My Mac and Cheese Kept Turning Grainy Until I Added This Cheese

Homemade mac and cheese can look smooth in the pot, then turn grainy or separate as it bakes. One cheese makes that problem easier to avoid: Velveeta.

Velveeta melts into a smooth sauce without the same tendency to separate as some natural cheeses. Cut it into small cubes, melt it into a milk-based sauce, then add macaroni for a creamy baked version that stays coated from the first scoop to the last.

Cut the Velveeta Into Even Cubes

For 2 cups of dry elbow macaroni, use about 2 cups of cubed Velveeta.

Keep the cubes close to the same size. Smaller pieces can melt before larger chunks have softened, so uniform pieces make it easier to get a smooth sauce without overheating part of the cheese.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter, then stir in 2 tablespoons of flour and 2 cups of whole milk. Season with salt and pepper before adding the cheese.

Melt the Cheese in Short Intervals

Add the Velveeta cubes to the milk mixture and heat in 30-second intervals, stirring between each one.

Short intervals give you more control as the cheese melts. Continue until no cubes remain and the sauce has an even texture.

Once the sauce is smooth, stir in the cooked macaroni until every piece is coated.

Undercook the Macaroni by 2 Minutes

There's another step that matters once the mac and cheese goes into the oven.

Cook the macaroni for about two minutes less than the package directions call for. The pasta should still have some firmness when you drain it.

It will continue cooking after it's mixed with the cheese sauce and transferred to the oven. Starting with softer pasta can leave the macaroni mushy by the time the top has finished baking.

Bake Until the Sauce Sets

Transfer the coated macaroni to an oven-safe baking dish and bake uncovered at 350°F for about 20 minutes.

For a crisp top, mix crushed Ritz crackers or panko breadcrumbs with a tablespoon of melted butter and scatter them over the macaroni before baking.

The contrast works well against the smooth sauce underneath, but the topping isn't necessary. Velveeta, milk, butter, flour, and macaroni are enough for the base recipe.

I still like shredded cheese in mac and cheese, but when avoiding a grainy sauce matters most, Velveeta gives me the smooth texture I'm after without making the process more complicated.

Would you add Velveeta to homemade mac and cheese, or do you stick with shredded cheese?