Grace Elkus was the Deputy Food Director at Kitchn, where she wrote a monthly vegetarian recipe column called Tonight We Veg. She received her culinary arts diploma from The Natural Gourmet Institute.
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Whenever I think the hype over the Pioneer Woman — aka Ree Drummond — has died down, she drops something new that everyone goes crazy for: a piece of floral cookware, a whole line of bedding, and, most recently, her very own Barbie. I quickly realized I either needed to jump on the bandwagon or move out of the way, because the Ree is here to stay — and it was time I tried one of her recipes to experience the hype for myself. My recipe of choice? Her uber-rich (and uber-popular) macaroni and cheese.
Ree’s mac and cheese recipe is pretty straightforward. You cook some elbow noodles, make a roux (a 1:1 mixture of butter and flour), add the milk and mustard powder, and cook until thickened into a béchamel (a creamy white sauce that forms the base of most mac and cheese recipes).
I was surprised by the addition of an egg — an ingredient I had never previously seen in a mac and cheese recipe — but after using it in three out of the four recipes I tested (here’s Alton Brown’s, Ina Garten’s, and Sunny Anderson’s), I learned it was more common that I thought. Ree has you whisk some of the béchamel into the beaten egg before stirring the egg back into the sauce, which prevents it from scrambling when it hits the warm sauce. Because I was new to the whole egg-in-mac-and-cheese thing, I appreciated the detail in her instructions.
Finally, you’ll add the cooked macaroni to the sauce and either serve immediately or pour into a baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake until golden. You’ll want to use a 9×13-inch or other 3-quart baking dish (she doesn’t specify the size), because this makes a lot of pasta.
What I Thought of the Results
Although no one part of this recipe is particularly difficult, be prepared to break a sweat as you grate the full pound of cheese it calls for. I literally had to open a window because I was getting such a workout — although there’s really no way around it, because pre-grated cheese contains preservatives that prevent it from melting as nicely. Just throw on a gym shirt and prepare to work for your mac.
I also found the timing of the instructions to be a little off. Ree says it should take about five minutes for the béchamel to thicken, but mine took more than 10 before it was thick enough to add the egg and cheese.
Taste-wise, this mac and cheese was … underwhelming. It certainly wasn’t bad — after all, it’s really just pasta, butter, and a whole lot of cheese — but it didn’t excite me in any way. It sort of tasted like the shortcut mac and cheese my dad used to make: a box of stovetop mac and cheese, topped with extra grated cheddar, then baked in the oven to make it feel more homemade. It’s thick and decadent, but lacking the silkiness I crave in a mac and cheese.
If You Make Pioneer Woman’s Mac and Cheese …
1. Salt the pasta water. Ree’s recipe doesn’t say to salt the water used to cook the pasta, but you’ll want to do so. It seasons the noodles inside and out, and greatly improves the flavor of the final dish.
2. Use a full 1-pound box of pasta. This recipe calls for 4 cups of elbow noodles, which is just shy of a 1-pound box. Unless you have grand plans for those 10 leftover elbow noodles, skip the measuring and pour in the whole box.
3. If you don’t have seasoned salt, make your own blend. This recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt, which I don’t keep in my pantry. Instead of buying a full jar, I added an additional 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt to the sauce, plus a pinch each of garlic powder, turmeric, and paprika, which are spices commonly found in seasoned salt.
Overall Rating: 6/10
Ree’s recipe makes a solid mac and cheese, but it’s not memorable in any way.
Mustard Powder: The secret ingredient you should always add to your Mac and cheese. The acidity in the mustard helps cut through the fat. You can find it in the spice section of any major grocery store. Otherwise, swap it for 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of Dijon or yellow mustard to taste or omit it.
The remaining ingredients are simple: butter and flour (which makes the sauce thicken), milk, spices, salt, and pepper. For the milk, I prefer whole milk since it makes a creamier sauce, but I've used reduced fat milk plenty of times without complaint.
How to Make Boxed Mac and Cheese Taste Better. To improve the tang and overall cheesiness of your boxed mac, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt to the cooked and drained pasta while it's still warm. Toss to combine, then stir in the cheese powder until it's uniformly blended.
Dijon mustard would be a good alternative if you want something slightly milder. If you like wholegrain mustard then you could use this as an alternative, though it will be slightly grainy in the sauce. If you use wholegrain mustard you may also need to add a little extra to the sauce.
I think sour cream is a great substitute!However, it may change the flavor just slightly. For sour cream, mix it in just like I outlined in the cream cheese example, but with far less or no extra liquid. Sour cream is slightly sour (duh), so this may impact the final flavor a bit.
Gordon Ramsay's mac and cheese is a simplified recipe. Just boil pasta in milk and then, add butter, cheese, salt, and pepper to it. Merge all the elements and Gordon Ramsay's mac and cheese will be ready in no time.
Cheesy, salty, buttery and, best of all, nostalgic — there is a reason why Kraft's blue box has become the gold standard of store-bought macaroni and cheese.
Hobby: Gunsmithing, Embroidery, Parkour, Kitesurfing, Rock climbing, Sand art, Beekeeping
Introduction: My name is Roderick King, I am a cute, splendid, excited, perfect, gentle, funny, vivacious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
