Butter I again recommend unsalted butter here in place of salted butter.It is light, holds its crunch longer, and coats the dish more evenly. Breadcrumbs Panko is by far the best option here.Mustard Powder Like the nutmeg, just a bit of mustard powder adds warmth and a hint of tanginess.Nutmeg Just a pinch of nutmeg adds a nice warmth to this dish.It's important to keep in mind that kosher salt will affect the flavor of your food differently-it is a different shape than table salt and sea salt, and delivers less 'salty' flavor per teaspoon because it is less compact. Kosher Salt I buy this 3-pack of Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt and it lasts for a very long time.Cream Cheese It will be much easier to incorporate if you use softened, room temperature cream cheese.Just keep in mind that the sauce will be thinner and you may need to add additional cheese or cook the sauce for a bit longer depending on your desired consistency. Cream I used heavy cream here, but you could likely get away with using half and half.If you only have salted butter, I would dial back the salt in the recipe. Butter I almost exclusively use unsalted butter so that I can control the seasoning in my cooking.Shallot I use a small shallot here but feel free to use a larger shallot if you are a big fan.Fresh Mozzarella I also recommend buying this in its original form instead of shredded.White Cheddar I recommend buying this in a block and shredding yourself to avoid the anti-clumping agents in pre-shredded cheese.I would stay away from long, thin varieties like spaghetti or linguine. You could try cavatappi, elbow macaroni, campanelle, or any other short, small, relatively tubular pasta. Medium Shells Or another dry pasta that you have on hand.Two Cloves Kitchen, as an Amazon Affiliate, makes a small percentage from qualified sales made through affiliate links at no cost to you.

You could also make a simple side salad or a side of roasted or sautéed vegetables of your choice. To make this a complete meal, try adding some broccoli that's been simply blanched, or add some roasted broccoli for a dish that feels more upscale. The breadcrumbs are mixed with fresh parsley, garlic, and lemon zest for some needed crunch and brightness to contrast the super rich cheese sauce. Add tangy, creamy white cheddar and rich mozzarella to create a decadent, wonderfully velvety cheese sauce.īesides the pasta (my all-time favorite comfort food), the delicious breadcrumb topping is my favorite part of the dish.

You can easily replace that missing milk with a combination of cream and cream cheese.

Do you need milk to make mac n cheese