It's the ultimate comfort food: mac and cheese. Even a bad mac and cheese is still a good mac and cheese, which is why it's practically perfect in every way.
But everyone has their own recipe for mac and cheese, even celebrities. So who's mac and cheese reigns supreme? We took two of the most renowned mac and cheese recipes (by your fave celebs, of course) and did a blind taste test with our employees.
Mac And Cheese Celebrity Showdown
Kim Kardashian vs. Martha Stewart
Before we get started, it's best to know what we're working with here. Kim Kardashian's mac and cheese is a lot more traditional, filled with a ton of different cheeses. Martha Stewart's, on the other hand, is a little more refined and "grown-up."
Here's what's in Kim K's recipe:
Ingredients:
¾ cup unsalted butter, divided, plus more for buttering dish
1 pound elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon dry mustard
3 ¼ cups whole milk, warmed
½ onion, grated
½ teaspoon paprika
1 bay leaf
8 ounces processed cheese, broken up into pieces
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
¼ cup goat cheese, crumbled
¼ cup mozzarella, shredded
¼ cup gruyere cheese, shredded
¼ cup Parmesan, grated
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 large eggs, whisked
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
And here's what's in Martha's:
Ingredients:
6 slices high-quality white bread, crusts removed, torn into small pieces
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, plus more for buttering dish
5 ½ cups milk, hot
½ cup flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 ½ cups sharp white cheddar, shredded
2 cups Gruyere, shredded OR 1 ¼ cups pecorino Romano, grated
1 pound elbow macaroni
So how did they turn out?
Kim K's Recipe
The Kardashian recipe looks a lot more like a traditional mac and cheese, by which I mean it's orange and looks like I want to eat all of it. Even though it seems like there's too much going on in this recipe, it's actually delicious. You can definitely taste all the different cheeses in it, and it's exactly what you want when you sit down to eat mac and cheese. However, as someone who loves ooey gooey mac, this is a bit of a let down in that department.
Martha's Recipe
Martha's mac was perfection, as to be expected. It was creamy, full of flavor, and well-balanced. However, if you're looking for a traditional mac and cheese, this may not be for you. The Gruyere adds a sharp flavor which not everyone will love. That being said, I could eat the whole tray of this and not feel any shame.
The Blind Taste Test
We surprised our employees with both versions of the mac and cheese, without telling them whose was whose. Talk about the best surprise.
AMY
"Judge me if you want, but I am a fan of Kim Kardashian, however, it's Martha Stewart...and her mac and cheese felt like a warm fire, where Kim's tasted like something from a diet cook book. If you're gonna have mac and cheese, go all in!"
Amy's Vote: MARTHA STEWART
AWA
"I like that Kim's recipe doesn't just settle for basic, it uses a bunch of different cheeses to elevate a dish that can easily be boring."
Awa's Vote: KIM KARDASHIAN
JON
"It was honestly the best Mac & Cheese I've ever had! The cheese worked really well with the macaroni, and I now try to make it this way every time. So good!"
Jon's Vote: KIM KARDASHIAN
SHANNON
"I am a big fan of not messing with the classics."
Shannon's Vote: MARTHA STEWART
TRISTAN
"This one just felt like real mac and cheese. It was creamy, cheesy, and I wanted to go back for more."
Tristan's Vote: MARTHA STEWART
THE FINAL TALLY
In the end, Martha Stewart's mac and cheese won over our judges, but both platters were demolished by the rest of the office. Basically, there's no losers here. Just people with happy tummies.
If you want the full recipes, keep reading!
Kim Kardashian's Recipe
Ingredients:
¾ cup unsalted butter, divided, plus more for buttering dish
1 pound elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon dry mustard
3 ¼ cups whole milk, warmed
½ onion, grated
½ teaspoon paprika
1 bay leaf
8 ounces processed cheese, broken up into pieces
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
¼ cup goat cheese, crumbled
¼ cup mozzarella, shredded
¼ cup Gruyere cheese, shredded
¼ cup Parmesan, grated
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 large eggs, whisked
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter.
In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the macaroni and cook according to package directions until al dente, making sure to not overcook the pasta as it will finish cooking in the oven. Drain well and set aside.
In a large pot, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and dry mustard, then reduce heat to low allowing to cook, but not brown, whisking to make a roux for about 2 minutes.
Whisk in the warmed milk, continuing to whisk until the mixture is smooth. Add in the onion, paprika, bay leaf, whisking to combine, bringing to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk frequently until the sauce has slightly reduced and is the consistency of heavy cream, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a medium bowl, stir together the processed cheese, cheddar, goat cheese, Gruyere, mozzarella, and Parmesan, then add ¾ of the cheese mixture to the sauce. Allow to sit 1 minute, then stir until the cheeses melt smoothly. Season with salt and pepper, then quickly stir in the whisked eggs. Add the macaroni to the cheese mixture, stirring well to combine.
Pour mixture into prepared baking dish, then top with remaining cheese sauce.
In a medium pan, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add in the panko breadcrumbs, stirring well to coat. Sprinkle breadcrumbs evenly over macaroni mixture.
Bake about 30 minutes, until sauce is bubbly and topping has begun to turn golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes, then
Martha Stewart's Recipe
Ingredients:
6 slices high-quality white bread, crusts removed, torn into small pieces
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, plus more for buttering dish
5 ½ cups milk, hot
½ cup flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 ½ cups sharp white cheddar, shredded
2 cups Gruyere, shredded OR 1 ¼ cups pecorino Romano, grated
1 pound elbow macaroni
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a 3-quart casserole dish with butter.
In a medium bowl, place the bread pieces. In a small pan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into the bowl with the bread, then toss to coat lightly. Set aside.
In a medium pan with high sides over medium heat, melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter. Once butter is bubbling, add in the flour, whisking to combine for about 1 minute.
Pour the hot milk slowly into the roux, whisking constantly. Continue cooking the mixture, whisking constantly, until it thickens and bubbles. Remove the pan from the heat, then stir in all the spices, 3 cups of the cheddar, and 1 ½ cups Gruyere or 1 cup of pecorino Romano until smooth. Set aside.
In a large pot, fill with water and bring to boil. Add the macaroni, cooking 2-3 minutes less than the directions on the package, until the outside of the pasta is cooked but the inside is underdone (it will continue cooking in the oven). Drain the macaroni, then rinse under cold water, draining well.
Stir the drained macaroni into the prepared cheese sauce, coating well, then pour into the prepared baking dish. Evenly sprinkle remaining 1 ½ cups cheddar and ½ cup Gruyere or ¼ pecorino Romano, then sprinkle over the breadcrumbs.
Bake about 30 minutes, or until browned on top. Let sit 5 minutes, then serve.
You can watch the whole video of these epic mac and cheese creations here: