# Making Stouffer's mac & cheese **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 27, 2010, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-stouffers-mac-cheese/548242 "2010-07-27T23:05:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-stouffers-mac-cheese/548242/1 "2010-07-27T23:05:12Z")
I’ve tried with the béchamel sauce and adding cheese but I just cannot get that creaminess and cheddar flavor like Stouffers has. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-stouffers-mac-cheese/548242/2 "2010-07-27T23:47:07Z")
Don’t use real cheese. 😃 Seriously, I would imagine they use some generic version of Velveeta or ,if they really want to spend, American Cheese. ---
**Author:** ![amaguri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@amaguri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amaguri)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-stouffers-mac-cheese/548242/3 "2010-07-28T14:46:23Z")
I just made “real” mac&cheese for the first time and it turned out awesome. I went ahead with the bechamel and used 1/2 velveeta and 1/2 extra sharp cheddar. Don’t forget to add some dry mustard and perhaps some cayenne for depth of flavor. Also note I added crumbled bacon to half of the recipe and it was to die for-- and I normally don’t even care that much for bacon (yeah, yeah, sacrilege, etc) ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-stouffers-mac-cheese/548242/4 "2010-07-28T16:15:59Z")
[This](http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/29/addictive-mac-and-cheese/) is the best mac 'n cheese I’ve ever made. Don’t skimp on the cayenne. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-stouffers-mac-cheese/548242/5 "2010-07-28T16:56:42Z")
> [@amaguri](#): > > I just made “real” mac&cheese for the first time and it turned out awesome. I went ahead with the bechamel and used 1/2 velveeta and 1/2 extra sharp cheddar. Don’t forget to add some dry mustard and perhaps some cayenne for depth of flavor. > > Also note I added crumbled bacon to half of the recipe and it was to die for-- and I normally don’t even care that much for bacon (yeah, yeah, sacrilege, etc) Mustard is a key ingredient. If you don’t like the kick of cayenne, garlic powder makes a good substitute. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-stouffers-mac-cheese/548242/6 "2010-07-28T17:12:42Z")
I like a squirch of Worcestershire sauce and a dash of dry mustard in mine. Brings out something that people seem to love. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-stouffers-mac-cheese/548242/7 "2010-07-28T18:25:26Z")
Warning: I have not tried this, but the source is the guy who did all those Copcyat recipe books, so hopefully it’s pretty faithful to the original. > **[Recipe: Todd Wilbur's Mac-n-Cheese (Stouffer's Mac and Cheese copycat) -...](https://www.recipelink.com/msgbrd/board_14/2010/JAN/34753.html)** > > Todd Wilbur's Mac-n-Cheese (Stouffer's Mac and Cheese copycat), Main Dishes, Casseroles ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-stouffers-mac-cheese/548242/8 "2010-07-28T18:38:03Z")
John Thorne has some pretty good tips collected in an essay printed in one of his books – IIRC he used far more cheese than most recipes call for. I’ve used cheese powder bought in bulk in the past for the Kraft-style stuff, but I don’t think that’s the Stouffer’s style – with a good quality dried pasta, it’s edible when drunk and it’s late. ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-stouffers-mac-cheese/548242/9 "2010-07-28T20:27:24Z")
Dried mustard is essential. One time, though, in a pinch, I added a little spicy brown mustard (from the bottle) and it was pretty tasty. Another option, if you don’t like cayenne, just a tiny smidge of horseradish or wasabi. A totally different kind of depth and heat. ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-stouffers-mac-cheese/548242/10 "2010-07-28T21:58:45Z")
What is the ingredient in the best M&C’s (such as Stouffer’s)that imparts the slight hint of stomach bile? I read about that in a serious article on the subject severalyears ago but did not retain it.