the best white mac and cheese recipe ever

The macaroni and cheese I made using Irvine's recipe was very cheesy, and the cracker topping really elevated the whole dish for me. It also took the longest to make and required the most ingredients, so I probably wouldn't make it again. The dish I made with Fieri's recipe was very rich and creamy, but the heavy cream dominated the dish, drowning out the flavors of garlic, shallot, and the most important ingredient: cheese. Rachael Ray's recipe was just so simple to follow. I cooked everything in the oven for another 30 minutes. Then, I finished off the macaroni and cheeses with a topping that consisted of melted butter, panko breadcrumbs, parsley, and bacon. I cooked the sauce and pasta simultaneously, although it took a while to reduce the sauce since it had so much heavy cream.Īfter the penne was done cooking, I mixed it with my cheese sauce and then split the mixture into two separate baking dishes. I wish I could've just caramelized everything on the stovetop, which would've been just as flavorful and a lot easier. Truthfully, roasting the shallots and garlic seemed like a waste of 25 minutes and it made it especially hard to chop them.

Next, I had to roast shallots and garlic, chop them, sauté them in bacon fat (I used butter), and then use it to make a roux (a floury mixture that helps thicken sauces). I later divided the recipe into two versions - one with real bacon and one with a plant-based option.

I don't eat meat, so I had my partner cook it. For starters, the recipe calls for dicing and cooking bacon.

The best white mac and cheese recipe ever