My New Go-To Mac and Cheese
Hello friends!
If you’re still looking for that perfect dish to bring to a holiday potluck, then you will need to stop for one second and ask yourself three things:
Are you lactose intolerant?
Do you hate cheese?
Do you hate satisfying dishes that can feed 10 folks comfortably?
If you answered “no” to all three of these questions, then I urge you to keep reading, because I just tried this recipe for a Friendsgiving/Holiday Gathering yesterday and I woke up early to make sure I get this review out for you all!
I am not a fan of boxed mac and cheese–I just can’t deal with the powdered cheese. If you like it, then that’s cool! It just doesn’t do it for me. Now, I LOVE making homemade mac and cheese, but I don’t make it often because it is VERY rich. Rich food, however, is great for gatherings because you can yield more servings, ideally. So while I was on my Tiktok scrolling adventure, I came across a recipe by Tini, who was a contestant on Next Level Chef. I actually made one of her recipes before. You can read about it -> here!
Tini’s Viral Mac And Cheese Recipe
Today’s review is of her Mac and Cheese that very quickly racked up millions of likes, shares, and favorites. So many people decided to try Tini’s Mac And Cheese this past Thanksgiving that I simply had to give it a go for my annual holiday gathering with my friends.
Now, there is no written recipe for this one, but following along with the video, all the ingredients and quantities are listed, so if you require a written recipe, you can very easily transcribe it for your use. That’s what I did (mainly because I was recording a video of myself making it). Let’s take a look at the Tiktok together!
The Very, Very, Very Cheesy Sauce
Remember how I asked if you were lactose intolerant? This is why. No one is trying to hide the fact that this calls for…a lot of dairy. We’re talking 1 lb mozzarella, 1 lb colby Jack, and 8 oz of sharp cheddar. All three of these cheeses MUST not be pre-shredded. Often pre-shredded cheese is coated with potato starch or powdered cellulose, which doesn’t let it melt as nicely as it should. By shredding the cheese yourself, you guarantee that you will have that perfect, melty cheese in the sauce. Super important. You don’t want lumps in the sauce.
Aside from the great combination of cheeses in this sauce, the seasoning and mustard REALLY take this beyond your typical mac and cheese. This sauce calls for salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and later on… 1 Tbs of dijon mustard.
Of all the ingredients listed in the video, the spices did not have any particular measurements, so I tried to eyeball them as best as I could. I started off at about 1 tsp of each until the spices resembled the mix in the video. Of course once the sauce is cooking, you can taste along the way that everything is nicely balanced. More salt, pepper, etc.
Keeping This Mac and Cheese Gluten-Free
If you’re gluten-free, or cooking for folks who are, I assure you that the changes and minimal and super easy to work with. Pasta and flour. Yup–that’s it! The pasta is a given, so I recommend using gluten-free rotini or the corkscrew pasta, if you can find it. I couldn’t so I used the Barilla brand gluten-free rotini. turned out awesome!
The flour. Well, you’ve read about me using homemade flour mixes and 1:1 gluten-free all purpose flours you can get from the store. In this case, you’ll want to use the 1:1 gluten-free flour. I just picked up a small bag from Trader Joe’s and honestly, that did the trick. You need the flour for the roux, which will help thicken up your cheese sauce.
And yes, even a little bit of regular flour could cause intense discomfort for those with gluten intolerance or Celiac disease, so please…just make the whole thing gluten-free from start to finish if you’re cooking for yourself or others who can’t have gluten. It’s seriously that simple :). Everyone can enjoy this!
Grey’s Grade: 5/5
Mac and cheese is such a comfort meal for so many and over the years and I get it! It’s freaking delicious! I’ve seen people share their family recipes over the years and I’ve tried a few here and there, but this…this is a recipe I will be saving to make for gatherings going forward.
I love that this is so simple to make and travel with. It’s great for any gathering you may be attending or hosting.
As for the flavor? Phew, those spices, and when they are added into the mix, make a huge difference. And the dijon mustard? Please don’t sleep on it. It’s delicious!
This recipe from start to finish is one I would be happy making again, just so I could share it with more people. The only downside that I could think of is that this isn’t in a recipe book/blog yet, but luckily it’s only a few steps that can be written out after only watching the video a few times. It’s a straight-forward recipe that you’ll memorize before you know it.
So if you’re on the lookout for a new mac and cheese recipe to add to your recipe collection, I urge you to check out Tini’s recipe. This one will not be a miss!
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