Why it works: Milk and cheese 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
The book says “a hot oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the sauce
Combine the milk and water in a saucepan.
Heat over medium heat until halfway to boiling.
Add the broken macaroni pieces.
Slowly increase the heat to a simmer.
Keep simmering until the milk is absorbed.
Gradually grate in the cheese while stirring continuously.
Once combined and heated through, add the olive oil.
Bake and serve
Transfer the mixture to a dish.
Place in a 400°F (200°C) oven for a few minutes if you prefer a browned surface.
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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Milk + cheesetop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,426 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Olive + cheesetop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,802 recipes
Shared aroma: methyl 2-methylbutyrate (apple, fatty).
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Olive + milktop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,828 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
- Provides the starchy body that the milk is absorbed into, giving the dish its structure.
- Milk
- Cooks into the liquid that the pasta absorbs, forming the creamy base of the sauce.
- Dry cheese
- Melts into the liquid to add richness, savoury flavour and a thick, clinging texture.
- Olive oil
- Adds fat that gives the finished sauce a smoother mouthfeel and richer flavour.
The step that matters
Keep simmering until the milk is absorbed. Cooking the pasta in the milk and water as it reduces lets the starch release and thicken the sauce. Stopping too early leaves it watery, while overcooking can scorch the milk on the bottom of the pan.
“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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