Well I did it. You can read about my attempts here, here and here. Finally on the 4th try I figured it out. I have been shying away from using a secret ingrident…I learned that bechamel is not a cheese and what making a roux is. Before I tell you what the secret ingrident is, you have to know…I DID NOT believe that you needed this ingrident to make AWESOME mac and cheese…but a las you do! Velveeta! Here are the rough ratios…
What I used
1/2 classic Velveeta
1/4 Havarti
1/4 coastal cheddar
You need to either make a bechamel base or a roux. I use a whole stick of butter fyi…melted down then add flour till it lightly thickens up. Next add one of those small containers of heavy whipping cream. As the sauce gets harder just had 1% milk. Now, slowly add the cheese while stirring constantly. Add milk as necessary. Let the consistency be your guide.
At this point I added a pinch of truffle salt, pepper (just under a teaspoon) and paprika/ cayenne (a pinch)
Shells work best. Boil in a separate pot. While they are still slightly under cooked drain the water and pour the cheese sauce in. Mix around for about 1 to 2 minutes.
The best mac and cheese ever!
And there you have it
I think I am going to try a Paleo diet for the next couple weeks.
Have a great weekend.
Tagged: a perfect mac n cheese recipe, Béchamel sauce, bechamel sauce recipe, bechamel sauce recipe with cheese, Cheddar Cheese Sauce with a Bechamel Base, how to make a roux, mac n cheese, mac n cheese from scratch, macaroni and cheese, macaroni and cheese recipe, macaroni and cheese recipe beecher's, macaroni and cheese recipe seattle, macaroni cheese, Mornay sauce, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, seattle chef, seattle cooking blog, seattle cooks, seattle food, seattle food blog, seattle food blogger, seattle mac and cheese, seattle mac and cheese recipe, the thickening agent of three of the mother sauces of classical French cooking, What is a Roux
the Seattle Cook 
Congrats! That’s exciting you were able to find a recipe you like! I always love the sense of accomplishment after a successful recipe that is just as you imagined.
I actually made some mac ‘n’ cheese the other day and it made me think of your quest. The recipe was the baked kind and didn’t use velveeta (not a fan of that), but it was the best I had ever made.
It’s all about velveeta 😉 love ur site!
I’ve personally had a lot of success with Rotelle (wagon wheels) pasta! I’ve found it holds cheese well and is easy to get with a fork! Have a few different mac n cheese combos I’ve created with experimenting, and my fondness of mac n cheese grows everyday! Can’t wait to throw Havarti into the mix! *drooling*