Los Angeles-Based Culinary Creator on a Quest for ‘Slap-A-Whip’ Mac and Cheese

Palestrina McCaffrey knows a lot about macaroni and cheese.

For most of the past year, the Los Angeles-based content creator has been testing “at least 30” different types of mac and cheese for her TikTok and YouTube accounts, she told Fox News Digital in a Zoom interview ahead of National Mac and Cheese Day.

National Macaroni and Cheese Day is celebrated annually on July 14.

FREE ICE CREAM PROMISED TO CHILDREN IF THEY RECITE THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE BY HEART: “A NO-brainer”

After working for other YouTubers as an editor and director for about a decade, McCaffrey created her own channel last year, calling it “Little Remy Food.”

“I was really inspired to do food content because I love food, but also just when I think about wanting to connect with people, I feel like food is a really great way to do that,” she said, speaking to Fox News Digital while on vacation in Portland, Oregon.

The macaroni and cheese series, which McCaffrey describes in the videos as an effort to find “something that slaps,” began by testing recipes posted by celebrities.

“I thought about macaroni and cheese, mainly, because when I do potlucks, I really like to entertain and do a lot of things that involve the community,” she said. “So when I have people over, I want to make all the good stuff, all the good food, that they’re going to want to eat.”

7 INTRIGUATING NEW FOODS AT THE 2024 MINNESOTA STATE FAIR, INCLUDING “TOASTED PURPLE GLAZED RICE”

She added: “And macaroni and cheese is always the go-to dish you want to eat.”

As a fan of the dish, McCaffrey said she wondered if she could figure out the best way to prepare it.

When it comes to making sauce, McCaffrey notes that “evaporated milk is king.”

“When I thought about how to make[celebrity-created]macaroni and cheese, I thought, ‘OK, this is a really good way to connect with other people. People know celebrities.'”

While McCaffrey isn’t quite ready to crown a winner in her mac and cheese odyssey just yet, she does recommend some recipes.

VIRAL ‘CRACKING LATTE’ DISAPPOINTS TIKTOK USERS WHILE OTHERS ENJOY THE PLEASURE

The best version so far, she said, comes from content creator Tineke “Tini” Younger. The original, viral macaroni and cheese recipe, posted to Younger’s TikTok account on Nov. 12, 2023, has more than 112 million views.

Fox News Digital reached out to Younger to see if she had any tips for recreating her recipe.

McCaffrey created her channel, “Little Remy Food,” about a year ago. Her videos are available on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. (Palestrina McCaffrey)

“Tini is still the queen,” McCaffrey said. “She’s so unbeatable. I admire her so much. That girl can cook.”

Along the way, McCaffrey has made several discoveries about what she likes – and doesn’t like – about her macaroni and cheese.

CHICKEN THIGHS OR CHICKEN BREAST: WHICH IS “BEST” FOR YOU? FOOD EXPERTS WEIGH IN

For starters, although the dish is called “macaroni and cheese,” she actually prefers cavatappi to macaroni.

The corkscrew noodles, she says, “do a really good job, I think, because the cheese can really penetrate inside, and it gives a really creamy texture.”

Additionally, when making a sauce, McCaffrey notes that “evaporated milk is king.”

McCaffrey eschews tradition, opting for cavatappi, left, over macaroni, right, to make macaroni and cheese. “The cheese really gets to soak in and it gives a really creamy texture,” she said. (iStock)

She said: “It works really well. It creates a very creamy texture.” Spices also play an important role in helping to enhance the flavors of the cheese.

The type of cheese used in the sauce also plays a role. While she said she’s a “Velveeta fan,” too much of it can overpower a dish, she said.

“SHOCK FLAVORS”: WHY A COMPANY MAKES MAC & CHEESE AND PIZZA ICE CREAM

Her favorites, she says, are “smoked Gouda and Gruyere,” as well as Colby Jack and sharp Cheddar varieties.

“You’ll get real cheese flavors,” she said, rather than using processed cheese.

“I always thought I was a stovetop mac and cheese person until I started making all the baked mac and cheese.”

And on the question of “stovetop or oven,” McCaffrey said she likes both, but has found her preferences have changed since she started creating content about mac and cheese.

“I always thought I was a macaroni and cheese girl until I started making all the baked macaroni and cheese,” she said.

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

But there’s one catch: McCaffrey’s “secret twist” is that she’ll cook the mac and cheese for less time than the recipe calls for, she said.

This way, “we see these beautiful traces of cheese.”

She added: “I understand people like it drier and all that, but personally, I really like it when it’s super creamy.”

She was also pleasantly surprised by some of the recipes she tried, especially those using non-traditional ingredients.

“Terry Crews’ macaroni and cheese really surprised me because I hate cottage cheese,” McCaffrey said. “I can’t eat (cottage cheese) in anything, and I don’t know how, but I’m obsessed with that macaroni and cheese.”

Rihanna’s Caribbean-inspired mac and cheese recipe, which contained more vegetables than most mac and cheese recipes, was another hit, she said.

McCaffrey told Fox News Digital that so far, her favorite mac and cheese recipe is one created by Tini Younger, left. Singer Rihanna’s mac and cheese recipe, right, is also a favorite. (Palestrina McCaffrey)

But throughout her journey of making mac and cheese, McCaffrey said she’s found her cooking skills and confidence in the kitchen have improved.

“In one of my first episodes, I was so scared to make a roux that I would do it wrong,” she said. She was afraid people would stop watching her content and say she was a terrible cook.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

But dozens of recipes later, McCaffrey now has one piece of advice for fellow “home chefs” like her: Give it a try.

“If you’re intimidated by doing (a recipe), just do what makes sense, what works,” she said.

For more lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle

“Find someone who has good mac and cheese and try to work on that,” McCaffrey said.

“In the end, it will be delicious.”