The Grating Tip For The Most Velvety Batch Of Mac And Cheese Ever

When it comes to mac and cheese, there are hundreds of recipes out there. Everyone's Auntie Karen has their secret ingredient that makes their recipe the very best. But it's our belief that this tip should live in each and every one of those recipes making them all the most velvety mac and cheese to hit the table. The tip is, grating your own cheese and doing so finely.

Pre-shredded cheese is coated with an anti-caking ingredient that prevents the cheese from melting properly. This ingredient is great for keeping each little shred separate from the other in a bag but terrible when trying to achieve a smooth, silky, sexy mac and cheese. Finely grating the cheese is just that extra step that ensures your shreds will dance and hug and snuggle in tight with each other so the meltdown will be quicker, smoother and more even — as meltdowns should be.

As of late, TikTok is showing viewers that grating a block of cheese can be easier and safer by laying the grater down horizontally and placing the cheese on top. This is only if you are using a standing box grater. But just like those mac and cheese recipes, there are so many cheese graters on the market.

A four sided box grater is what is most commonly used in the home kitchen. For mac and cheese recipes, you will want to utilize the fine shred side of the grater. This is the side with holes and blades slightly smaller than its counterpart. Said counterpart is what you use in grating cheese to be put on tacos or chili dogs.

Another tip for your fine grating is to make sure your cheese block is cold. Straight from the refrigerator will help ensure your shreds don't clump together. Some recipes even suggest grating the cheese as the first step, allowing it to become room temp prior to adding to the recipe.