Name: My Mommy's Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients: 2 cups macaroni, cooked and drained; 2½ cups shredded cheddar cheese; ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese; 1½ cups small curd cottage cheese; ½ cup sour cream; 1 egg; salt and pepper to taste

Why it works: Mozzarella cheese and cottage cheese share more aroma than cooks usually use. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 96 recipes. Both carry ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, which smells fruity, apple. The science ↓

My Mommy's Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Oven325°F

Time35 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Combine all ingredients.
Bake in a 2 to 3 quart baking dish that has been coated with vegetable cooking spray.
Bake at 325°F for 35 minutes.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

480Calories

48 gProtein

26 gFat

13 gCarbs

Counts 7 of 8 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 7 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Cheddar Cheese	1 oz (28g)	113
Yogurt	170g plain Greek	100
Cottage Cheese	1/2 cup (113g) 2%	98
Mozzarella Cheese	1 oz (28g)	85
Egg	1 large egg (50g)	78
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0
Macaroni	not in our table	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Mozzarella cheese + cottage cheesetop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together96 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
Cheddar cheese + cottage cheesetop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together191 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
Cheddar cheese + mozzarella cheesetop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together271 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
Cheddar cheese + creamtop 14% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together1,036 recipes

Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
Cottage cheese + eggtop 15% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together601 recipes

Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Cheddar cheese: Provides sharp flavor and melts into a rich, creamy texture.
Mozzarella cheese: Melts smoothly and adds stretch and mild, milky flavor.
Cottage cheese: Adds moisture and a soft, tender body to the baked dish.
Sour cream: Contributes moisture, richness and a slight tang.
Egg: Sets when heated, binding the mixture so it holds together when baked.
Macaroni: Forms the structure and bulk that the cheese mixture coats.

The step that matters

Bake until fully set. Egg proteins coagulate as they heat, firming the custard-like mixture. Underbaking leaves it loose and runny, so the dish needs the full baking time at the stated temperature.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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My Mommy's Baked Macaroni and Cheese