I Finally Tried This Viral Mac and Cheese, and Now I'm a Big Fan

If you’ve ever been looking for cavatappi pasta between November and January only to find it sold out, Tini Younger’s mac and cheese might be to blame. The corkscrew-shaped pasta is Younger’s base for her viral mac and cheese, which has caused nationwide shortages for three years running.

Tini first gained popularity when she was a contestant on Gordon Ramsay’s show Next Level Chef, but she has amassed a following on social media thanks to her casual cooking videos that show off her incredibly delicious recipes. 

I’ve had never cooked a Tini recipe, but my family loves mac and cheese—especially a baked version for holiday dinners. After hearing about how irresistible this mac and cheese was from several friends, I decided to finally give Tini’s version a try. Here’s everything you need to know about this super-cheesy casserole. 

How to Make Tini Younger’s Mac and Cheese

Like many baked mac and cheese recipes, Tini’s starts with boiling a pound of pasta. She insists that it must be cavatappi because the long corkscrews “hold more of the cream sauce inside”. Her recipe advises cooking the pasta for 8 minutes, but check your pasta’s instructions for al dente noodles; DeCecco noodles are perfect at 8 minutes but Ronzoni noodles need closer to 10 minutes. 

While the pasta is cooking, you’ll grate 2 1/2 pounds of cheese. Tini insists that you must grate the cheese by hand, but you could also use the grating disk on a food processor. It took me less than 6 minutes to grate a pound of Colby Jack, a pound of mozzarella, and 8 ounces of cheddar cheese with my box grater. Before moving on, you’ll mix the cheese in a large bowl and then divide in two—one half is for building the casserole while the other is for the cheese sauce.

The cheese sauce starts with melting butter in a large pan, adding paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Finally, you'll stir in some flour, and when it smells nutty, you’ll add a can of evaporated milk, two cups of heavy cream, and a tablespoon of Dijon mustard. With the heat on low, you’ll slowly whisk in half of the cheese mixture before folding in the cooked and drained pasta.

The dish is layered in a 13x9-inch baking dish, starting with half of the mac and cheese and then half of the reserved cheese, followed by the remaining mac and cheese and remaining cheese. The casserole is baked at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes before broiling for just a few minutes to get Tini’s signature browned toppping. 

Spicing Up Tini’s Mac and Cheese

Most of the mac and cheese recipes I’ve made use milk as the liquid for the cheese sauce, Tini’s use of evaporated milk is so beloved that she’s collaborated with Carnation for Tini’s Kickin’ Jalapeño Flavored Evaporated Milk, which can be used to add even more seasoning to her original recipe. (Her jalapeño mac and cheese recipe is just as popular as her original viral version.)

After making it myself, I finally get what the hype has been about Tini's mac and cheese. The casserole is supremely cheesy, and while dividing the hand-grated cheeses feels fussy, the end result—crispy top at all—is well worth dirtying two bowls. 

A viral recipe is not without some drama, however, and some folks on social media reported grainy or greasy results; After making this myself, I’d say avoid over-baking this mac and cheese; with so much cheese and heavy cream, the sauce can separate if cooked too long. Bake the casserole until just bubbling around the sides and the broil for just a few minutes, and let it cool for at least 5 minutes for maximum cheese pulls.