Easy Creamy Mac and Cheese (2024)

FAQs

How to keep macaroni and cheese creamy? ›

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.

The #1 secret to creamy reheated mac and cheese

"Stir in about 2 Tbs. of milk per 1 cup of mac and cheese and reheat," he says. The milk loosens up the pasta and helps create the creamy sauce as it's reheating. Heavy cream works well in this case too and adds an extra touch of richness to the mac and cheese.

To make mac and cheese without milk, the best choice is to find something that has a similar texture and a milk flavor. Things like heavy cream, almond milk, oat milk, yogurt, cream cheese, and even pasta water all work very well in boxed mac and cheese.

Add 1 tablespoon of milk per cup of mac and cheese. *If you'd like to add more creaminess and flavor, substitute half-and-half or cream.

Try adding a little more salt first, because that might fix it. If the problem was the cheese you use doesn't have much flavor, then try adding some other flavors, such has mustard or hot sauce.

One cup of heavy cream can be replaced with one cup of evaporated milk, or three-quarters of a cup of milk plus one-third of a cup of butter.

Can I use cornstarch instead of flour for mac and cheese? ›

The Ingredients

Velveeta cheese -- I love the flavor of cheddar cheese, but adding Velveeta gives us that creamy texture that we all love so much about mac and cheese. Cornstarch or arrowroot -- normally we'd add flour to a roux, but I always substitute flour with cornstarch and it works great.

It will thicken but don't worry. Once you add the milk, it will thin out. Speaking of the milk, we want to add it warm. Julia Child says warm milk prevents a lumpy sauce, and she's right!

black pepper– Use fresh cracked black pepper for best results. all-purpose flour– The flour in the recipe is used to prepare the roux. 2% milk– You want to use a higher fat milk when making mac and cheese. 2% or higher is preferred.

Milk and chicken broth: Added to the roux to make the sauce for creamy mac and cheese. Chicken broth isn't commonly used to make mac and cheese, but we find it works great in place of half the milk and adds more flavor.

It actually works very well! This is the best substitute because the cream cheese serves as a binder and thickening agent, the sour cream lightens the mixture and adds tanginess, and the pasta water (you could also use chicken broth) thins it out into a creamy consistency while adding binding power.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind: Avoid adding cold pasta to a hot cheese sauce, as this can cause the sauce to solidify and the emulsion of the cheese to weaken. Instead, make sure to keep the pasta hot while preparing the cheese sauce and add it to the sauce while it's still warm.

After boiling your pasta, drain or rinse it like normal, then transfer the cooked pasta to a bowl of olive oil and toss, via Smithsonian Magazine. This will prevent your sauce from sticking to the pasta and absorbing.

To keep your mac and cheese creamy, avoid overcooking the cheese sauce and use a combination of cheeses known for their melting properties. Don't be tempted to add too much macaroni, as it will absorb the sauce and dry it out.