My dad made mac and cheese once. He didn't realize you had to boil the noodles first. The raw noodles kept soaking up all the liquid as he baked it. He kept adding milk. So we ended up with about 12 cups of vaguely cheesy milk noodles.
I've been mastering my Mac recipe for a few years now. The last like 4 batches I just felt were "off" Every single person that tried it told me it was fantastic. But something about them just didn't do it for me. So I went way back to basics and made a very very simple version to test something out. It was at that point I realized that I wasn't having a problem making it, as much as I was having a problem, not actually really liking mac and cheese.
Fun note: The first "method" you posted is what's very commonly made around the alps in the form of "Käsespätzle". The noodle is a fresh homemade soft noodle, it's loaded with copious amounts of young-to-medium aged cheese, black pepper and topped with butter caramelized onions or breadcrumbs. It's amazing, but also like 1000 kcal per serving
Per Chef John, you can add all your liquid to the roux as long as the liquid is cold and the roux is hot. Add the milk all at once and stir, and the temperature is too cold for it to thicken before the roux gets incorporated throughout. Hot roux, cold liquid. It works great.
@@AgentTasmania If you're thickening something broth-based, I guess it's possible the broth is hot, so adding little-by-little is a safe default? I dunno.
For me, it always worked out when I used slightly cold milk rather than fully chilled milk. And when I made sure the roux wasn't too hot, i.e., the stove was on low heat, the results were even better.
I have found if you add milk too fast, it lumps, but then it goes smooth again. I think this whole thing is people just not waiting long enough for the bechamel to come back up to temp. If you add 4 cups of milk, its going to take a while to heat up, have patience
@@Vsor Or you could take half as much time by just adding the milk little by little and be able to control how much time the sauce is in direct heat I'm not saying your way doesn't work, it's still a functional sauce, but it's not efficient and it takes away important control
If you want that nuclear yellow KD colour, you can add a bit of turmeric to the sauce. You don't even notice the flavour, and even the boxed cheese sauces do it.
I just use mustard. Its got the yellow 5 I want. A bit of acid helps emulsion for the cheese. It's a super win. Old granny bake recipes call for mustard powder. Its where I got the idea.
Since you're so far doing a lot of basic staples for the Botched series, I want to see you do all the ways someone can botch potatoes: mashed, roasted, and fried.
You forgot "using water instead of milk," which a former roommate of mine once did. _After_ asking me which to use. Obvs they ignored me. Now, lesee here. You've Botched Burgers, & Mac'n'Cheese. We're in mid August. Maybe some fall favorites? How to botch... idk Hot Cocoa? A chuck roast? Some form of dessert?
This actually works if it’s the pasta water and you didn’t overdo it on the water. Adding water until you cover the pasta should be enough that you don’t need to drain any water and can use the starchy water for a sauce.
If you hate shredding cheese, get sliced cheese and just tear or rough chop. It will still melt in pretty well, just slightly longer than shreds. The Deli section has all sorts of delicious cheeses they can slice for you or you can get packaged slices. My recent favorites are smoked cheddar and gouda.
Everyone loves my mom’s Mac & Cheese. When she passed last year that was my biggest fear that I wouldn’t be able to make it the way she made it. I’m happy that I was able to remember perfectly everything her and I did together when we cooked together. First time I made it I believe during Thanksgiving (which was only a few months after she passed) thankfully everyone loved it 🙌🏾
Taking a shot and buying those “fancy looking” sandpapery spaghetti noodles was the best decision I ever made. Total game changer mostly because it also was harder for me to overcook, and I end up with a heartier al dente pasta that absolutely hoards sauce and never lets it go. Beautiful thing
For baked mac & cheese I put a layer of panko on top of the mac before adding the top layer of cheese, adds a nice crunch. Then lots of grated nutmeg, enough to make Townsends proud.
Disgusting. I remember when I made my grandma's recipe, full of cheese and butter and no bread. A nice crispy cheese layer on top. Took it to a work potluck and put it next to the other ladies with bread crumbs. She was confused why no one got any of her bread noodles. It's gross. People only eat it when there's no other option. Nutmeg is even worse, this is the stuff of nightmares I just read. 😂😂
4:25 No immersion blender needed. Just keep stirring and it will eventually incorporate. You might need to turn down the heat to prevent burning the milk
If you don't like grating/shredding your own cheese, just cut it into small chunks and heat it at a lower temperature while stirring until melted then continue with the recipe
I used to do this as a kid because I wasn't coordinated enough to use a cheese grater without slicing myself (I was born with a neuropathy so it took longer to become coordinated)
You know this could be a solid Basics with Babish installment too, different styles and variations on mac and cheese. I've seen quite a bit and to play around with multiple flavors and ideas would be fun to watch. Like I've made bacon mac and cheese and mac and cheese with garlic aioli on top.
