Why it works: Butter and cream are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 41,516 recipes. Both carry delta-dodecalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓
Macaroni and Ham
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.
Prepare
Boil the macaroni in salted water until tender; strain and place in a bowl.
Mix and bake
Mix in the butter, ham, sour cream, and grated cheese until well combined.
Transfer the mixture to a greased pan and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20 minutes.
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.
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Butter + creamtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,516 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Butter + cheesetop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,962 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Cream + cheesetop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,655 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Ham + cheesetop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together303 recipes
Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, sweet).
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Butter + hamtop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,475 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-decenal (waxy, orange).
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 body of the casserole.
- Ham
- Adds savory, salty flavor and chewy bites throughout the dish.
- Sour cream
- Adds moisture and a tangy richness that keeps the pasta from drying out.
- Butter
- Adds fat for richness and helps coat the pasta for a smoother texture.
- Grated cheese
- Melts to bind the pasta and ham together and adds savory flavor.
The step that matters
Cook the macaroni only until tender. Pasta keeps softening while it bakes in the oven, so overcooking it first can leave the casserole mushy.
“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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