 2008)

africhef said:


> I use all the left over cheese in my fridge. so my mac and cheese is always surprise.


 
Im with africhef, I start with a cheddar base, but then go to the cheese drawer and grab whatever leftovers I have before they go moldy on me.


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## BreezyCooking (Nov 14, 2008)

I don't think it's possible to choose a "best cheese" for mac & cheese because, like all things "cooking", it's very much up to personal preference re: taste & texture.

I've used everything from Velveeta thru good aged Cheddar, Gorgonzola, Parmesan - pretty much anything/everything I might have on hand.  Combos of several cheeses are probably my favorite, but sometimes nothing beats a good crusty-topped cheddar & egg noodle bake (especially if it includes bits of smoked turkey or turkey ham!!).


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## archiduc (Nov 21, 2008)

goodgiver said:


> What in your humble opinion is the best cheese to use when making baked macaroni and cheese, we do not like the cheese sauces people make their mac and cheese with. Can any body help me?


 
Hi Goodgiver,

IMHO, a good Mac and cheese depends upon a well flaovoured Bechamel sauce flavoured with:

* Emmenthal and gruyere
* Emmenthal and freshly grated parmesan
* Gruyere and freshly grated parmesan
* a good quality Cheddar and freshly grated parmesan.

The cheeses need to be added to the sauce AFTER if has thickened and taken off the heat. Cheese is a cooked product and only needs to be melted to be incorporated into the sauce, prior to use. 

For each 50g/2 oz dried weight of macaroni (cooked and very well drained) use a cheese sauce made from 250mls10fl oz milk, 12.5 gms each of butter and flour, plus seasonings. Remember, that as the pasta bakes with the sauce it will absorb more liquid. Consequently, the mixture may look thin when placing into a dish to bake but will thicken up on baking.

Let me know if you would like a detailed recipe.

All the best,

Archiduc


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