Spaghetti was my mom's favorite pasta shape to eat Mac and cheese. She would use leftover pasta, American cheese, and milk. It was one of her all time comfort foods.
I never make mac&cheese without adding a bunch of stuff to it. It's great for leftover meats and veggies. If the leftovers don't go well with cheese, it'll be a spaghetti, stir fry, soup, etc
My toddler loves what we call pizza mac and cheese, add some chopped up pepperoni and other typical pizza toppings and add a drizzle of pizza sauce over top.
The first version is the one we are doing with different kinds of pasta and cheese here in Germany 😂. So no problem there at all! Enjoy it end no need for all the other fancy stuff! 😊 Just beautiful and stringy! No Medium needed...!
9:20 Btw if you accidentally make a super runny bechamel: You can sprinkle in small amounts of pre shredded cheese on low heat while whisking quickly until you get your desired consistency. It’s basically cheese and corn starch so add it slowly, but it works 😂. Sorry Babish 😅
This series in particular has upped my cooking game moreso than any of your other videos-PLEASE keep making them! I seriously love these kinds of videos
You have to heat the baking soda (not baking powder) which converts it to sodium carbonate. Then use lemon juice or anything with citric acid (not acetic, like vinegar) and after the c02 fizzes out, you have sodium citrate.
Great video! I make a lot of homemade Mac & Cheese myself, but my husband has Celiac's so everything I make is Gluten Free. For anyone in the same boat as me, or if you find yourself being asked to make anything roux-based with GF flour; A. Use a flour blend (one-to-one, cup-for-cup, All-purpose) as opposed to a single source (almond, coconut, tapioca, etc); I've tried a lot of them and they're all pretty similar (a lot of potato starch, millet, quinoa and tapioca blends, mostly) and if it's looking too loose you can always add a 1/4 tsp of xantham gum as needed and B. If you're used to making wheat flour roux it's gonna look real bad real fast (the roux foams a lot more than wheat-based and has a lot wider bubbles) - don't panic, trust the process and keep patient and doing what you know you should be doing and it'll all come together in the end as normal. Speaking from personal experience and knowing friends/family that have messed up gravy etc trying to be hospitable.
Something I've done to handle the splitting if I end up with older cheeses is to add a slice of American cheese. That's been my go-to which also helps season it a bit. The sodium citrate used to bind the two cheeses in proper American cheese (I don't mean Kraft Singles) goes a long way to preventing splitting also.
was the "medium" thing comment bait?? You had it right.. this is the best definition I could quickly find (You can use a medium to affect the paint's density, drying time, and characteristics. For example, you can use alkyd, a chemical that contains a solvent, to dry a painting overnight, or linseed oil to thin paint and make it stay wet longer. You can also use mediums to increase the flow of water-mixable oil paints.) and that makes perfect sense for what you was talking about.
Pro tip: if you hate shredding cheese you can just break it up with your hand and let it melt on very low heat for an extra minute or two. I've never had the sauce break or get weird from doing that! (stovetop should be on a 1 or 2 setting)
The trick for the first is to melt the cheese with hot pasta water. Stir aggressively and eat while hot you will have a cheese sauce though it does very much turn clumpier when it gets colder.
When I was a kid whenever we'd have pasta and there was left overs, I'd always grab plain pasta, add cheese and microwave it. It was always strangely tasty
Amid the spice suggestions you had noted, I would like to posit that a healthy grating of nutmeg into your cheese sauce is a great way to add a subtle but delightful flavor that goes well with supporting milder cheese options and complementing more complex spice combos like poultry seasoning or paprika
I'm sure in the 840 other comments somebody has pointed it out, but you can literally rinse your pre-shredded cheese to get the water-soluble anti-caking agents off, just lay it on a paper towel and pat dry before adding or else you'll add a ton of water to the sauce.
Remember those recipe cards you used to get at the grocery store? Best baked mac and cheese recipe I ever made and sadly it has been lost to time. RIP best mac & cheese recipe ever.
That first one - literally just noodles and shredded cheese - is a legitimate mac'n'cheese recipe in the eyes of at least one family, rated 5 out of 5 by at least one critic, age 3 or so. It was my favourite way to have mac'n'cheese as a toddler, and my mum liked it too because it was significantly easier than making a cheese sauce from scratch and cost less than boxed Kraft Dinner.
Can I say i have never seen Mac & Cheese be cooked in the oven until I saw this video? When my class made Mac & Cheese we made it on the stovetop and once it was ready cut put it into containers and ate it. I have gained useful information. I now am craving Mac & Cheese.
