Why it works: Cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 271 recipes. Both carry ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, which smells fruity, apple. The science ↓
Lower-fat Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Prepare macaroni according to package directions in the large saucepan, then drain in colander.
Make the cheese sauce
To make cheese sauce, melt margarine in medium-sized saucepan.
Mix cornstarch well into cold skim milk.
Add skim milk and evaporated skim milk to margarine.
Heat sauce over medium heat, stirring constantly.
When the sauce thickens, remove from heat and add shredded cheese.
Bake and serve
Mix drained macaroni with sauce.
Put in casserole dish sprayed with non-stick spray.
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 350°F.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 5 of 6 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Cheddar Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 113 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Mozzarella Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 85 |
| 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.
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.
-
Cheddar cheese + mozzarella cheesetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together271 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
-
Milk + cheddar cheesetop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,964 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Milk + mozzarella cheesetop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together367 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Macaroni
- Forms the bulk and structure of the dish, holding the sauce.
- Cornstarch
- Thickens the milk mixture into a smooth sauce that clings to the pasta.
- Reduced-fat cheddar cheese
- Melts into the sauce to give it cheesy flavour and a creamy body.
- Part-skim mozzarella cheese
- Adds stretch and mild cheese flavour to the baked dish.
- Skim milk
- Provides the liquid base that the cornstarch thickens into the sauce.
The step that matters
Thickening the sauce over medium heat. Cornstarch must be heated while stirring until the sauce thickens; if it is undercooked it stays thin and tastes starchy, and if the cheese is added over high heat it can turn grainy or stringy. Removing the pan from heat before adding cheese keeps it smooth.
“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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