The Best Macaroni and Cheese

This recipe is definitely easier to make than my typical Pasta and Chicken Gratin that my kids love, but the final flavors are too one dimensional. Using only cheddar, even a good cheddar, is a mistake. If I make it again, I will replace half the cheddar with a good gruyere and Parmesan.

I simply do not see how 1/2 pound of macaroni can feed 4 people.

Very tasty, nicely cheesy. Use a sharper cheddar for more "bite". The intermittent stirring of the baking mac and cheese did make it very light and was worth the extra fussing. I didn't use the bread-crumb topping and was still happy with the result.

I make this but change it up by adding Gruyère cheese and I use large shell pasta. Very nice!

Half pound of past does feed 4 people and feeds them well. Evaporated milk gives richness to the dish that regular milk would not. I used extra sharp Cheddar as my husband and I prefer this flavor. This was a fabulous recipe and definitely a keeper.

Great recipe. Where I grew up, we typically have a "crust" on top, and so I reserved about 1/2 cup of cheese, combined it with crushed saltines (yes, I am from Mississippi) and put the mixture on for the last 5 minutes, I then broiled the top til a beautiful brown, about a minute. Watch it carefully! For new cooks, while a simple recipe, this is a dish that can get away from you. It will look too gooey, and you will want to cooke it longer. Don't. It will cool and firm up.

A little dry - try next time with more liquid and chives or shallots

I use half milk and half cream to make a white sauce, add plenty of mature cheddar, Parmesan cheese, an egg, and a pinch of grated nutmeg plus seasoning, then bake until golden and the top is crispy. One can always add some cooked crispy pancetta or bacon to the pasta before baking it to make it more substantial.

I'm with you on the cheese. "Very sharp" is the cheddar of choice at my house. In fact, I'd say one could experiment at will with different cheeses in this recipe!

Not condensed milk -- evaporated milk! That could be the trouble.

Try adding more salt.

Excellent recipe. I felt it needed salt. I made a double batch - one as directed (plus salt, and Pablo instead of bread crumbs- the other added extra hot sauce and a hefty dose of roasted hatch green chiles. Both were good, but the green chile version was divine.

Delicious.

I omitted most of the butter and replaced it with 2% milk, adding more as needed for moisture. It did not compromise the final product, and I was able to save myself some of the fat.

I also swapped half the cheddar for parmesan, and used store-bought breadcrumbs. Easy.

I felt a little unsure about this recipe, because of the timing instructions. I forgot to add the butter to the pasta, but it turned out delicious! Used chiocciolo pasta - nice elegant shape for this dish. Added regular mustard, used Panko and upped the heat with cayenne. I also used a combo of gruyere and cheddar (what I had in the fridge), and stirred it up but probably not on the time schedule - and it turned out great.
Served with an arugula and tomato salad, and it was a hit!

Always more cheese. But never met a homemade macaroni and cheese that was not wondrrful if prepared carefully with hand grated cheese. With kids, sneak u n some green.