One of the best ways to eat macaroni & cheese is the Scottish savoury treat of a macaroni & cheese pie. The crust is a hot water pastry & there is no topping/lid to the pie. Though if you want to get fancy you can top it with haggis, skirrlie or black pudding. The pies are sold hot or cold, hand sized they make a great snack when out & about. (Though I've heard some fish & chip shops are serving deep fried macaroni & cheese pie suppers - a supper means it comes with chips (UK chips not thin US fires)).
Almost gave up scrolling the comments before I finally found someone else recommending the sodium citrate method. Absolutely changed the mac'n'cheese game for me. No fuss, any cheeses you want to mix, never grainy. Definitely better than making a roux.
You should do a video talking about the different things each pasta shape is great at. But also I'm gonna get sacrilegious and say shells > macaroni noodles for mac and cheese. they have more ridges to hold the cheesy goodness better. tho tbh my personal favorite pasta is gamelli, its short and doesn't have holes and has grooves for the stuff to stick in. its the perfect pasta.
sliced cheese will still melt if you hate grating cheese, and if the sauce is a little bland adding a hit of a strong cheese like pamissian or reggiano can take your sauce up a notch as well.
I made mac and cheese like this for this past Thanksgiving. it was my first time ever making a roux but I did it successfully! it turned out really well and everyone liked it
I don't understand you people with your anti pre-shreded cheese bias: if you don't want to shred your own cheese - go to your neighborhood supermarket's cheeses section and ask the nice cheese people to shred you fresh cheese in their automatic shredder, then take it home and make yourself some mac&cheese with pre-shreded cheese.
Question: because pre-shredded cheese is caked in those anti-clumping agents, could you theoretically rinse the pre-shredded cheese and pat it dry with a paper towel to remove the coating? This is only theoretical, I wouldn't actually try it, but I'm still curious enough to ask.
Yes! I think I've seen another food channel do this. It's potato starch that the cheese is covered in. Rinse and pat dry with a paper towel (you can rinse it in a fine colander)
Yes, using the apray setting on the faucet will dissolve and remove the anticaking powder, but you must make sure your shreds are completely dried before using. It's less time to just shred it yourself. If youre making a roux in your recipe, you can use cheddar you've sliced because they'll melt just the same
To be honest a greater majority of the time I make my mac with fine pre-shredded cheese and never have issues with it being gritty. Maybe I'm just making a really watery bechamel? I did find if I used regular preshred instead of finely shredded that the grittiness was a thing. 🤔
Just fyi you can do a very easy vegan béchamel by just using margarine and oat milk (or something similar). I do think I usually use a bit more flour though. Maybe not ideal when making a mac & cheese but for Moussaka or Lasagne it's amazing.
"Everybody loves mac and cheese. Chicken alfredo? Mac and cheese. Lasagna? Mac and cheese with some meat in it. Rigatoni? Well, that's just a noodle, but if you put cheese on it then it becomes mac and cheese!" - Arnold
Today i tried your recipe only using asiago instead of cheddar. It turned out great and was appreciated by the whole family. Thanks for the usefull video
Instead of miso, you can use half a teaspoon of vegemite. It gives the same umami more-ishness and gives the sauce a glossy finish. Add it before adding the milk, for best effect.
My dad made mac and cheese once. He didn't realize you had to boil the noodles first. The raw noodles kept soaking up all the liquid as he baked it. He kept adding milk. So we ended up with about 12 cups of vaguely cheesy milk noodles.
honestly doesn't sound too bad
IM CRYING???
Hilarious
@@corpsedevil I don't know, ARE YOU!?
How was it tho??
I've been mastering my Mac recipe for a few years now.
The last like 4 batches I just felt were "off"
Every single person that tried it told me it was fantastic. But something about them just didn't do it for me.
So I went way back to basics and made a very very simple version to test something out.
It was at that point I realized that I wasn't having a problem making it, as much as I was having a problem, not actually really liking mac and cheese.
Years of expensive therapy may fix your problem. I only charge $500/hr. Three times a week.
😂
HAHAHA SAME
Okay, but what about mac and cheese do you not like?
so you liked it before the last 4 batches?
Fun note: The first "method" you posted is what's very commonly made around the alps in the form of "Käsespätzle". The noodle is a fresh homemade soft noodle, it's loaded with copious amounts of young-to-medium aged cheese, black pepper and topped with butter caramelized onions or breadcrumbs. It's amazing, but also like 1000 kcal per serving
Also I wanted to add a splash of milk and a pat of butter to fix.
