A Love Letter to Mac & Cheese + A Few Chef Hacks

Chef Liz Anderson is on the scene delivering a heartfelt love letter to one of her besties… Mac and Cheese!

(Scroll to the bottom for an EPIC Throw-Down!)

I can go full Bubba and start listing all the different Cheeses that can be used in your Mac and cheese…

Cheddar, Gouda, Swiss, Muenster, Manchego...but my favorite is the classic, Sharp Cheddar.

So where did my unnatural affinity for the most wondrous of dishes come from?

I’m glad you asked.

My mom hates Cheese.

We were not allowed to cook with it growing up unless we could mask the smell. I vowed that one day I would be able to cook whatever I wanted, and put as much cheese into my food as I could.

Now that I am a semi responsible adult, I can do just that.

Mac and Cheese is a staple for a lot of children growing up, whether it be from a box or from scratch. Its versatility is endless. 

Creating this cheesy pasta dish from scratch may seem intimidating, but try this.

• Starting off with a roux is the first step! (For those who don’t know what a Roux is, it is a combination of heat, fat, and flour that gets cooked into a paste and then added to dishes as a thickener.) In the case of Mac and Cheese, it is the most important base before adding the cheese!
• After the roux gets cooked, and the paste forms we add stock (or water) and season.
• Once a nice thick sauce base has formed, we get a little sexy.  
• Pick your favorite cheese, or take my suggestion and go with that sharp cheddar. You won’t be disappointed.

Tiny Spoon Pro Tip:

When trying to melt cheese into any meal the finer you grate the cheese, the smoother the incorporation without any clumps forming.

I learned this the hard way by thinking I could throw a block of cheese into hot pasta thinking it would melt like “Velveeta”, I was so wrong. I was so very, very wrong.

Here’s where you unleash your inner artist

I am a huge fan of taking whatever leftover veggies/proteins I have and throwing them together.

If you need more help on how to get rid of leftovers, see my blog on Refrigerator Soup.

Some sort of green like Spinach, Arugula, or Kale are great ways to get veggies into this indulgent meal. So look through the fridge, find some leftover stuff and go with your bad self!

I have plenty of clients that want to feed their inner child, as well as their actual kids, and Mac and Cheese is one of those nostalgic meals that can do just that. So if you’re ever craving something Cheesy, all you have to do is ask.

Being a personal chef does not always mean we are making fancy, extravagant foods. Sometimes, it’s the classics that can’t be beat.

Here’s where the spoons are THROWN. DOWN.

Check out this epic response video from TSC Founder, Janice.

Which recipe is better?