The 1 Ingredient You Should Be Adding to Mac and Cheese, According to Martha Stewart

It’s time to put down the boxed macaroni and cheese.

Don’t get me wrong: It’s convenient and nostalgic, and often the exact kind of instant meal you really need. But if you haven’t made this comforting dish from scratch before, know that you're missing out: A homemade rendition is guaranteed to change your life.

The best part about homemade mac 'n' cheese is that you get to customize it to your liking. Want a layer of crunchy breadcrumbs baked on top? Go for it. Prefer a mix of cheeses or exclusively cheddar? The world is your oyster. Personally, I always add several dashes of Cholula to the base of my cheese sauce. But after watching a recent Martha Stewart clip, there’s one new trick I’m dying to try.

In a throwback to one of her classic cooking shows, Stewart recently posted a clip of herself cooking with her late mother, Martha Kostyra. Even more importantly, she revealed the secrets to the rather distinctive way her mom always made mac 'n' cheese.

A glance at Mrs. Kostyra’s macaroni and cheese reveals that it stands out. The dish boasts a delicate pink shade, a result of her secret ingredient: tomato paste. (Importantly, the amount of tomato paste is just enough to add a hint of color and complexity without transforming the dish into a vodka sauce.)

Stewart and her mom demonstrate how it’s done in the vintage clip, and it couldn’t be easier. They whisk the tomato paste into a pot of hot milk before adding a few spices like cayenne and black pepper and plenty of shredded cheese. This strategy is notably different from the way many classic macaroni and cheese recipes start, with a béchamel sauce. A béchamel begins with a roux of fat and flour, which helps the mixture gradually thicken into a rich white sauce after milk has been whisked in. Eventually, cheese is added, and then you technically have a mornay — aka the cheese sauce for your mac and cheese.

Related: This Is Martha Stewart’s Favorite Butter for Baking

If you want to incorporate Mrs. Kostyra’s tip into your traditional cheese sauce, I’d recommend whisking the tomato paste into the roux right before you add milk. This will give the final sauce a hint of sweetness, a little more umami, and a touch of acidity.

There are a few other signature touches on Martha’s mom’s mac and cheese, and it’s clear that this is a recipe meant for dairy lovers. Mrs. Kostyra does bake her dish full of pasta before serving, but not with a crunchy layer of breadcrumbs. Instead, she sprinkles more grated cheese on top, then finishes it with dollops of butter scattered across.

This makes sense as a strategy for cutting down on time without sacrificing all your flavor — you don’t have to prepare buttered breadcrumbs before baking the noodles, but you do still get the rich flavor of melted butter.

Related: The 9 Most Interesting Things We Learned About Martha Stewart in the New Netflix Documentary, 'Martha'

Perhaps even more distinctive is the way Stewart and her mother like to eat their mac and cheese: with a side of sour cream. In the clip, the duo is enjoying the warm, gooey pasta with a generous amount of bright white sour cream on top.

The caption for the video also notes that both of them loved serving macaroni and cheese with sour cream, and while I can’t confirm this is the cause, it’s definitely possible that the preference comes from their Polish heritage. What I can confirm, without a doubt, is that I’ll be trying out the Kostyra family method for mac 'n' cheese as soon as possible.

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