Käsespätzle slaps and the world needs to know! Same with Kaiserschmarrn, I used to basically vacuum this stuff into me when I was a kid.
calories actually have no relevance in nutrition! 😀 The sauce sounds deliciously healthy. Pasta is the issue.
@@TracyKMainwaring but they do have relevance when you need energy to continue living 😁
1000 KCAL!? man
i always thought i was insane for adding a little mustard to my mac
thank you for validating me
Can confirm, adding a bit of mustard, especially brown mustard, really takes it up a delicious notch
Maybe a bit of dijonn but I'd probably have to add a high moisture low flavor cheese to balance it.
Mustard should be added to every cooked cheese dish. You can't go wrong. Grilled cheese sandwich especially yearns for mustard.
My siblings use to add mayonnaise and it ruined it for me, mustard was the only fix because ketchup did not help.
@MonsterTaming420 grosssssss
One time, I messed up mac & cheese so bad, I accidentally made black truffle and ricotta ravioli.
Now I'm curious; how did that happen?
Ugh ... Hate when that happens!
That’s seriously unfortunate 😢
That's one wasted batch, just give it to me so I can get rid of it appropriately
Bougie Mac and Cheese
Per Chef John, you can add all your liquid to the roux as long as the liquid is cold and the roux is hot. Add the milk all at once and stir, and the temperature is too cold for it to thicken before the roux gets incorporated throughout. Hot roux, cold liquid. It works great.
Yes! Ever since hearing this I’ve been doing it this way and never have a problem. So much faster too!
Andrew knows this, shame on him for not shouting out Chef John the OG of UA-cam cooking.
Can also do the opposite, like a buerre manié
Are people going out of their way to preheat the milk? How is this a tip and not the obvious default?
@@AgentTasmania If you're thickening something broth-based, I guess it's possible the broth is hot, so adding little-by-little is a safe default? I dunno.
There is no wrong noodle. As long as I get delicious cheese delivered to my mouth with a pasta, its a win.
Pool noodles aren't a pasta though
@@Borkobonko try them with cheese
Korean glass noodles?
Add some post-milk
I offer to you full size lasagne noodles an the knowledge you will be sent to Antarctica nude if you break them by my Bubbe.
Chef John's mantra of 'hot roux cold milk no lumps' has never yet steered me wrong.
also always add cayenne
For me, it always worked out when I used slightly cold milk rather than fully chilled milk. And when I made sure the roux wasn't too hot, i.e., the stove was on low heat, the results were even better.
I have found if you add milk too fast, it lumps, but then it goes smooth again. I think this whole thing is people just not waiting long enough for the bechamel to come back up to temp. If you add 4 cups of milk, its going to take a while to heat up, have patience
@@Vsor Or you could take half as much time by just adding the milk little by little and be able to control how much time the sauce is in direct heat
I'm not saying your way doesn't work, it's still a functional sauce, but it's not efficient and it takes away important control
@@skilletborne I agree. I'm just saying if you get lumps, don't toss it, give it some time first.
If you want that nuclear yellow KD colour, you can add a bit of turmeric to the sauce. You don't even notice the flavour, and even the boxed cheese sauces do it.
Oh yes please! I'll try that out next time. I love the radioactive kraft yellow color, it's so nostalgic.
I just use mustard. Its got the yellow 5 I want. A bit of acid helps emulsion for the cheese. It's a super win. Old granny bake recipes call for mustard powder. Its where I got the idea.
@@CobaltContrastI always add dijon mustard and worstershire sauce to cheese sauces. And using red Leicester cheese gives an amazing colour.
thankies! will do
Since you're so far doing a lot of basic staples for the Botched series, I want to see you do all the ways someone can botch potatoes: mashed, roasted, and fried.
You forgot "using water instead of milk," which a former roommate of mine once did. _After_ asking me which to use. Obvs they ignored me. Now, lesee here. You've Botched Burgers, & Mac'n'Cheese. We're in mid August. Maybe some fall favorites? How to botch... idk Hot Cocoa? A chuck roast? Some form of dessert?
Pumpkin pie
@@isalablomma _Yes_
turkey for the inevitable thanksgiving episodes
This actually works if it’s the pasta water and you didn’t overdo it on the water. Adding water until you cover the pasta should be enough that you don’t need to drain any water and can use the starchy water for a sauce.
@@isalablomma Apple, pumpkin, or sweet potato pie
🎶 When some gruyère gets tossed
🎶 In your bechamel sauce
🎶 That's a Mor-nay
When its a fish that you feel but in fact its a eel, thats a mor ray
I like that one.
@@robashley8216 you reminded me of a similar joke Mario Head makes.
