Winning Mac & Cheese from Diaspora Dish Off Episode 1

The Story Behind the Dish

This is my fan-favorite, award-winning Mac & Cheese recipe. I am a true soul food cook, so I have to start by saying that I do not measure my ingredients or seasonings. I cook to taste. I season as I go, taste throughout the process, and let the flavor and consistency tell me when it’s right.

What makes my Mac & Cheese a fan favorite is the creamy texture, that beautiful cheese pull, and, most importantly, the flavor and seasoning. Every layer of the dish is seasoned so that you’re tasting more than just cheese in every bite.

Main Ingredients

• Cellentani or Cavatappi noodles
• Cheeses:

• Gruyère

• Gouda

• Extra Sharp White Cheddar and/or Extra Sharp Yellow Cheddar

• Colby Jack

• Parmesan

• Mozzarella
• You can use pre-shredded cheese if you are in a time crunch, but freshly shredded cheese will give you a better flavor, smoother melt, and, of course, a better cheese pull.
• For the sauce:

• Evaporated milk

• Heavy whipping cream

• Whipped cream cheese

• Sour cream

• Unsalted chicken stock

• Worcestershire sauce

• Flour
Butter
• Seasonings:

• Ground mustard

• White pepper

• Garlic powder

• Onion powder

• Accent

• Tony Chachere Spice N’ Herbs Seasoning

• Garlic salt
• For finishing:

• Smoked paprika

• Parsley
Spray butter

Method

1. Boil the noodles.
Start by adding unsalted chicken stock to your pot along with a little water. Season the liquid with garlic salt and bring it to a boil. Add your Cellentani or Cavatappi noodles and cook them until al dente.
2. Strain and season the noodles.
Strain the noodles and run some cold water over them while gently mixing them around. This stops the cooking process and helps keep the noodles from sticking together.
3. Once strained, lightly coat the noodles with spray butter and sprinkle them with a little garlic salt. Set the noodles aside while you prepare your cheese sauce.
4. Make the roux in the same pot.
I like to make my roux in the same pot that I boiled my noodles in, allowing me to take advantage of some of the residual starch left behind from the pasta.
5. Start by melting your butter in the pot. Before adding the flour, add your seasonings directly into the melted butter along with just a few drops of Worcestershire sauce.
6. Allow the seasonings to cook in the butter for a moment. Once you begin smelling those flavors and the seasonings have had a chance to bloom, add your flour.
7. Stir the flour, butter, and seasonings together and allow your roux to begin forming.
8. Build the cream sauce.
Gradually pour in your evaporated milk while stirring the roux, followed by your heavy whipping cream.
9. Continue stirring and allow everything to cook together with the seasonings. As the mixture begins to thicken, start adding your cheeses and allow them to melt into the sauce.
10. This is where you want to watch your consistency. If the cheese sauce becomes thicker than you want, add additional evaporated milk to thin it out. You can also go back in with additional heavy whipping cream as needed until you reach the creamy consistency you’re looking for.
11. And remember—taste as you go. Adjust your seasonings whenever necessary.
12. Finish the cheese sauce.
Once your cheeses have melted and your sauce has reached the right consistency, remove the pot from the heat.
13. Then add your whipped cream cheese and sour cream. Stir everything together until completely incorporated. Adding these at the end gives the cheese sauce another level of richness and helps create that extra creamy texture.
14. Assemble the Mac & Cheese.
Before adding the cheese sauce, you can mix some additional shredded cheese directly into your seasoned noodles for even more cheesiness and a better cheese pull.
15. Place the noodles into your baking pan and pour the cheese sauce over them, mixing everything together until the noodles are completely coated.
16. You can also combine the noodles and cheese sauce together in the pot first and then transfer everything into your baking pan. Either method works.
17. Once everything is in the pan, top the Mac & Cheese generously with additional shredded cheese.
18. Finish the top with a sprinkle of smoked paprika and parsley.
19. Bake.
Cover the pan with foil and place it into a 400°F oven.
20. Bake covered for approximately 10–15 minutes, depending on the size of your pan and how much Mac & Cheese you are preparing.
21. Remove the foil and continue baking uncovered for another 7–10 minutes, allowing the cheese on top to completely melt and get that beautiful finish.
22. And voilà—Chef Tae’s fan-favorite, award-winning Creamy Mac & Cheese!

Contestant Tips

• The real secret is to season every step, taste as you go, and pay attention to your consistency. The cheeses create the creaminess and that signature cheese pull, but the layers of seasoning and flavor are what truly make this Mac & Cheese mine. And, of course, there are a couple of other seasonings that I use—but I can’t give away all of my secrets!