The 3 Biggest Mistakes People Make When Cooking Macaroni and Cheese and How to Fix Them

• Melba Wilson, whose restaurant Melba’s in New York has been visited by royalty, is a queen of Southern cuisine.

• Wilson shared with Insider the most common mistakes people make when making macaroni and cheese.

• The cookbook author also revealed her tips on how to make the best homemade macaroni and cheese.

Melba Wilson is a mac and cheese connoisseur.

The New York City chef and cookbook author is the woman behind Melba’s, the iconic Harlem restaurant where she served the likes of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

So when Wilson sat down with Insider to talk all things Southern cooking, we had to learn her pro tips for making the best homemade macaroni and cheese.

“If I don’t make good macaroni and cheese, I’ll get kicked out of the kitchen,” he said, laughing.

Wilson shared the three biggest mistakes he sees people make with macaroni and cheese and how to fix them.

Never make macaroni and cheese on the stove.

“I’m not a baked macaroni and cheese girl, I’m a baked macaroni and cheese girl,” Wilson said. “My grandmother would come out of her grave if she used a stove.”

Wilson said baking macaroni and cheese in the oven helps give it a perfect crust on top.

“It’s about the two T’s: flavor and texture,” he added. “You’ll get a nice cheesy crust on top, and then you’ll take your fork and dig in and it’ll be gooey, cheesy love, and that’s what you want to get.”

Do not overcook or rinse the noodles

Wilson said it’s essential that the noodles be al dente. Problems will arise if the noodles are undercooked or if you use the wrong ratio of water to pasta.

“You have to make sure the water is boiling before you put the noodles in, it’s very important,” he added. “You want to make sure the water is salted and has come to a full boil before adding the noodles. I’ve seen people put the water in the pot, add the noodles, and it’s a recipe for disaster.”

And once you’ve cooked the noodles, don’t rinse them.

“You want the sauce to stick to the noodles, so you don’t want to rinse them,” Wilson explained. “When you rinse the noodles, what you’re doing is adding more water to them. But you want to drain all the water from the noodles before adding the cheese.”

And don’t just use one type of cheese.

When making macaroni and cheese at Melba’s, Wilson always uses pepper jack, mozzarella and cheddar cheese. But when he makes the dish at home, Wilson experiments with different cheese combinations.

“I like to use smoked Gouda or regular Gouda,” he said. “And I’m a big, strong cheddar girl; you have to use sharp cheddar if you want a little bite.”

Wilson said he sometimes also adds “a little Velveeta” for added creaminess.

“Don’t tell anyone,” he added, laughing.

Read the original article on Insider