" when an eel lunges out, and he takes a bite of your snout, that's a mor ray! "
If it's wrinkled and green
and its face is obscene
that's a moray
If you hate shredding cheese, get sliced cheese and just tear or rough chop. It will still melt in pretty well, just slightly longer than shreds. The Deli section has all sorts of delicious cheeses they can slice for you or you can get packaged slices. My recent favorites are smoked cheddar and gouda.
also you can give a gentle toss in microwave defrost setting to globulize it a bit
Some bulk food stores offer cheese powder.
couldnt you just get rid of the coating on pre shredded by quickly rinsing it
@@bladeecityy No, not really. Internet Shaq tested this and rinsing the cheese leads to a worse product than just using bagged cheese.
Food processors can also slice up cheese blocks pretty well too.
Everyone loves my mom’s Mac & Cheese. When she passed last year that was my biggest fear that I wouldn’t be able to make it the way she made it. I’m happy that I was able to remember perfectly everything her and I did together when we cooked together. First time I made it I believe during Thanksgiving (which was only a few months after she passed) thankfully everyone loved it 🙌🏾
Congrats on your big achievement. It is a very happy sad moment in a child’s life. No matter how old the child. is. Been in your shoes. Big hugs.
@@bridgetboyle687 👊🏾🤘🏾
Taking a shot and buying those “fancy looking” sandpapery spaghetti noodles was the best decision I ever made. Total game changer mostly because it also was harder for me to overcook, and I end up with a heartier al dente pasta that absolutely hoards sauce and never lets it go. Beautiful thing
You've made me want to make mac and cheese with Udon noodles. I feel like I've stumbled across forbidden knowledge with this one...
Lmk how it tastes I love the texture of udon and tteok
Don't tell Uncle Roger.
@@Tinkbook FUUYIOOOOOOHHHH
I've made mac and cheese with package ramen. It ended up being over cooked, but I enjoyed it anyways.
I have an issue with mac & cheese, but now I wonder if I could make it work for me with a different noodle...
For baked mac & cheese I put a layer of panko on top of the mac before adding the top layer of cheese, adds a nice crunch. Then lots of grated nutmeg, enough to make Townsends proud.
Try crushed potato chips
@@darcieclements4880 too much salt in potato chips for my taste
Disgusting.
I remember when I made my grandma's recipe, full of cheese and butter and no bread. A nice crispy cheese layer on top. Took it to a work potluck and put it next to the other ladies with bread crumbs. She was confused why no one got any of her bread noodles.
It's gross.
People only eat it when there's no other option. Nutmeg is even worse, this is the stuff of nightmares I just read. 😂😂
@@darcieclements4880🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮
@@Under-Kaoz I love breadcrumbs, a lot of people do. @Croz89 I'm not sure about the nutmeg, but I will give it a try today.
4:25 No immersion blender needed. Just keep stirring and it will eventually incorporate. You might need to turn down the heat to prevent burning the milk
Milk is burnable?
@@OriginalXVeris Maybe burn isn't the right word. Curdle?
@@OriginalXVerisanything is burnable
Yup. That’s how I’ve always done it.
The word is burnt or scorched milk, it will curdle if left too hot too long.
If you don't like grating/shredding your own cheese, just cut it into small chunks and heat it at a lower temperature while stirring until melted then continue with the recipe
I used to do this as a kid because I wasn't coordinated enough to use a cheese grater without slicing myself (I was born with a neuropathy so it took longer to become coordinated)
I really enjoyed watching this while making and eating boxed mac and cheese
A very powerful move
When I made mac and cheese for the first time and the medium summond my great ancestor grandma she had a really great recipe
😂
You gotta give a raise to whoever is making these title cards, they're always the funniest part of the Botched videos
You know this could be a solid Basics with Babish installment too, different styles and variations on mac and cheese. I've seen quite a bit and to play around with multiple flavors and ideas would be fun to watch. Like I've made bacon mac and cheese and mac and cheese with garlic aioli on top.
"Garlic" is redundant - aioli is always with garlic :)
He already did a Mac and Cheese Basics episode years ago
seriously, why don't people just call it garlic mayo and be done with it already
@@80H_d Doesn't sound as fancy. Aioli sounds gourmet.
@@80H_d it distracts from the fact that you're eating mayo on cheese
Spaghetti was my mom's favorite pasta shape to eat Mac and cheese. She would use leftover pasta, American cheese, and milk. It was one of her all time comfort foods.
To each their own. I know somebody who likes it made with water from an off-brand blue box because that's what they had as a child😊
I’ve been away for the channel for a bit and it’s amazing to see how comfortable he’s become with his personality
I’m sorry, but this reads so much like a backhanded compliment to me.
