Tini’s Mac and Cheese Recipe

Tini’s mac and cheese is an absolute dream and so rich and delicious.

This is the viral mac and cheese that blew up the 2023, 2024, and 2025 holiday seasons so much it caused literal cavatappi shortages. I first made this version of it in 2023 and I’ve made it so many times since and love it so much it’s a perennial Thanksgiving classic in our house.

Three kinds of cheese, chewy corkscrew pasta, and even more cheese that’s baked until bubbly and crisp and melty are a match made in heaven. If you’re a mac and cheese lover, this is the recipe you need to try. It’s the creamiest, richest, most over the top mac and cheese you may ever make.

What is Tini’s mac and cheese?

Tini’s mac and cheese is chef Tineke “Tini” Younger’s famous baked mac and cheese recipe that went viral on Tiktok way back in 2023. Instead of elbow macaroni, it uses cavatappi, which I love for catching all the creamy cheesy sauce. But it’s not all about the mac. This mac and cheese is special because of its emphasis on the cheese side too: stretchy mozzarella, creamy colby jack, and classic cheesy cheddar might seem like a lot, but it’s really not.

It’s a bit of work but that makes it just that much more special and perfect for your Thanksgiving/Christmas/holiday dinner parties. I’m a big fan of bringing it to potlucks too.

How to make Tini’s mac and cheese

1. Cook the pasta: in a large pot of salted water, cook the pasta over high heat according to the package directions then drain well.
2. Make a roux: melt 3 tablespoons of butter in large non stick pan. When it’s melted, add half of the seasoning and stir it around to release the aromatics. Stir in 3 tbsp flour and stir and cook until everything starts bubbling and the raw flour cooks.
3. Add the evaporated milk: slowly stream in one can of evaporated milk and whisk immediately. It should start to thicken slightly.
4. Add the heavy cream: stir in the heavy cream, whisking it in completely. Whisk in the remaining seasoning and 1 tbsp of Dijon. Let the sauce thicken slightly, whisking occasionally.
5. Add the cheese: Turn down the heat, then add in 1/2 of the cheese, by the handful, whisking in and letting each handful melt before adding more cheese.
6. Stir in the pasta: Stir in your cooked pasta making sure all the sauce coats every single noodle.
7. Layer the mac and cheese: in an oven safe casserole dish, layer the pasta. Add 1/2 of the mac and cheese to the pan, spreading it out evenly. Then add 1/2 of your remaining shredded cheese. Add the rest of the mac and cheese and finish the top with the last of the shredded cheese.
8. Bake: Pop the casserole into a preheated 350°F oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top melts and it’s golden and bubbly.
9. Broil: Finish it off by broiling for 2 minutes so the mac and cheese gets a nice little crust. Be sure to keep an eye on it.
10. Enjoy! Add some sliced chives if you want (Tini does!), then scoop and enjoy!

Tini’s mac and cheese ingredients

• pasta – Tini uses corkscrews aka cavatappi (pictured above) aka the best pasta for mac and cheese because the sauce goes into the center of the tube and when you bite into it, you’re biting into pockets of cheesy creaminess. You can find corkscrews at most grocery stores or online.
• cheese – there are three kinds of cheese in Tini’s mac and cheese: mozzarella, colby jack, and sharp cheddar. Buy blocks of cheese and grate them yourself. After you shred all your cheese, mix them up and divide them into 2 equal portions.
• butter – you need butter to make a roux or white sauce, go for unsalted.
• flour – flour is the other ingredient in roux. The regular all purpose flour in your pantry is perfect.
• evaporated milk – one can of evaporated milk makes everything super creamy.
• heavy cream – using heavy cream instead of milk makes this mac and cheese even creamier and richer.
• seasonings – salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika. The garlic powder adds garlickiness and the smoked paprika adds a hint of smokiness in the background. Mix up all the seasonings together in a small bowl so it’s easy to add to the pan.
• Dijon mustard – most people don’t know this but almost all mac and cheese recipes contain some kind of mustard. Tini opts for Dijon, which cuts through the richness of the cheese and adds balance to the entire dish.

Who is Tini?

Tini is Tineke Younger who is a chef, cookbook author, and creator who was on Gordon Ramsay’s Next Level Chef. Her original recipes have gone viral so many times, and (besides this one) I especially love her hot chocolate recipe too.

Mac and cheese tips and tricks

Shred your own cheese – Pre-shredded cheese usually has anti-caking agents in it to make sure the shreds don’t clump and those agents can make your mac and cheese grainy.

Layer – Just like lasagna, layering mac and cheese is a pro move. You get pockets of melty cheese and a crispy cheese top.

Season – Don’t skip the garlic powder, smoked paprika, and mustard! They really add that extra bit of oomph and flavor that takes this mac and cheese over the top. Trust me, you don’t really taste any of the seasonings in particular, instead they just meld together into a really nice flavor note that makes you want to eat more and more.

