This coating also prevents the cheese from melting properly. Pre-shredded cheese is often coated with cellulose, an anti-caking agent that prevents clumping. Use blocks of cheese, not pre-shredded cheese sold in bags. You'll need a total of six cups of shredded cheese, so mix and match as desired. You can substitute a variety of cheeses, just choose a combination that delivers both the taste and gooeyness you want. Cheeses that work well in macaroni and cheese include fontina, mozzarella, Monterey jack, pepper jack, Colby, gouda, Gruyere, and American. Serve immediately or transfer to a baking dish or ramekins and reheat in the oven at 375☏.In this recipe, I marry sharp cheddar and gooey Swiss in the cream sauce. Add the mustard and a few shakes of Tabasco taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, adding a little more milk if the mixture seems too thick. Add the Cheddar, Fontina, and Parmigiano to the milk mixture and whisk to combine.Taste it: It should be toothsome with just a little nugget of hard pasta still in the center – this is al dente. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 1 minute less than the instructions on the package suggest. In the meanwhile, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.Slowly whisk in the milk, season with salt, bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer cook over low heat for 8 to 10 minutes more or until the mixture is slightly thicker than heavy cream. Add the flour and cook, stirring frequently for 4 to 5 minutes or until the mixture looks like wet sand.

Add the butter and onion to the pan with the fat, season with salt, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until the onion is soft and aromatic.

After 6 to 8 minutes, once it's brown and crispy, remove it from the pan then drain it on paper towels, and reserve that deliciousness. Do not discard the bacon fat!

Drizzle a bit of olive oil in a large saucepan, add the bacon, and bring the pan to medium heat stir the bacon occasionally.

¼ cup Dijon mustard Tabasco or other hot sauce, to taste.

1 quart whole milk, plus more as needed.

3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 onion, cut into ¼-inch dice Kosher salt.

6 slices bacon, cut crosswise into ½-inch strips.

How to make mac n cheese