What are some good ways to make macaroni and cheese more interesting and flavorful? Yeah I got the basics...

What are some good ways to make macaroni and cheese more interesting and flavorful? Yeah I got the basics, like breadcrumbs, bacon bits, different mix of cheeses, etc. But what are some spices/garnishes/other foods I can put in to make it stand out?

Coarse diced shrimp, crawfish, lobster tails, parmesan breadcrumbs. If you use lobster tails, garnish with the reddened tail halves.

Go fuck yourself cheezit

>always a bit of mustard and a shaving of nutmeg to your sauce
>chopped spinach or arugula is good
>garnish top with a sprinkle of paprika and chopped parsley or chives (or both)
>after plating, top with roasted bone marrow
>adding sour cream or creme fraiche to your sauce adds a nice extra tang and creaminess
>like the other poster said, shrimp, crawfish, langoustines, or lobster work very well with mac and cheese, and save some for garnish. A whole lobster tail, poached in butter and sprinkled with spices and herbs makes an nice topping presentation.
>roasted pork belly makes a great topping (you don't want to add it, because it will make the crispy skin get soft.
There's all kinds of options, I could go on, but you just have to get creative.

Waddup chef john

>Tfw allergic to all seafood
thanks for the input though..

Something like cream cheese might be good to boost the flavor.

Also I like to add minced garlic while making the roux, most macaroni & cheese recipes don't use garlic for some reason.

as always, enjoy

I put a bunch of mustard and hot sauce in mine, usually with tuna and peas too

start by doing something else than fucking mac'n'cheese

Recipe I got from my grandmother:
>boil can of condensed milk
>cut a brick of colby-jack into cubes
>melt the cubes of cheese into the condensed milk.
>put about three cups of shell pasta into boiling water, boil until soft
>strain pasta and put in a deep baking dish
>cover noodles with condensed milk and cheese mixture
>top with panko bread crumbs
>cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until the cheese sauce solidifies

Goes well as a side dish for baked chicken, pork chops, or white fish.

What's wrong macaroni and cheese bro?

tomatos

Buffalo chicken and bleu cheese crumbles.

About a half can of to-tel, a wee dashes of Louisiana hot sauce, and some black pepper.

He's one of those idiots that assumes that mac and cheese is "childish" because his obese whore mother fed him Kraft when he wanted his tendies.

Ditch mac and cheese and just make a based baked pasta casserole with a red meat sauce base. It's not even that much more work.

Try adding parmesan, mayo, dehydrated garlic, & chili flakes. A good mac & cheese doesn't need meat or vegetables.

I love caramelized onion with sharper cheeses.

I made a cajun mac & cheese with chorizo and it turned out pretty good.

Mustard is always good. Some worcestershire sauce is good, and if you're blessed enough to be able to get your hands on some (I'm assuming you're American), some Henderson's Relish is fantastic too.

Make Bachamel Sauce, but modify it a little.

When the sauce is ready, apply cheddar cheese to the sauce. Keep adding it in until the sauce turns the same color as the cheese.

Then add a small block of cream cheese to it. It'll add a good deal of tang to it.

I also like to fry Kielbasa in butter and intersperse it into the mac n' cheese. Then of course, fry the bread crumbs in butter and sprinkle that on top.

Bake it all together in the oven, and wa la.

Smoked paprika can make your mac godtier.

>Wa la
fucking triggered

Maybe try a beerchamel sauce.
Just use beer instead of milk or cream.

I'd do that with Spätzle, but not the average joe pasta.

I like it with roast pepper or dried tomato

One can of tuna and half a small tin of sliced olives.

Sooooo damn good desu

>Yeah I got the basics, like breadcrumbs, bacon bits, different mix of cheeses, etc.
No, stop that shit.
Stop baking it while you're at it.

You want the simplest and best macaroni cheese? Just mix some sharp cheddar into an onion bechemel, a bit of dijon mustard, and a small dash of lemon juice. It's that simple.

>cream cheese to boost the flavor
>cream cheese
>one of the blandest foods imaginable

How about adding some avocado to give it a kick?

>not adding soy cubes to your mac n' cheese

Ham chunks is the easiest way and it adds protein

I usually just chop up and fry a bunch of peppers, onions and mushrooms and add them in. Bit of mustard, bit of smoked paprika, done.

Main one is better cheese. The cheese should be the primary flavor, so getting really good cheese or a blend of cheeses makes a big difference. If you make your mac with store brand orange cheddar then obviously it's not going to be very interesting.

Flavor the bechamel you base the sauce on properly. Some mustard and a bit of grated nutmeg both really help the flavor even if they're not super obvious. Sauteing some minced shallot at the start helps as well.

Adding a little creme fraiche will give it some brightness and make it a bit creamier.

it's boring and not even good.
>inb4 but cheese is good and so is macaroni
sure, but doesn't make the dish good.
no, i just don't think that macaroni+cheese makes a good dish.

I'd say Worcestershire sauce. Be careful with spices, you don't want to add something that won't suit the simple dish.