@@RaeLorin Lol I was gonna respond: you call that a personality!?
@@Snarethedrummer thats.. not the issue with their statement. in fact your remark is just a step below backhanded compliment to "outright insult"
This is my favorite kind of video, learning what to do and what not to do, along with what happens as a result is the best kind of informative.
2:36 in the words of the great Mitch hedburg: they say the recipe for sprite is lemon and lime but I tried it and there's a lot more to it than that.
First version hits when youre broke. Ive had literal mac and cheese more times than I can count. Add a bit of butter to help with the stringyness.
Also some of the pasta water
I just add cheddar slices, put it in the microwave. It melts perfectly.
Does no one else add black pepper and nutmeg to their cheese sauce? It majes the best, most warming, conforting cheese sauce in the world.
Not a lot of recipes call for it, but the ones that do soar above the rest ❤❤
black pepper, definitely. But nutmeg? Never considered it and before I judge, I might try that out.
Fun fact: nutmeg is a common ingredient in bechemel
@@zerojee1 I know, but then people make cheese sauce and seem not to think about adding it?
I have yet to try Nutmeg but Black Pepper is not even a question
"If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge mac'n'cheese." Kudos on the Rip Torn impersonation.
My favorite version is Alton Brown's baked mac & cheese with broccoli and ham added to make it a complete meal.
I never make mac&cheese without adding a bunch of stuff to it. It's great for leftover meats and veggies. If the leftovers don't go well with cheese, it'll be a spaghetti, stir fry, soup, etc
My toddler loves what we call pizza mac and cheese, add some chopped up pepperoni and other typical pizza toppings and add a drizzle of pizza sauce over top.
So this is proof that I messed up Mac and cheese in every single way at some point in my life. Thanks, I understand now 😂😅
I like to imagine kendall watching from the stairwell like a goblin
2:49 the energy she brings to this might be the funniest thing I've ever seen on this channel
The first version is the one we are doing with different kinds of pasta and cheese here in Germany 😂. So no problem there at all! Enjoy it end no need for all the other fancy stuff! 😊
Just beautiful and stringy! No Medium needed...!
Wow, this has got to be the shortest video from Babish ever! Only 1:35 😂
Not a half bad struggle meal, TBH
9:20 Btw if you accidentally make a super runny bechamel:
You can sprinkle in small amounts of pre shredded cheese on low heat while whisking quickly until you get your desired consistency.
It’s basically cheese and corn starch so add it slowly, but it works 😂.
Sorry Babish 😅
Not enough cheese Babby
Not enough macaroni
@@samtheanxious More cheese
How did you know this without even watching 🤔
@Kosmiverse, im glad somebody (hopefully) got the reference i was making this fast.
i HATE macaroni 😠
This series in particular has upped my cooking game moreso than any of your other videos-PLEASE keep making them! I seriously love these kinds of videos
Spag and cheese gratiné (in the oven) is simply chef's kiss!!! More cheese needed tho
2:58 one could even say you need to speak to people who are... pasta way??? I'll see myself out now
no come back
To prevent the cheese breaking add a couple slices of American cheese or get some sodium citrate.
Same effect when you mix vinegar and baking powder and add the mixture afrer the reaction stops.
@@scam276 that's just water
You have to heat the baking soda (not baking powder) which converts it to sodium carbonate. Then use lemon juice or anything with citric acid (not acetic, like vinegar) and after the c02 fizzes out, you have sodium citrate.
@@BraxtonHowardno, it's sodium acetate in water.
That’d require babish to stoop himself to such peasant lows and acknowledge American cheese IS cheese
He didn't make his own pasta or cheese smh
Someday we'll see Andrew milking a cow while wearing a straw hat and overalls.
Great video! I make a lot of homemade Mac & Cheese myself, but my husband has Celiac's so everything I make is Gluten Free. For anyone in the same boat as me, or if you find yourself being asked to make anything roux-based with GF flour; A. Use a flour blend (one-to-one, cup-for-cup, All-purpose) as opposed to a single source (almond, coconut, tapioca, etc); I've tried a lot of them and they're all pretty similar (a lot of potato starch, millet, quinoa and tapioca blends, mostly) and if it's looking too loose you can always add a 1/4 tsp of xantham gum as needed and B. If you're used to making wheat flour roux it's gonna look real bad real fast (the roux foams a lot more than wheat-based and has a lot wider bubbles) - don't panic, trust the process and keep patient and doing what you know you should be doing and it'll all come together in the end as normal. Speaking from personal experience and knowing friends/family that have messed up gravy etc trying to be hospitable.
Love that cut just as the lid fell down at 17:59 Unintentionally hilarious (Or maybe intentionally?)
