Name: Macaroni Pudding
Ingredients: ¼ pound macaroni; 2 cups milk or cream; 1 ounce grated cheese; 1 teaspoon salt; grated cheese for topping; bread crumbs for topping

Why it works: Cheese and bread are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,130 recipes. Both carry delta-decalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓

Macaroni Pudding

Oven, in the book's wordsA quick oven

Ingredients

Directions

The book says “a quick oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.

Prepare

Simmer the macaroni in plenty of water until tender.
Strain off the water and add milk or cream, grated cheese, and salt.
Mix well and pour into a baking dish.

Bake and serve

Strew grated cheese and bread crumbs over the top.
Bake in a 400°F (200°C) oven for 30 minutes until browned.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

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.

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.

Cheese + breadtop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together2,130 recipes

Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
Milk + cheesetop 10% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together4,426 recipes

Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
Milk + breadtop 11% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together11,466 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-undecenal (sweet).

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

What each ingredient does

Macaroni: Forms the bulk of the pudding and gives it a tender, starchy body.
Milk or cream: Adds moisture and richness, helping the pasta set into a soft custard-like texture.
Grated cheese: Adds savory flavor and fat, and browns on the surface in the oven.
Bread crumbs: Form a crisp, golden topping that contrasts with the soft interior.

“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.