This Macaroni and Cheese uses an old trick for the secret ingredient to give you the perfect, full flavor classic cheddar mac and cheese.
Mmmmm Mac and cheese! This is one of our favorite comfort foods, and it is both adult and kid friendly, especially when you step away from the boxed stuff with powdered cheese. What even is in that?! This recipe uses only whole ingredients, and real cheddar cheese. Making your own Mac and cheese from scratch might seem time consuming, but it is quicker and easier than you think! Once you’ve had homemade, you’ll never go back to the Blue Box.
The secret ingredient in this macaroni and cheese is hot sauce, specifically Frank’s Red Hot. Adding hot sauce to a recipe involving cheese is an old chef’s trick that enhances the flavor of the cheese. You can use any hot sauce you’d like, but each one may require a different amount. Julia Child’s, for example, was a tabasco sauce user and would add a dash or two of tabasco sauce to her macaroni and cheese and other melted cheese dishes. This recipe is specifically written for Frank’s Red Hot.
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How can I get a thick cheese sauce?
The flour in the recipe acts as a thickening agent. If you just added flour to milk you’d end up with a clumpy mess. By combining the flour with a fat source (in this recipe it is melted butter), you will be able to distribute the thickening agent throughout the sauce without leaving clumps behind. This same principle can be applied to any sauce or soup that needs to be thickened. A roux is equal parts flour to fat. Cornstarch is a stronger thickening agent that I use (with butter) in things like puddings and cream pies.
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What kind of cheese should I use to make macaroni and cheese?
Classic American macaroni and cheese is made with cheddar cheese. We prefer to use a sharp cheddar cheese. This recipe can also be made with other similar cheeses that melt well, or a combination of cheeses. Use the same amount and experiment! Gouda, white cheddar, provolone, brie, fontina, and provolone are some of our favorites.
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Is this recipe spicy?
No! This recipe is not spicy when made as written. We have personally served this recipe to over 1,000 different people, many of them children, and no one complains that it is too spicy. If you DO want to add a little heat, you can try doubling or tripling the amount of hot sauce in the recipe. We find that 1/4 cup of Frank’s Red Hot gives a good mild heat.
If you like this recipe, you may also be interested in these other cheesy recipes:
Watch the video below where we will walk you through every step of the recipe with a video demonstration.
I made this for Easter. It made alot of cheese sauce so I added another 8 oz. of noodles. I also added a big chunk of velveeta. Next time I’ll half the recipe as it made too much for 2 of us. All in all a delicious change to standard mac and cheese. Loved the hot sauce addition.
Sounds like you’ve got lots of delicious leftovers! Thanks for giving it a try— we love the addition of hot sauce. It doesn’t really add much heat, but it brings great flavor, and that’s what we’re all about!
This recipe is in your cookbook (which I love), but the “hot sauce” entry in the ingredient list reads “2 Tbsp cayenne pepper or hot sauce”….. In the book recipe, there is also a note that says it will NOT be spicy but will enhance the cheese….
WELP, I am now having to throw away the entire pot, because I used the cayenne pepper and it is inedible. Lava hot – so hot there is ZERO flavor except heat. I came online to see if the recipe said the same, and it’s good to see it has been adjusted. I’ve made the adjustment in my cookbook, but I’m sad to have to throw the whole thing away tonight. I hate waste. 🙁
I made it once before with 2 Tbsp of hot sauce we had on hand, and it was perfection. If you have the cookbook – scribble out the cayenne pepper option!
I’m glad you love this recipe too! I double checked the cookbook and it says 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper hot sauce, not or. 2 tablespoons of cayenne pepper would be a disaster and I’m so sorry you had to experience that first hand. Cayenne pepper hot sauce is a generic term for a hot sauce like Frank’s. We can’t use brand names in a cookbook because they are trademarked, but that’s what it is calling for.
Hi Rachel, I made Mac & cheese and my husband really liked it. Other recipes have been too rich but not yours, I found it so easy to follow and loved it includes mustard and hot sauce, finally I have recipe we all enjoyed, thanks a lot
THIS MACARONI ANAD CHESSE WAS THE BEST I HAVE EVER EATEN! Nobody knew I added the secret ingredient! They all Loved it and ill use this recipe again! Now off to making homemade pretzels!! Thank you so much
I love this recipe! Its the best Mac Cheese ever!
My question: Can this macaroni & cheese dish be made in the morning, then baked and served at dinner time? Or does the pasta absorb too much moisture from the sauce? Thank you!
It can, but just like you said, it does make the pasta itself a little mushier.
Cook the pasta a little less less than al dente if you’re going to wait to bake this later on