Turn Mac And Cheese Into The Best Side Dish With This Tangy Cheese

When you think of mac and cheese, it's natural to associate it with a sharp cheese such as cheddar. After all, that tanginess is part of what makes the comfort dish so compelling. However, one drawback of cheddar is that if you don't process it properly during its preparation, the cheese may separate on you, leaving you with an oily macaroni rather than a creamy one. We spoke to Nola Krueger, a marketing specialist at LaClare Creamery, about an alternative cheese to try that brings tang, complex flavors, and great texture to your mac.

"Goat cheese can enhance macaroni and cheese in a few different ways. For starters, goat cheese melts perfectly. While traditional cow cheddar and other cow-milk cheeses may get oily or separate when heated, goat cheese easily melds into sauces." Krueger also notes that goat cheese has more protein and calcium in it, with less fat per serving than cow-milk cheese (if that's something you're keeping tabs on). It's an ingredient you can play around with; try using it with some of your other favorite cheeses (Krueger suggests no more than four total, for balance) and your toppings of choice, such as bacon, mushrooms, or even a balsamic glaze.

Fortunately, Nola Krueger says goat cheese is an easy type of cheese to incorporate in mac and cheese recipes. She does note that you need to treat it differently from other cheeses since it's more akin to cream cheese (which is great in a boxed mac), which is why you want to let it warm up slowly. For the easiest version of goat cheese to melt into a sauce, Krueger explains that chèvre, the soft variety, is the most functional one. Plus, your supermarket likely carries flavored versions, which can be fun to experiment with. If you're looking for a cheese pull, you can find goat cheddar or goat Jack cheeses to give you that coveted effect.

If you're still uncertain about goat cheese mac and cheese and want a simple dish just to give it all a try, Krueger has you covered. "For an easy baked mac and cheese recipe, we would recommend adding 6 ounces of chèvre per ½ pound of macaroni. We would add the goat cheese near the end of the sauce-making process. Our general process: keep your noodles separate, prepare the roux, slowly add milk, then add in the goat cheese and seasoning. Slow and low is the key to ensuring proper integration into the sauce. Once that's combined, add the noodles and coat in your tangy cheese sauce. Then, transfer the whole mixture to a baking dish and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes."