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If you think that mac ‘n’ cheese couldn’t get any better, think again, and it is all because of an unexpected ingredient you’ve possibly never heard of.
Mac ‘n’ cheese is one of the most comforting dishes. I mean, what’s better than noodles in a creamy, cheesy sauce? The answer is nothing. Especially when given the “Tini treatment” by Tini Younger, an influencer and chef who broke the internet with her mac ‘n’ cheese recipe, racking up over 100 million views on TikTok.
Tini forgoes the elbows for squiggly cavatappi, and I approve. Like Tini, I’ve also ditched the elbow noodles for this spiral-shaped pasta, with added ridges, twists, and turns for a decadent cheese sauce to cling to.
Choosing the right pasta is key, especially with a rich sauce.
Tini packs the 1 pound of pasta with 2.5 pounds of shredded mozzarella, Colby Jack, and cheddar cheese. Now that’s a ratio I can get behind.
She recommends grating the cheese yourself instead of buying pre-grated cheese. Packaged grated cheese is coated in a starch film to prevent the cheese from sticking to itself in the package, but that can result in a grainy mac.
Tini Younger / Via tiktok.com
The base of Tini’s sauce is a roux, which is a mixture of fat and flour used as a thickening agent. While it sounds fancy, it’s actually really simple!
She takes it a step further by slightly cooking, or blooming the spices in butter before adding flour — this helps to bring out the flavor of the spices, then cooking the flour for a couple of minutes to cook the flour.
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And then she adds the secret ingredient: evaporated milk! While I usually pour whole milk into my cheese sauce, her addition of evaporated milk is genius.
But what is evaporated milk? Evaporated milk is milk that has been cooked until about 60% of its water content is removed. It’s thick, creamy, and has a concentrated, slightly caramel flavor. Plus, it is shelf-stable, making it a must-have in the pantry.
Growing up, my mom would add evaporated milk to her tea. I’ve never cooked with it, but I’ve already picked up a can to keep in my cupboard.
Evaporated milk is big on flavor but low in fat, so it delivers a little lightness in the mac (despite the heavy hand of cream that follows it).
Dairy and cheese sauces are prone to curdling, but the protein structure in evaporated milk changes during processing, which helps to ensure your sauce is smooth as silk.
Take one from Tini’s book (or kitchen), and swap milk for evaporated milk in your favorite mac ‘n’ cheese recipe for the creamiest, smoothest cheese sauce you’ll want seconds (and thirds) of!
If you don’t believe me, popular blogger Rebecca Hubbell of Sugar and Soul gave it the thumbs up, and Tini’s mac ‘n’ cheese even landed her on the Today Show. Now that’s impressive!
Get Express Delivery on your Walmart orders (including groceries) to be delivered in as fast as one hour — use promo code EXPRESS to get your first Express Delivery free.
Got a craving for a bowl of mac ‘n’ cheese now? Download the free Tasty app to browse and save the cheesiest recipes — no subscription required.
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Dining and Cooking