I noticed that too
I like to use cavatappi. Nice and twisty with ridges.
Same! It's like penne rigate and macaroni's delicious love child.
Same
Same
Like ruffles?
same! It's my new favorite shape with any kind of cream sauce
Something I've done to handle the splitting if I end up with older cheeses is to add a slice of American cheese. That's been my go-to which also helps season it a bit. The sodium citrate used to bind the two cheeses in proper American cheese (I don't mean Kraft Singles) goes a long way to preventing splitting also.
The song at 4:05 is the Italian national anthem 😂
Dude I was laughing so hard when I just heard it play randomly
was the "medium" thing comment bait?? You had it right.. this is the best definition I could quickly find (You can use a medium to affect the paint's density, drying time, and characteristics. For example, you can use alkyd, a chemical that contains a solvent, to dry a painting overnight, or linseed oil to thin paint and make it stay wet longer. You can also use mediums to increase the flow of water-mixable oil paints.) and that makes perfect sense for what you was talking about.
Pro tip: if you hate shredding cheese you can just break it up with your hand and let it melt on very low heat for an extra minute or two. I've never had the sauce break or get weird from doing that! (stovetop should be on a 1 or 2 setting)
0:18 "Didn't Desire da do dat." ..?
The trick for the first is to melt the cheese with hot pasta water. Stir aggressively and eat while hot you will have a cheese sauce though it does very much turn clumpier when it gets colder.
Hey, when you're sick and can't do groceries and cheese and pasta is all you've got, that first one is fire.
This is a great series. You should do every way to mess up chill
0:33 I hate it when my noodle’s floppy.
When I was a kid whenever we'd have pasta and there was left overs, I'd always grab plain pasta, add cheese and microwave it. It was always strangely tasty
Amid the spice suggestions you had noted, I would like to posit that a healthy grating of nutmeg into your cheese sauce is a great way to add a subtle but delightful flavor that goes well with supporting milder cheese options and complementing more complex spice combos like poultry seasoning or paprika
I'm sure in the 840 other comments somebody has pointed it out, but you can literally rinse your pre-shredded cheese to get the water-soluble anti-caking agents off, just lay it on a paper towel and pat dry before adding or else you'll add a ton of water to the sauce.
Remember those recipe cards you used to get at the grocery store? Best baked mac and cheese recipe I ever made and sadly it has been lost to time. RIP best mac & cheese recipe ever.
1:10 metal on metal cacaphony 😭
Makes my teeth grind i swear ahh
Cacaphony LOL
If you don't like shredding cheese, you can cut it in small cubes or sticks; it will melt when you fold it in.
The first dish basically sums up Instagram mom recipe videos.
Ive been shredding my cheese for mac since the sauce video in your basics with Babish series, a world of difference for sure.
Love you babby thanks for teaching me all the cooking I know
Awesome series! And big shoutout to the editor, the music and interjections (or what it's called) is perfect!
Can you do canned soup ranking, like you did with the frozen pizza and jared sauce?
Not necessary. The best canned soup is Amy's Chunky Tomato Bisque. No need to waste energy evaluating others :-).
That first one - literally just noodles and shredded cheese - is a legitimate mac'n'cheese recipe in the eyes of at least one family, rated 5 out of 5 by at least one critic, age 3 or so. It was my favourite way to have mac'n'cheese as a toddler, and my mum liked it too because it was significantly easier than making a cheese sauce from scratch and cost less than boxed Kraft Dinner.
Best noodles for mac and cheese in my opinion is cavatappi
I still prefer there to be ridges on the outside of the pasta. Bronze-cut penne and medium shells work great and are readily available.
@B_Bodziak The brand of cavitappi noodles that I get does have ridges on the outsides. But I agree any noodle with ridges on the outside works great
Can I say i have never seen Mac & Cheese be cooked in the oven until I saw this video? When my class made Mac & Cheese we made it on the stovetop and once it was ready cut put it into containers and ate it. I have gained useful information. I now am craving Mac & Cheese.
One of the best ways to eat macaroni & cheese is the Scottish savoury treat of a macaroni & cheese pie. The crust is a hot water pastry & there is no topping/lid to the pie. Though if you want to get fancy you can top it with haggis, skirrlie or black pudding. The pies are sold hot or cold, hand sized they make a great snack when out & about. (Though I've heard some fish & chip shops are serving deep fried macaroni & cheese pie suppers - a supper means it comes with chips (UK chips not thin US fires)).
im sorry that sounds vile
The trick is to make a sodium citrate based cheese sauce. No grainy-ness, no split sauces. Perfection!
