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Macaroni and Cheese I

A baked pasta dish made with macaroni, butter, flour, milk, cheddar and Parmesan cheese, and cayenne pepper.

From the Wikibooks Cookbook · 7 ingredients
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Why it works: Cheddar cheese and cheese match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 984 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓

Macaroni and Cheese I

4–6

Ingredients

Directions

Make the sauce

  1. Make a roux using the butter and flour.

  2. Add the heated milk, and whisk until smooth to complete the white sauce.

  3. Mix in the cheese and cayenne pepper.

Combine

  1. Mix the cheese sauce into the cooked macaroni noodles until well-coated.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

1050Calories
45 gProtein
47 gFat
110 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
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Milk1 cup (244ml) whole149
Cheddar Cheese1 oz (28g)113
Cheese1 oz (28g) cheddar113
Parmesan Cheese1 oz (28g)110
Butter1 tbsp (14g)102
Chili1 tsp (2.7g)8
Macaroninot in our table0

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 Wikibooks Cookbook.

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.

  1. Cheddar cheese + cheesetop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together984 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  2. Butter + milktop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together81,283 recipes

    Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).

  3. Butter + cheddar cheesetop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together2,436 recipes

    Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).

  4. Butter + cheesetop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together7,962 recipes

    Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).

  5. Milk + cheesetop 10% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together4,426 recipes

    Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).

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

What each ingredient does

Butter
Enriches the roux, adding fat and rich flavour to the sauce.
Flour
Thickens the sauce, giving it body and a smooth, creamy structure.
Milk
Forms the liquid base of the white sauce, giving it creaminess and moisture.
Cheddar cheese
Adds rich flavour and melts into the sauce to make it creamy and cohesive.
Parmesan or monterey jack cheese
Contributes savoury, salty flavour and helps the sauce stay smooth as it melts.
Macaroni noodles
Provide the bulk and chewy texture that the sauce clings to.

The step that matters

Whisking the milk into the roux. Adding hot milk to a roux all at once can leave lumps of flour. Whisking constantly while the liquid is added and heated lets the starch swell evenly, giving a smooth, thick white sauce.

“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.

More macaroni and cheese recipes

Baked 52Croquettes 10Timbale 8Casserole 6Soup 5with Tomato Sauce 3 See all 313 →

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