Capital Grille makes a fantastic Lobster Macaroni and Cheese. Making a consistently great Mac and Cheese isn’t the easiest thing. The problem is that macaroni can be like a sponge and before you know it, your perfectly saucy Mac and Cheese can become too dry. The key is to add enough sauce, (The Capital Grille Chef recommends a 2 to 1 ratio of sauce to pasta) then bake it quickly to add a crust and serve immediately. Follow this rule and you will have a winner for your supper club dinner party.

I worked for Kraft for 35 years. If you want to talk to THE expert on Mac and Cheese, hang out at the Costco in Memphis Tennessee. Larry Woodford was the research scientist that invented Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. He is retired now and lives on a lake in Mississippi. I worked with Larry for years, but now it is scary how many times we run into each other at Costco.

When my kids were young, my son’s buddy Eric Brown basically lived on Kraft Mac & Cheese.  Eric was the pickiest of picky eaters. This kid didn’t eat pizza, he even hated McDonalds, but he loved “Blue Box” which was Kraft slang for Mac & Cheese. I will never forget telling Eric that I worked with the guy that invented Kraft Mac and Cheese. Eric said: “Wow, he must be rich”. I said: “No, he is just fat”.

Larry developed the cheese sauce that was used in Blue Box for over 30 years. He probably got a $200 bonus for the development. He certainly didn’t get rich. If you ever have any questions about cheese, he is your guy. He has forgotten more about cheese than most of us will ever know. One thing he will recommend to the chef at Capital Grille, or the supper club chef, is that if you are using 4 cheeses to make your Lobster Mac and Cheese, make one of them Velveeta.

Using Velveeta has nothing to do with being a Kraft alumnus. Using process cheese in your Mac and Cheese recipe will add to the lubricity or mouth feel of your product. The fat system in Velveeta is the reason for the great mouth feel. The flavor also benefits from the salt level in Velveeta. Kraft research told us a long time ago that Americans equate Cheesiness with saltiness. It doesn’t hurt that salt is cheep and by adding salt you lower cost and adds to the perception of cheesiness. Ironically, another big steak chain, Flemings, used to use Velveeta in their famous Jalapeno Mac & Cheese. It just so happens that the head of R&D at Flemings was also a Kraft alumnus and had learned a trick or two from Larry.

Check out the Capital Grille recipe for Lobster Mac And Cheese. Keep this recipe in mind for your next supper club menu. Remember to add plenty of sauce, bake and serve. If you have any questions, look for a really happy cheese expert at Costco in Memphis.

If you enjoyed this blog and similar other stories/supper club lessons follow me on Facebook and Twitter and subscribe to get future blogs at www.impromptufridaynights.com/blog and check out my book Impromptu Friday Nights a Guide to Supper Clubs. Published by Morgan James Publishing and available through most channels where books are sold.