Make ahead mac and cheese

You can make this entire recipe ahead of time up until the point where you bake it. Cover it tightly and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days before baking. To bake it, cover it with foil and bake it for 30 minutes, remove the foil and continue to bake until the mac and cheese is heated through. Finish by broiling.

Do you need to use corkscrews?

I’ve made this many times now and corkscrews are good but so are traditional macs, mini penne, and rotini. Really any pasta shape you love will be just as good because this mac and cheese is so decadent it won’t matter, the pasta is just the vehicle to transport the gooey cheesy deliciousness.

Frequently Asked Questions

My cheese sauce isn’t smooth.

The key to a smooth cheese sauce is keeping the heat low or even taking the pan off the heat and melting the cheese with the residual heat in the pan. Add the cheese in slowly, a handful at a time, and let it melt before adding more.

Avoid pre-shredded cheese if you can, they usually have an anti-caking agent and that caking agent is usually the culprit if your cheese sauce is grainy.

Why is my sauce lumpy and how do I fix it?

A smooth, lump free cheese sauce starts with the roux. Each and every tiny grain of flour should be coated in butter and the roux needs to be cooked. After the roux is fully combined and cooked, slowly pouring in the evaporated milk in a small, steady stream, while whisking, helps the sauce stay smooth. If your sauce is lumpy, take it off the heat and whisk in a splash of water or milk (or blend it).

Why is my Tini mac and cheese soupy?

If your mac and cheese is soupy, it’s probably because you didn’t give your white sauce long enough to thicken. You want the sauce to come to a simmer and thicken before adding in the cheese. If you run your spatula against the bottom of the pan and the path fills up immediately, you need to simmer the sauce longer.

Why did my cheese sauce separate?

Cheese sauce separates when the dairy proteins in the cheese get too hot. To prevent this, make sure you turn the heat all the way down after the white sauce is thick. You can even move the pan off the heat and use the residual heat of the sauce to melt the cheese.

Is this too rich/complicated/expensive?

Try this luscious homemade scratch Velveeta mac and cheese as an easy to make alternative that will hit all right notes too. Or for a more refined take, try this Pumpkin Sage Mac and Cheese from our noodle cookbook.

Happy mac and cheesing friends!
xoxo steph

Tini’s Mac and Cheese

If you’re a mac and cheese lover, this is the recipe you need

Serves 10

4.71 from 594 votes

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

• 1 lb pasta corkscrew/cavatappi preferred
• 1 lb mozzarella cheese
• 1 lb colby jack cheese
• 1/2 lb cheddar cheese sharp preferred
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp all purpose flour
• 12 oz evaporated milk ~1 can
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 tbsp mustard Dijon preferred

• Preheat your oven to 350°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Once at a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook it according to the package directions. When done, drain well.

• While the water is coming to a boil and the pasta cooks, shred the cheese. Grate the cheese with the coarse side of a box grater. Once you finish grating, mix all the cheese together in a large bowl, then divide into two even portions and set aside.

• Make the seasoning mix: in a small bowl, stir together the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Set it aside.

• In a large pan, melt the butter over medium heat. When melted, add 1/2 of the seasoning mix. Stir, bringing out the aromatics. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until everything bubbles slightly and looks incorporated.

• Slowly stream in the evaporated milk while whisking to ensure there are no lumps. Next, add the heavy cream, whisking constantly. Whisk in the Dijon and remaining seasoning mix. Let the sauce come to a simmer and thicken, giving it an occasional whisk.

• Add HALF of the cheese. Turn the heat to low (or remove it from the heat if needed) and slowly melt in 1/2 of the cheese, handful by handful, making sure the cheese melts before adding more.

• Stir in the drained pasta, making sure to coat all the noodles in sauce.

• Grab your casserole dish (I used a 9×13 baking dish) and add 1/2 of the mac and cheese to the bottom of the dish, spreading evenly. Layer on 1/2 of the remaining cheese then the remaining mac and cheese.

• Finish by evenly layering on the last of the shredded cheese.

• Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the top melts and bubbles. Broil for 2 minutes to give it a crispy crust, then remove, let sit for a bit so you don’t burn yourself, scoop and enjoy!

Serves about 10 as a side or 5-6 as a main dish.

Nutrition Facts

Tini’s Mac and Cheese

Amount Per Serving

Calories 743
Calories from Fat 426

% Daily Value*

Fat 47.3g73%

Saturated Fat 29.3g183%

Cholesterol 139mg46%

Sodium 843mg37%

Potassium 164mg5%

Carbohydrates 40.3g13%

Fiber 1.6g7%

Sugar 5.6g6%

Protein 35.8g72%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.