Last Updated on April 2, 2024 by Share My Kitchen
Without a doubt, this TikTok Mac & Cheese Recipe will soon become your favorite cheesy comfort food. It’s amazing how simple ingredients can make the best cheese flavor you’ve ever tasted.
The combination of different types of cheese and creamy flavor makes this the mac and cheese you’ve been waiting for.
Reasons to Love this TikTok Macaroni and Cheese
Amazingly Thick Cheese Hack: This popular macaroni and cheese recipe is THICK AND WONDERFULLY CHEESY. This is what everyone wants from a great mac and cheese recipe. Also, this isn’t the recipe for after-school lunch, instead, it’s the recipe that you bring macaroni and cheese to Thanksgiving dinner.
One-pot Mac & Cheese: No, okay, two if you include the boiled noodles. However, this cheesy, oven-baked pasta can be cooked in one baking dish with all the ooey-gooey components for a quick kitchen clean-up.
Where did this Popular Tiktok Mac and Cheese Recipe Originate?
Mac and cheese is a classic side dish or dinner recipe. And, there are many ways to make the perfect cheesy macaroni.
This particular TikTok recipe gained over 3 million hearts, so it is very LOVED. It is definitely not one of the 2021 Viral Food TikToks that anyone missed!
It is a must-try. Plus, are you not curious to see how it compares to other macaroni side dishes, and the classic Panera Bread Mac? You don’t have to wonder anymore because it holds up beautifully, and it is recommended for cheese lovers.
However, this is a little quirk to this recipe: you will skip the cream cheese. The notes include instructions on how to add it back in.
Ingredients
- Elbow Macaroni: There are many pasta options when it comes to macaroni. However, it is recommended to use cooked and drained elbow macaroni. You may be inspired to try other types of noodles once you have mastered the recipe.
- Butter: This dish already has salt, so use unsalted butter.
- Minced Garlic: This ingredient can be used in all delicious mac and cheese recipes, and it is very easy to work with.
- All-Purpose Flour, Half and Half, Heavy Whipping Cream: These are ingredients added to thicken the mixture.
- Real Cheese Ingredients: You don’t have to use cheese powder, cream sauce, or American cheese. What you need are shredded four-cheese blends (Monterey Jack, Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Queso, and Asadero), shredded mild cheddar, shredded white cheddar, and shredded mozzarella cheese to get the richest and most delicious mac & cheese. Again, this TikTok recipe requires real cheese.
- Seasonings: Garlic powder, onion powder, salt, ground black pepper, and paprika.
For Mac and Cheese
- 1 lb elbow macaroni noodles al dente
- 7 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 2½ tbsp all purpose flour
- 3½ cups half and half
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese Blend
- 2 cups Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese
For Seasonings
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For Topping
- 1 cup shredded White Cheddar Cheese
- 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
- chopped fresh parsley
How to make TikTok Mac and Cheese Recipe
- First, boil the elbow macaroni to a slightly undercooked state (so it doesn’t become too soggy). Then, drain the pasta water, and keep noodles warm.
- Prepare a 9x13x2 baking pan, and grease it with nonstick cooking spray. Add cooked macaroni to the pan and two tablespoons of butter. Then, mix until butter is melted. Keep warm and set aside.
- In a large skillet, combine five tablespoons butter, minced garlic, and flour.
- Heat the mixture over medium heat until the butter melts and the mixture becomes thick.
- Then, add the half and half and heavy whipping cream until almost boiling
- Take the pan out of the heat, and stir in 4 cups of shredded cheese, 2 cups of mild cheddar, and all the seasonings and spices. Continue to stir until all cheese has melted.
NOTE: This is where this recipe differs from the TikTok recipe, where it requires you to add 2.5 tablespoons of cream cheese to the mixture, and melts before adding to the pasta.
- Stir the cheese mixture into the macaroni, and make sure to distribute and coat evenly. Add the remaining 1 cup of mild cheddar, white cheese, and mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 425°F. Then, broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the cheese is golden. Be careful, and pay close attention to the broiler to avoid burning the cheese.
- If you prefer, top the mac and cheese with fresh chopped parsley prior to serving.
Why is the cheese white and not yellow?
It all comes down to what type of cheese you use. It will be yellower if you focus more on medium and sharp cheddar cheeses.
On the other hand, the liquid cheese will be whiter or more beige if you add white cheddar, queso, or other light cheeses.
Variations for Tiktok Mac and Cheese Recipe
Variations can make a difference, similar to any recipe! This recipe can be modified to make it more delicious, as long as the cheese is not artificially flavored. You can choose to enhance this mac and cheese with jalapeno shredded or smoky flavor cheese.
For the best Thanksgiving Mac & Cheese recipe, add some panko bread crumbs on top, and a side of hot sauce.
Although this dish is quite thick, a mac and cheese combination actually works well. You can also try adding some bacon on top to get Cheese Bacon Mac.
