For mac and cheese, I've been using a Trader Joe's cheese that's a combination of cheddar & Gruyere. It comes in reasonably sized blocks. If you have access to a TJs give it a try!
I like a mixture of cheeses, at least 2. My preference is a 60/40 ratio of sharp cheddar and Emmenthaler or Gruyere. Sometimes, I add a little bit of freshly grated parmesan.
The most important thing, for me, is to grate the cheeses from a block/chunk. Pre-grated/shredded cheeses have an additive to keep them from clumping together, which can make the cheese sauce grainy and sometimes lumpy.
Absolutely a matter of personal preference, as Lori says. If I’m making a classic Mac and cheese for someone who is sick or just had a baby (something like that) I use half sharp cheddar and half Velveeta. Everyone loves it; it’s the Mac and cheese of childhood.
If I’m making it for me and my family, I’ll use whatever I have leftover in the cheese drawer with the exception of blue cheese. I love blue cheese, but not in Mac and cheese. Almost any other cheese is terrific though.
When I make mac & cheese, I generally use a mixture of cheeses (as Lori T. suggests) that I grate and then add to the sauce: sharp cheddar, for half or more of the total amount; plus gouda and/or gruyere to make up the rest. What you use really depends on what you like and/or what you have on hand: I've used fontina in the mixture as well as havarti, jarlsberg, and emmenthaler.
That's a great way to start a war, there. Folks have been debating the "best" cheese for mac and cheese since before Kraft put out their little blue box offering. For one thing, it's best to choose a mixture, preferably one moist cheese that will melt easily and smoothly, and one that brings a stronger flavor. However, if you do not like the taste of the cheese as it is, you will not like it melted over pasta. I don't care for blue cheese in any form- although I have a child who thinks blue cheese mac and cheese is the bomb. Not a result of my DNA donation! So there is no hard and fast answer for you, I'm afraid. Look over a variety of recipes for a cheese sauce, and base yours on cheeses you like. That will be the best for you.
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The most important thing, for me, is to grate the cheeses from a block/chunk. Pre-grated/shredded cheeses have an additive to keep them from clumping together, which can make the cheese sauce grainy and sometimes lumpy.
If I’m making it for me and my family, I’ll use whatever I have leftover in the cheese drawer with the exception of blue cheese. I love blue cheese, but not in Mac and cheese. Almost any other cheese is terrific though.