Mac and cheese will be better than ever if you add 1 uncommon ingredient

While recipes tend to be fairly similar, people tend to add their own twist to make it unique. However, a user on has revealed an that maybe all home cooks should add to their own methods of making the popular dish. On a cooking forum, user DiscoStu303 asked people: "What is your top secret ingredient?" One person commented: "Mustard power. Just a little bit adds depth to so many things."

But the discussion didn't stop there. Another user added: "Mustard powder in a cheese sauce is just amazing," which the first commenter agreed with before dropping the gem. They wrote: "Yup. I always wondered why my grandma's mac and cheese was so much better than any other I'd tried until I realised that mustard powder isn't a common ingredient."

Now when it comes to putting the secret ingredient to the test, you might be wondering at which point does it play a part in the dish. Fortunately, this recipe by is labelled as the "best ever" mac anc cheese, and includes mustard powder in it.

Ingredients:

• 50g baguette, cut into small chunks
• 2 tbsp butter, plus 1tbsp melted
• 350g sprial or other short pasta
• 1 garlic glove, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 500ml whole milk
• 250g vegetarian mature cheddar, grated
• 50g parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), grated

Method:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Spread the baguette chunks over a baking sheet, drizzle with the melted butter and season. Bake for 6 mins until crisp, then set aside.
• Boil the pasta for 2 mins less than stated on the pack, then drain.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the garlic and English mustard powder, cook for 1 min, then stir in the plain flour.
• Cook for 1 min more, then gradually whisk in the milk until you have a lump-free sauce.
• Simmer for 5 minutes, whisking constantly, until thickened. Remove from the heat, then stir in the cheddar and half the parmesan.
• Stir the pasta and some seasoning into the cheesy sauce. Transfer to a large ovenproof dish or four individual dishes.
• Scatter over the bread and the remaining parmesan, then bake for 20 mins until crisp and golden. Can be frozen before baking - defrost thoroughly before cooking.