I made Ree Drummond’s ‘best mac and cheese in all eternity.’ It’s my go-to comfort meal — but I add one extra ingredient.

Mac and cheese has always been my go-to comfort meal — not just because of how it tastes, but because it reminds me of my dad.

When I was a teenager, he fell in love with cooking, and mac and cheese became one of his specialties. He’d often ask for my help in the kitchen, and cooking became a bonding experience for us.

Although my dad doesn’t live close enough for me to have his mac and cheese regularly anymore, I still crave that familiar comfort. No recipe I’ve tried has tasted quite the same as his.

So, when I happened upon a very similar mac and cheese recipe from Ree Drummond, also known as the Pioneer Woman, I knew I had to give it a shot.

In the recipe post, the celebrity chef describes it as the “best mac and cheese in all eternity.” My expectations were high, but to make it taste a bit more like home, I included one additional ingredient that my dad loves.

In my humble opinion, I think it made Drummond’s recipe even more delicious.

First, I gathered all the ingredients, including a few that were different from my dad’s recipe.

The recipe called for macaroni, salted butter, flour, whole milk, cheese, salt, pepper, and optional herbs and spices.

All of these ingredients reminded me of my dad’s dish — but Drummond adds dry mustard to her sauce for a bit of tang, too, which I found intriguing.

She also uses a tempered egg in the sauce, which admittedly intimidated me. This process involves combining whisking eggs into a hot liquid while making sure they don’t coagulate into clumps.

I was nervous my attempt might turn into scrambled eggs.

I undercooked the noodles and let them cool.

Drummond specifically suggests undercooking the macaroni so that the noodles don’t get too dry once they’re in the oven.

Most other mac and cheese recipes I’ve tried recommend cooking the pasta al dente or based on the box’s instructions. My dad usually cooked his noodles through, too, but I was willing to trust Drummond’s process.

I salted the water and boiled my pasta at high heat for five minutes before draining it into a colander.

To start the sauce, I made a roux.

Next, it was time to make a roux base (flour and butter) to help thicken up the sauce.

The melted butter smelled amazing as I whisked the ingredients consistently on medium-low heat.

Once the roux had cooked for about five minutes, I added in the whole milk and mustard, whisking as I went.

I learned a new skill: tempering an egg.

It took about twice as long to thicken the sauce as Drummond’s recipe promised; I might have used a tad too much milk.

Once the mixture finally thickened after 10 minutes, though, it was the moment of truth: tempering the egg.

As I poured the sauce, I whisked frantically to prevent the egg from cooking. Miraculously, it didn’t!

Next, I added the cheese and finished up the sauce.

After pouring the tempered egg mixture back into the cream sauce, it was time to add the cheese and seasonings.

Drummond suggests using a mix of fontina, pepper jack, cheddar, and gruyère, but says that her recipe should work with many types of cheese. I stuck to sharp yellow cheddar, which was my favorite growing up.

After all the cheese had melted and mixed into the sauce, I put the cooled pasta back into its pot and poured the sauce over it. Then, I scooped the mixed mac and cheese into a buttered baking dish.

Already, it looked super creamy and delicious.

Finally, I tossed in my dad’s special mac and cheese ingredient.

Drummond suggests sprinkling another layer of cheese on top before sticking the dish in the oven. Here’s when I added that special ingredient from my dad’s recipe: breadcrumbs.

Instead of just sprinkling them over the cheese, it’s best to mix the breadcrumbs with the cheese, so they’re less likely to burn. I used regular breadcrumbs with a bit of garlic and onion powder mixed in.

Once the cheese-and-breadcrumb topping was on my mac and cheese, I stuck it in the oven.

I baked the dish for about 30 minutes — a bit longer than the recipe called for — so the top could get a little darker and crispier.

It tasted just like my dad’s, and I can’t wait to make it again.

My husband and I ate the mac and cheese almost as soon as I pulled it out of the oven. It had a nice crispy crust on top and cheesy noodles underneath.

Despite my initial hesitation, I’m glad I undercooked the noodles to allow them to reach that creamy consistency.

It was also a great call to add breadcrumbs to the topping; they really gave the dish that extra savory, toasty flavor I know and love.

This was my first recipe from the Pioneer Woman, but it won’t be my last. I’d make this mac and cheese recipe again in a heartbeat, especially around the holidays — and maybe even for my dad.

The post I made Ree Drummond’s ‘best mac and cheese in all eternity.’ It’s my go-to comfort meal — but I add one extra ingredient. appeared first on Business Insider.