The Powerhouse Ingredient You Need For Crowd-Pleasing Mac And Cheese

Homemade mac and cheese is one of those dishes that can either taste really flavorful or really bland. Blandness can happen for a variety of reasons, but most prominently, it comes from a lack of seasoning. Enter garlic: It ruins your breath, but it absolutely makes your cooking. Just imagine the Caesar salad without a garlicky, cheesy dressing, or roasted potatoes without a slightly pungent bite. It's undeniable that garlic is a magic ingredient that can turn a bland flavor into one that pops. Even after it has lost its sharpness following a roast in the oven, it's guaranteed to bring a nutty flavor to your favorite dishes. One of the best dishes to add roasted garlic to is mac and cheese: It adds an irresistible layer of caramelization and creates a delicious contrast when paired with the proper cheeses.

Simple, oven-roasted garlic is something you should be making on the regular. Not only will it make your house smell incredible, but it will also provide you with a distinct flavor you won't get from a raw garlic clove. To make it, you'll want to preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the clove's outer peel, and then slice about a ½ inch off the top of the clove to expose the inner layers. Drizzle it in olive oil, wrap the clove in foil, and place it into the oven for 45 minutes or so. Once it's done, the cloves should be soft and slightly brown.

Roasting garlic makes it less intense because heat neutralizes alliinase, the enzyme that's responsible for its pungent flavor. Heat also allows garlic's natural sweetness to rise to the surface, creating that caramelly flavor that isn't too overpowering. Depending on the type of mac and cheese you're making, this sweetness goes great with a variety of cheeses, including the typical mac and cheese options: sharp cheddar, mozzarella, and parmesan. If you want to get a little fancier, goat cheese is an often overlooked option that's actually one of the best cheeses for mac and cheese, especially if you're into tangy flavors. Combine it with roasted garlic to take a childhood classic to the next level.

If you're adding roasted garlic to your mac and cheese, you may as well add some fresh herbs to upgrade it even further. There are tons of options here, but we love Italian herbs, like rosemary, oregano, and thyme, as they add a nice earthiness that stands out beside the soft and subtle roasted garlic. If you can't get enough garlic in your mac and cheese, try adding it in breadcrumbs to sprinkle over the top for a tasty crunch. Or, make chipotle and roasted garlic compound butter and melt a chunk of it over your mac for a sweet, buttery bite.