{"id":344,"date":"2023-09-20T10:55:40","date_gmt":"2023-09-20T00:55:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dinnertimesomewhere.com\/?p=344"},"modified":"2025-11-21T08:28:15","modified_gmt":"2025-11-20T21:28:15","slug":"the-best-mac-and-cheese-ever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dinnertimesomewhere.com\/index.php\/side-dish-recipes\/southern-side-dishes\/the-best-mac-and-cheese-ever\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Mac and Cheese Ever"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As far as side dishes go, Mac and Cheese is the GOAT. I don\u2019t care how it\u2019s prepared, if it\u2019s on a menu it\u2019s getting ordered and getting into my belly! Spending a lot of time in the south we\u2019ve had plenty of Mac and Cheese at some great Steakhouses and BBQ places around the country and love that each has it\u2019s own unique twist to it. What makes this dish so great is you can go from super traditional cheddar cheese, to the high-end steak house fancy Mac with Lobster and Truffles (Maestros Steakhouse anyone?)<\/a> and they\u2019re all delicious

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The secret to making the best Mac and Cheese Ever<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Our recipe keeps it quite simple but is our absolute favorite Mac we\u2019ve made. This recipe relies on the classic cheesy b\u00e9chamel sauce preparation and adds a ton of flavor through some quality Dijon Mustard and of course, the cheese! We use 3 cheeses; Sharp Cheddar for that beautifully rich flavor, Parmesan for its bite and Gruyere for its beautiful melting qualities. You could substitute Gruyere for Mozzarella however we prefer Gruyere as it has a deeper flavor


This dish is very much a creamier type of Mac and Cheese because it holds up exceptionally well for re-heating later, which is perfect because this recipe creates a LOT of it!

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What type of Pasta is best to use to make The Best Mac and Cheese Ever?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We don\u2019t want to be super picky here and say you should only use one type of Pasta. However, we are claiming this is the best Mac and Cheese Ever, so we might as well go ahead anyway! The best Pasta for Mac and Cheese is Cavatappi Pasta<\/a>

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Cavatappi is a thick pasta that comes in large pieces, like Penne, Rigatoni, or Spiral. We love the Cavatappi because of its unique shape and overall denseness. It has two benefits for Mac and Cheese. It absorbs the Mac and Cheese very well when cooking. So regardless of how much sauce you put on the piece of Pasta, it\u2019s going to have a rich Mac and Cheese flavor

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Finish off the dish with some freshly toasted Breadcrumbs in a little bit of Butter. The extra texture it brings completes the Best Ever Mac and Cheese Dish!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Secondly, its unique shape is perfect for carrying as much Cheese Sauce as possible. Any good Mac and Cheese needs to be loaded with Cheese, that\u2019s a given. However, what\u2019s the point of making a beautiful cheese sauce if it\u2019s all going to fall off as you\u2019re trying to get it from the fork to your mouth?! Cavatappi has so many grooves and nooks for the sauce to get caught in that every bite is loaded with sauce

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The unique shape of Cavatappi makes for the best pasta. That being said, Penne, Rigatoni, or Spiral are also very good choices for a great Mac and Cheese

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There\u2019s no need to finish off the Mac and Cheese in the Oven or Broiler<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This may be a controversial statement, but we\u2019ve found over our years of perfecting our Mac and Cheese that baking it in the oven as the final step in the cooking process is simply not needed. The Dish is already cooked on the stovetop

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Turning it into some form of Pasta Bake in the Oven doesn\u2019t do anything to the dish. The only benefit is it makes for neater serving portions, almost Lasagna like

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When it comes to flavor however, we\u2019ve found that baking it once it\u2019s already cooked will do nothing other than dry it out. The best Mac and Cheeses are those that are rich with a velvety, creamy sauce. Oven baking the Mac will dry it out. It\u2019s like you\u2019re immediately eating a day-old dish as opposed to a fresh batch of Mac and Cheese

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For added crunch, which is sometimes the reason they are baked; simply add a sprinkle of lightly fried Breadcrumbs on top. They add a great texture and if you\u2019ve pan fried them in some butter, even more luxury to the dish. So, skip the Oven! You\u2019ll be eating a better Mac and Cheese, and sooner too!

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