Avoid Clumps In Your Homemade Mac And Cheese With This Advice From Tillamook - Tasting Table

""I start by building a roux (butter and flour) and then add milk to create a béchamel sauce," he explains. "The trick is temperature control: Flour reaches its maximum thickening power around 190 degrees Fahrenheit, so I monitor the sauce closely. Once it hits that point, I turn off the heat and slowly whisk in the shredded cheese." The key is to gradually add shredded cheese, rather than larger cubes or chunks, which won't melt as easily as shreds."

"He will instead buy a block of cheese, grate it, and leave the cheese sitting out for 30 to 40 minutes prior to cooking. "Cheese straight from a 36 degree Fahrenheit fridge is firm and doesn't want to melt as easily," he explains, "but once it warms slightly, it relaxes and melts more smoothly, helping prevent your sauce from seizing or separating.""

Build a roux of butter and flour, then add milk to create a béchamel sauce. Monitor temperature because flour reaches maximum thickening power around 190 degrees Fahrenheit and turn off the heat at that point. Slowly whisk in shredded cheese off the heat, adding it gradually rather than in large cubes to ensure smooth melting. Use freshly grated cheese from a block and let it sit 30 to 40 minutes to warm slightly so it melts more easily. Toss cooked pasta into the creamy sauce, top with more cheese and a crunchy topping, and bake briefly to achieve a golden, crispy finish.

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