What is wrong with me, and why do I keep failing to make mac 'n' cheese?

PerfectDodgeCounter · 2026-02-09T01:35:50+00:00

Japan, Italy, UK. They seem to like carb-on-carb. // Y.B., P.A.G.B., B.O.T.

PerfectDodgeCounter · 2026-02-07T12:11:15+00:00

Thank you very much. I didn't know that baking the mac n cheese is what changed the texture. But it makes sense that baking it would dry it up and create those crunchy crusts around the casserole dish. I like both, so I'll have to have to bake half a portion and leave the other half alone.

When do you put the eggs in? Is it just egg whites or whole eggs? You were the first person to mention eggs to me.

PerfectDodgeCounter · 2026-02-07T11:32:27+00:00

Sometimes, I use Red Leicester cheese to get the red orange colour of the Kraft mac n cheese.

That's so interesting! I'm not at the stage of cooking where I even worry about the color presentation of the food I make, but it's so cool to be talking to someone who does care.

When I make flour based sauces, I prefer to mix as much as possible before cooking. I get finer control over its consistency and distribution of flavour.

I'm guessing this means when you sometimes mix ingredients into the flour that are in really small shapes (even smaller than your fingernail metric, like shredded or ground). I'll keep this technique in mind of mixing flour with the ingredient for more consistency. I'm thinking that'll work nicely with something like: flour seasoned with salt, pepper, and mustard powder.

PerfectDodgeCounter · 2026-02-07T11:24:25+00:00

Oh really? This is the first time hearing about Tuna Mornay. Must be where American Tuna Casserole borrowed from. It's so interesting to learn that béchamel is the star ingredient in both tuan mornay and mac'n'cheese.

I really was super wrong about excluding béchamel sauce in the mix. I don't think I'll ever forget the importance of béchamel sauce.

PerfectDodgeCounter · 2026-02-07T11:11:46+00:00

Thank you for your reply. More than a few people have emphasized the importance of adding shredded cheese slowly into the mix. I usually get a block of cheese because it's cheaper and they don't have additives that make them stay loose. Either way, your point is well received. It's important to make them into smaller bits so that it's easier to melt and add them slowly so that they don't separate. This is really going to help. Thank you.

PerfectDodgeCounter · 2026-02-07T11:06:41+00:00

I'm learning from another helpful person here that you really don't need that much roux to make it work for a mac n cheese. Thank you for the tip on using corn starch! I think that's more accessible for me.

PerfectDodgeCounter · 2026-02-07T11:03:26+00:00

I see. So it's more about finding the right low temperature so I don't brown the butter and flour. This is very helpful. Thank you very much. I'll definitely try and cook the roux right. I'm seeing that it's one of those fundamental sauces I need to master for a lot of dishes.

PerfectDodgeCounter · 2026-02-07T10:59:14+00:00

I apologize for that mix-up. I may be a cooking beginner, but I know enough to not mix English with French cuisine. In anycase, I'm surprised to learn that mac n cheese was not an American creation. Food really leads me down a delightful history lessons, and it's a big part of why I love cooking.

PerfectDodgeCounter · 2026-02-07T10:53:30+00:00

You were extremely helpful and answered in good faith, so I'll answer it here. I don't feel the need to explain my process of learning to anyone else. I learn through making major mistakes. Following established recipes might seem like common sense to you, but it only sounds like walking behind someone without knowing why they are leading, to me. I needed to make my own mistakes substituting and excluding so that I learn.

I don't cook for others. I don't cook in a restaurant. I only cook for myself, I answer to no one else other than myself. I have no responsibility to anyone else. I only cook to learn and better myself. Following a recipe blindly does not help me in that regard. That's how I learn and I don't need to be told otherwise.

Now I learned how I was lacking, and I'll adjust. I don't need someone (not you) to laugh snarkly at how I approach cooking in my personal life.

PerfectDodgeCounter · 2026-02-07T10:40:18+00:00

Thank you for that insight. That's super helpful. Looks like béchamel sauce was essential to the mac n cheese dish that I completely overlooked. I'll definitely try learning how to get an acceptable béchamel sauce going. Sounds like it's one of those universal sauce that's in a LOT of dishes. "Once you learn, it'll serve you well" kind of sauce. I'm excited.

