Gordon Ramsay Creamy Mac And Cheese Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How does Gordon Ramsay make the best mac and cheese? ›

Add more milk if you haven't already. More milk leads to less dry mac and cheese. If that doesn't work and you've already tried, use a different type of cheese. Velveeta works well.

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.

Sauce too thick? Stir in a splash of milk and mix until the sauce has loosened up. (This is also a great trick for reheating mac and cheese - if you're microwaving leftovers and the sauce seems to have dried up, stir a splash of milk or half-and-half into the pasta to bring the sauce back to life!)

COOKED ENRICHED MACARONI PRODUCT (WATER, SEMOLINA [MILLED WHEAT, NIACIN, FERROUS SULFATE, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID]), WATER, CHEDDAR CLUB CHEESE (CHEDDAR CHEESE [CULTURED PASTEURIZED MILK, SALT, ENZYMES], WATER, SALT, ANNATTO [COLOR]), CHEDDAR CHEESE (PASTEURIZED MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES ...

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.

Pro Tip: Don't use pre-shredded cheese. Many store-bought shredded cheese brands coat their cheese with an anti-caking agent than can make sauces grainy and less creamy. While it requires a bit of an arm workout, grating your own yields the best texture.

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.

It's so important that you salt the pasta water. If you don't salt the pasta water, the macaroni itself will be bland and it's likely that your Southern mac and cheese won't be as flavorful as it should be.

How do you keep mac and cheese from clumping together? ›

Always add the cheese off the heat. Grate it in advance, add it a bit at a time, whisking until it dissolves, then add more. Don'tget impatient and dump it all in at once. Adding cheese while the pan is on the heat tightens the proteins, which will make lumps in your sauce.

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.

Key #2: Use Evaporated Milk

Evaporated milk is a highly concentrated source of milk protein micelles—bundles of proteins that can act as powerful emulsifying agents—which help to keep the sauce creamy and smooth.

Any milk is fine. I usually use whole milk, then add some cream, sometimes, just to make it richer. Then you add the cheese of your choice, and melt that, then put the cooked macaroni in. If you are used to using evaporated milk, it's because it makes the sauce a little creamier/richer.

Sharp Cheddar

With a fairly low melting point, cheddar keeps things smooth. It's also got the classic taste you're looking for and expecting with mac and cheese. Sharp cheddar is ideal because its flavor is strongest, but the most important to thing to remember is to always buy cheddar in a block and grate your own!

Great mac n' cheese needs one or more cheeses that melt well, and one or more cheeses that bring the flavor. The best melters include monterey jack, fontina, baby swiss, asiago, provolone, mozzarella, and alpine-style. Cheeses for flavor: cheddar, havarti, smoked gouda, gorgonzola, feta and any other of your favorites.

Ramsay's recipe calls for Romano cheese with Pepperberry, Asiago cheese, thick slices of country bread, and kimchi. Some standard butter, olive oil, and salt are also in the mix. I went to my local grocery store, Foodtown, to see if I could find the slightly upscale ingredients. I had to purchase a few alternatives.

Gruyere is a classic addition because it melts much like Cheddar, but has a lovely nutty flavor. Other classics include Gouda, Muenster, Parmesan, fontina, Havarti and Monterey Jack. Brie works well too, just make sure you remove the rind before mixing it in.