Why it works: Cheese and milk are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 10% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,426 recipes. Both carry delta-dodecalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓
Macaroni Cheese
Ingredients
Directions
Cook the macaroni
Boil the macaroni in salted water until tender, about 30 minutes.
Drain the macaroni and add the grated cheese.
Assemble and bake
Butter a pie dish and layer the macaroni and cheese until the dish is full.
In a bowl, beat the egg and mix it with the milk.
Pour the egg and milk mixture into the dish.
Sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top and bake until golden brown.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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.
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Cheese + milktop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,426 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Egg + milktop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together88,785 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Cheese + eggtop 28% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,253 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Macaroni (in the method)
- Forms the bulk and structure of the dish once cooked and baked.
- Cheese
- Melts into the pasta, adding richness, flavour and a creamy texture.
- Egg
- Sets when baked, binding the custard so the dish holds together when served.
- Milk
- Combines with the egg to form a custard that keeps the dish moist and creamy.
- Breadcrumbs
- Crisp and brown on top in the oven, adding a contrasting crunchy texture.
The step that matters
Pour the egg and milk mixture into the dish. The egg proteins set as they heat, so the custard binds the pasta and cheese. Pouring it evenly lets it reach every part of the dish for a uniform set.
“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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