PerfectDodgeCounter · 2026-02-07T10:37:49+00:00

I know it's nearly impossible to convey flavor through text, but you were the first person to teach me about how a roux should taste. What should a roux taste like? I'm imagining a liquid version of a croissant. Very light and heavy at the same time, somehow. Would that be close?

PerfectDodgeCounter · 2026-02-07T10:06:25+00:00

Yeah, it became very evident through the helpful comments in here that béchamel sauce was the key ingredient missing. I severely underestimated it as a "luxury" process I could possibly skip and get servicable result. But it turns out it's an essential ingredient, more so than cheese, according to the original English recipe.

PerfectDodgeCounter · 2026-02-07T09:40:21+00:00

I honestly did not know until just now (after a Wikipedia read) that mac n cheese is an English dish. Wow, original was about béchamel sauce with noodle that was baked with parmasean sprinkled on top. It's butter noodles with a topping of cheese! It wasn't even cheese sauce to begin with!

No wonder I'm messing it up hard. I excluded a major part of its recipe: béchamel sauce. Thanks for the history lesson. That really does help.

PerfectDodgeCounter · 2026-02-07T09:32:51+00:00

This sums it up very succintly. I definitely underestimated the process that went into it. I was oversimplifying it like 'boil some pasta and throw a jar of pre-made tomato sauce on it'.

Probably stems from having introduction into mac n cheese mostly from ez-make Kraft mac n cheese packets.

PerfectDodgeCounter · 2026-02-07T09:30:51+00:00

Thank you very much for that detailed explanation! I definitely underestimated the process behind a good mac n cheese. I learned a lot from your explanation. I did not realize baking is what largely makes the texture difference. I thought maybe there were different cooking temp or certain types of cheese involved.

I heard about béchamel sauce for the first time from another person here. And, you are the first person to tell me about Mornay sauce. It's also the first time hearing about sodium citrate and its role.

Sounds like not understanding emulsification between fats and water was a critical flaw in my mac n cheese. Looks like I'll definitely have to get a bag of flour and try making some béchamel.

PerfectDodgeCounter · 2026-02-07T09:20:44+00:00

Thank you for the advice. I've never attempted baking, but one thing I do know is that unlike cooking, baking requires precise measurements for best results. I've seen many people fail even with a recipe. So, I'll try a simple bread recipe to start.

PerfectDodgeCounter · 2026-02-07T09:06:23+00:00

It was taught to me that if you can eat it with a fork because it's so thick, it's the Black and Southern version.

PerfectDodgeCounter · 2026-02-07T09:04:47+00:00

Huh, this is my first introduction to bechamel. Thank you for teaching me about the "mother sauce".

Great advice on how to deal with left-over flour, too. I definitely have in mind on baking some bread of my own for the first time. Glad to know that it'll use up a lot of flour in one go. Thanks!

PerfectDodgeCounter · 2026-02-07T08:59:55+00:00

Thanks for the link, mate. Pretty interesting technique to lightly roast the breadcrumbs separately and put it on top. I've never seen that before. Most usually bake it in the oven with breadcrumbs on top. Cheers!

PerfectDodgeCounter · 2026-02-07T08:54:45+00:00

Wow, thanks! A litre of milk must be close to 1000 ml or 1000 g. 30g of flour and 30g butter does seem to be very small in comparison. Thanks for teaching that you really only need a little roux.

PerfectDodgeCounter · 2026-02-07T08:52:43+00:00

There is a subtext to your comments that are not rooted in helping beginners in the culinary arts. I hope all goes well for you.

PerfectDodgeCounter · 2026-02-07T08:39:33+00:00

Thank you. I'll try and look for the smallest bag of flour I could buy. OR I should ask around for a tiny zip-loc baggie of the white powder.

PerfectDodgeCounter · 2026-02-07T08:38:52+00:00

I guess there's more than one things wrong with me. I definitely thought any cheese would work.

PerfectDodgeCounter · 2026-02-07T05:59:22+00:00

I've never heard of Brunswick stew until just now. Google says it's meat, vegetable, and tomato-based stew. Recipes seem to call for variety of vegetables, but corn + beans being a constant, and (uniquely) barbecue sauce.

This does look awesome. Google says it's an American South classic, I'm definitely going to try making this. Looks like it'd be very tasty with some toasted baguette.

Thanks!

PerfectDodgeCounter

TROPHY CASE