Tini’s Mac and Cheese

Tini’s viral mac and cheese ingredients

• pasta – Tini uses corkscrews aka cavatappi aka the best pasta for mac and cheese because the sauce goes into the center of the tube and when you bite into it, you’re biting into pockets of cheesy creaminess. You can find corkscrews at most grocery stores or online.
• cheese – there are three kinds of cheese in Tini’s mac and cheese: mozzarella, colby jack, and sharp cheddar. Buy blocks of cheese and grate them yourself. After your shred all your cheese, mix them up and divide them into 2 equal portions.
• butter – you need butter to make a roux or white sauce, go for unsalted.
• flour – flour is the other ingredient in roux. The regular all purpose flour in your pantry is perfect.
• evaporated milk – one can of evaporated milk makes everything super creamy.
• heavy cream – using heavy cream instead of milk makes this mac and cheese even creamier and richer.
• seasonings – salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika. The garlic powder adds garlickiness and the smoked paprika adds a hint of smokiness in the background. Mix up all the seasonings together in a small bowl so it’s easy to add to the pan.
• Dijon mustard – most people don’t know this but almost all mac and cheese recipes contain some kind of mustard. Tini opts for Dijon, which cuts through the richness of the cheese and adds balance to the entire dish.

How to make Tini’s mac and cheese

1. Cook the pasta: in a large pot of salted water, cook the pasta over high heat according to the package directions then drain well.
2. Make a roux: melt 3 tablespoons of butter in large non stick pan. When it’s melted, add half of the seasoning and stir it around to release the aromatics. Stir in 3 tbsp flour and stir and cook until everything starts bubbling and the raw flour cooks.
3. Add the evaporated milk: slowly stream in one can of evaporated milk and whisk immediately. It should start to thicken slightly.
4. Add the heavy cream: stir in the heavy cream, whisking it in completely. Whisk in the remaining seasoning and 1 tbsp of Dijon. Let the sauce thicken slightly, whisking occasionally.
5. Add the cheese: Add in 1/2 of the cheese, by the handful, whisking in and letting each handful melt before adding more cheese.
6. Stir in the pasta: Stir in your cooked pasta making sure all the sauce coats every single noodle.
7. Layer the mac and cheese: in an oven safe casserole dish, layer the pasta. Add 1/2 of the mac and cheese to the pan, spreading it out evenly. Then add 1/2 of your remaining shredded cheese. Add the rest of the mac and cheese and finish the top with the last of the shredded cheese.
8. Bake: Pop the casserole into a preheated 350°F oven and bake for 25-30 minute or until the top melts and it’s golden and bubbly.
9. Broil: Finish it off by broiling for 2 minutes so the mac and cheese gets a nice little crust.
10. Enjoy! Add some sliced chives if you want (Tini does!), then scoop and enjoy!