The Process of Macaroni and Cheese

On any list about comfort foods, you can bet that macaroni and cheese will make the top ten. It’s warm, cheesy, gooey, filling, reminds people of their childhood- it ticks off any and all boxes for comfort food that could be ticked. But, such a simple recipe inevitably inspires many variations. From the boxed Kraft mac and cheese to fancy baked six-cheese versions, everyone has their own. This post is to argue about the process of my simple, three-ingredient mac and cheese with an uncommon ingredient, and why it is the best option.

This version is simple to make due to its small number of ingredients, and the short time it takes to cook. All you need is some pasta (any kind of macaroni will work), some cheese (I prefer to cut some cheddar cheese) and the unusual ingredient: a can of tomato sauce.

Now, hear me out. I can already hear my friends’ noises of disgust at the mention of tomato. A lot of people don’t like it. Mostly, the idea of tomato in macaroni and cheese sounds disgusting, or at least unusual. But trust me when I say it’s actually really good. It doesn’t taste out of place or clash with the cheesiness or anything. The flavors meld together very well and balance each other out.

But back to the process of making it. Again, it’s very simple.

1. Cook the pasta. You should know how to do this; boil some water in a pot, put the noodles in, stir occasionally, take them out when they’re al dente (soft on the outside, but still slightly firm on the inside. Make sure you don’t let them get soggy, but don’t under-cook them either. If the noodles crunch, they’re not done).
2. While the pasta is cooking, chop up some cheese. Cheddar is best, but other kinds can be fine too. There isn’t any specific ratio to use here, it’s simply according to taste and how cheesy you want your pasta to be.
3. Drain the pasta and then put it immediately back in the warm pot (off the heat though so the noodles don’t burn). Then put the cheese you chopped into the pot, stir it in, and put the lid on the pot to trap the heat into it. The heat from the pasta will make the cheese melt, so leave it for five-ten minutes to allow that to happen. Feel free to add more cheese if it turns out you didn’t chop enough.
4. Stir the pasta and the cheese together, then leave it to stick together for a couple of minutes while you grab the tomato sauce. If you add the sauce in too soon, then the cheese will pull away from the noodles which makes an unpleasant, grainy texture.
5. Add the tomato sauce. Again, it depends on how much you’re making: when I make it for about seven people I generally use the whole can, but feel free to go heavy or light on the tomato. Either way, the whole thing should have a reddish-orangeish tint and look gooey and cheesy.
6. Eat! It’s not allowed to get cold. Eat it while it’s still warm. Have one bowl, maybe two. You know you want it. Treat yourself. It’s good.

This is how to make the best macaroni and cheese you will ever eat. Trust me- it’s that good. I mean, all mac and cheese is good, but this stuff is top tier. A can of tomato sauce will take one of the best foods ever and make it heavenly. So enjoy!