The Best Mac and Cheese 2 Ways: Sodium Citrate & American Cheese | What’s Eating Dan?

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Want the creamiest mac and cheese? Buy American. Dan shows you an innovative recipe that is scientifically proven to achieve the smoothest sauce.

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41 Comments

  2. Nonsense. Never bought ‘American’ cheese in my life. Made lots of cheese sauces including for Mac and cheese and don’t find a single lump – unless I mess up the bechamel. Nothing to do with the cheese.

  3. I know, trust me I KNOW…can we use gorgonzola or blue cheese? I always just end up sprinkling it on the end with the bread crumbs but I really like blue cheese and it never works. Yes, I am swedish and yes I have eaten headcheese too but blue cheese is the bomb for me even if I get a tummy ache.

  8. Dear Dan, now back to the nerdy stuff??? The shameless pandering of the cool nacho cheese shirt hit all my nerdy buttons! I love to make Mac and cheese but tend to stay away from American Cheese because I only have seen the plastic yellow stuff in the stores. I simply couldn’t stomach that cheese in my cooking. Now I will go in search of the white block American cheese that you used. Here is my plug for buying citric acid. It also is used to make ATK’s Satiny Posset. Fun times with chemistry in the kitchen!❤

  11. We attempted the nacho cheese recipe for the Super Bowl this year. Somehow we ended up ordering sodium nitrate instead of citrate and the sauce didn’t come together at all. My husband tried eating some to make me feel better, but once we realized our mistake we called poison control. Everyone was fine, but it was traumatic and I think we will stick to the American cheese trick. We’ve made the Mac and cheese recipe many times with great success!

  15. CAULIFLOWER! Midway through cooking the pasta I love adding a head of shredded cauliflower to let it finish cooking at the same time. All coated in scrumptious cheesy goodness with the same soft texture but with hidden fibrous nutrients, this variation is seriously addictive.

  23. The "rule breaking" mac and cheese recipe didn't surprise me much. I'v'e been adding a pinch of mustard and either cayenne or paprika to mine for years. My mother used to doctor up the "blue box" mac and cheese by adding real grated cheese to it and melting it in, along with said pinches of dry mustard and paprika.

  25. Most unexpected thing I put in mac and cheese: tomato sauce, or as have found I preferred, sliced cherry tomatoes. The rich mac and cheese + the acidic (and slightly sweet) tomatoes work really well together.

  29. I love canned tomatoes in my M&C, baked or stove top. I am more likely to put Rotel (diced tomatoes with chilies) in a stove top version and whole tomatoes that I hand crush in baked. When I make baked M&C, I layer them in. I definitely have a preference for canned tomatoes for M&C, though I don't know why. Most other times fresh is best for me! 😂

  34. I know I'm in the minority, but I don't like the gooey texture of cheese products emulsified with sodium citrate. I made some wonderfully flavored mac'n'cheese years ago, everyone was raving how good it was, but it felt like nacho cheese sauce in my mouth. Maybe thinning it out will help so thanks, Dan, for explaining.

  40. "Deputy" included in the professional hierarchy? Sounds so official. Wish it were easier to find American cheese in the block style you used in the video. And this is coming from someone who lives in Wisconsin.

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