Tineke “Tini” Younger’s macaroni and cheese was a viral hit last holiday season. Her TikTok tutorial garnered nearly 90 million views and over 10 million likes, with commenters calling it “immaculate” and “the best mac and cheese.” There were plenty of fire emojis as well. No one’s quite sure what makes it a cut above the rest. Many believe the secret ingredient is either tangy Dijon mustard or the smoky paprika. We think it’s probably all of the above, plus the winning combination of cheeses including mozzarella, Colby-Jack and sharp cheddar.
If there are two things that are most important when it comes to making a delicious macaroni and cheese, it’s… *checks notes*... the macaroni and the cheese. Small pasta shapes are best for this recipe, but you don’t need to limit yourself to the traditional elbow macaroni or small shells. Fun spiral shapes such as cavatappi or fusilli can be used, too. Any of these shapes stand up well to the mountain of cheese that is melted into the stovetop bechamel sauce. We mean it — two and a half pounds of cheese go into the sauce, which also features butter, heavy cream and evaporated milk. As for flavorings, you don’t need much. Once the bechamel is creamy and thickened, stir in a touch of Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
This would be delicious as a stovetop macaroni and cheese, but Tini takes this dish one step further by transferring it into a casserole dish and baking it until golden brown and bubbly. You might expect to see a buttery breadcrumb mixture atop the pasta, but even without it, this macaroni and cheese is just about everything we could ask for.
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