Recipes Dinner Mac and Cheese Mac and Cheese with Cracker Crumble 3.0 (3) 2 Reviews To create a mac and cheese with the silky consistency of Velveeta, but using a flavorful, aged cheddar, chefs and brothers Bryan and Michael Voltaggio add sodium citrate to bind their cheese sauce. “Sodium citrate will be your new best friend for cheese sauces,” says Bryan. “It gives you that creamy, melty, gooey texture, but with nutty, sharp cheeses that don’t typically melt smoothly.” Think of the nacho cheese possibilities! Slideshow: More Macaroni and Cheese Recipes By Bryan Voltaggio Bryan Voltaggio Instagram Bryan Voltaggio is an American chef and restaurateur. An alum of the Top Chef television series, he is a James Beard Award semifinalist and the brother of celebrity chef Michael Voltaggio. Known for his Mid-Atlantic cuisine at Thacher & Rye, he resides in Frederick, Maryland. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines and Michael Voltaggio Michael Voltaggio 2013 Best New Chef at ink., Los Angeles. His modernist cuisine pushes boundaries — he’ll serve octopus over buttered-popcorn puree — and it is delicious. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on March 1, 2017 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Snow day and every day, mac and cheese hits the spot. To create a mac and cheese with the silky consistency of Velveeta, but using a flavorful, aged cheddar, chefs and brothers Bryan and Michael Voltaggio add sodium citrate to bind their cheese sauce. Photo: © John Kernick Active Time: 30 mins Total Time: 1 hrs Yield: 6 to 8 Ingredients 1 pound radiatore pasta 3 cups whole milk 1 tablespoon sodium citrate (see Note) 1 pound aged extra-sharp cheddar, preferably Tillamook, shredded 1 tablespoon Worcestershire 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 4 cups crumbled buttery crackers, preferably Ritz 1 stick unsalted butter, melted 1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 3/4 teaspoon pepper Directions Preheat the oven to 375°. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. In a medium saucepan, bring the milk and sodium citrate to a simmer. Whisk in the cheddar, 1/2 cup at a time, until smooth. Whisk in the Worcestershire and the salt. Pour the sauce over the pasta. In a bowl, mix the crackers with the butter, Parmesan and pepper; sprinkle over the pasta. Bake the mac and cheese for 20 minutes, until bubbling and the top is browned. Let stand for 5 minutes; serve. Notes Sodium citrate is available on amazon.com. To make this recipe in eight 1-cup ramekins, halve the crumble and bake the mac and cheese at 375 F degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Rate it Print