Almost gave up scrolling the comments before I finally found someone else recommending the sodium citrate method. Absolutely changed the mac'n'cheese game for me. No fuss, any cheeses you want to mix, never grainy. Definitely better than making a roux.
@@peterboyll2330please explain
You should do a video talking about the different things each pasta shape is great at. But also I'm gonna get sacrilegious and say shells > macaroni noodles for mac and cheese. they have more ridges to hold the cheesy goodness better.
tho tbh my personal favorite pasta is gamelli, its short and doesn't have holes and has grooves for the stuff to stick in. its the perfect pasta.
12:03 wait is this same thing that makes some pizzas so greasy?
Andrew, thank you sooo much for always making me smile in a time where I dont have much to smile about. You're so witty and adorable ❤❤❤
14:46
HE SAYS WHAT WE'RE ALL THINKING
Now we need to see Babish make all of his random dish ideas like cheese cookies
I’m about to have Mac and cheese right now.
sliced cheese will still melt if you hate grating cheese, and if the sauce is a little bland adding a hit of a strong cheese like pamissian or reggiano can take your sauce up a notch as well.
I like this version, its more honest and show how to fix mistakes
I made mac and cheese like this for this past Thanksgiving. it was my first time ever making a roux but I did it successfully! it turned out really well and everyone liked it
I don't understand you people with your anti pre-shreded cheese bias: if you don't want to shred your own cheese - go to your neighborhood supermarket's cheeses section and ask the nice cheese people to shred you fresh cheese in their automatic shredder, then take it home and make yourself some mac&cheese with pre-shreded cheese.
I absolutely adore Andrew's affinity for alliteration.
Question: because pre-shredded cheese is caked in those anti-clumping agents, could you theoretically rinse the pre-shredded cheese and pat it dry with a paper towel to remove the coating? This is only theoretical, I wouldn't actually try it, but I'm still curious enough to ask.
Yes! I think I've seen another food channel do this. It's potato starch that the cheese is covered in. Rinse and pat dry with a paper towel (you can rinse it in a fine colander)
Yes, using the apray setting on the faucet will dissolve and remove the anticaking powder, but you must make sure your shreds are completely dried before using. It's less time to just shred it yourself. If youre making a roux in your recipe, you can use cheddar you've sliced because they'll melt just the same
To be honest a greater majority of the time I make my mac with fine pre-shredded cheese and never have issues with it being gritty. Maybe I'm just making a really watery bechamel? I did find if I used regular preshred instead of finely shredded that the grittiness was a thing. 🤔
Doing this is as much work as just grating cheese yourself and gives a less desirable result anyway.
Kendall's quiet resignation as she explains what a medium is, like she does this a lot.
The worst thing is accidentally using the Kraft box.
Just fyi you can do a very easy vegan béchamel by just using margarine and oat milk (or something similar). I do think I usually use a bit more flour though. Maybe not ideal when making a mac & cheese but for Moussaka or Lasagne it's amazing.
"Don't buy the 59 cent stuff"
Well, excuse you, this is all I can afford
I like this new format. Adds something new to the BCU
Cheese pull fail @ 19:46
Kendall's soft, gentle explanation of what a medium is made me cackle for 45 seconds
Wait... did I just manage to watch a video that was just uploaded? Somehow feels illegal to be this early
Yeah me too.❤😂
Leave it in Watch Later for a week and come back
_BAM BAM BAM_
OPEN UP! UA-cam POLICE!
Nobody cares
I like adding a bit of paprika and a light touch of sriracha, and baking in the oven with a thin layer of corn flake crumb on top. So yummy!
19:57 Your life? (/s)
I love this video. Would you be willing to do a botched video for carbonara? I have your cookbook and have read your notes but a video would rock!
Great way to amp up the cheese flavour in the sauce is adding nutritional yeast. Makes the best sauce!
"Everybody loves mac and cheese. Chicken alfredo? Mac and cheese. Lasagna? Mac and cheese with some meat in it. Rigatoni? Well, that's just a noodle, but if you put cheese on it then it becomes mac and cheese!"
- Arnold
I usually add a little cornstarch to this recipe to make the cheese sauce thicker
Which recipe?
Today i tried your recipe only using asiago instead of cheddar. It turned out great and was appreciated by the whole family. Thanks for the usefull video
Please redo the naco from Kim possible pleaseeee
Adding cold milk to roux on low hear and whisking well eliminate any lumps
Instead of miso, you can use half a teaspoon of vegemite. It gives the same umami more-ishness and gives the sauce a glossy finish. Add it before adding the milk, for best effect.
In the States, another option that's a little easier to find is Better than Bouillon. I think the vegetable one works best for stuff like this.