3 Chefs Try to Make Mac & Cheese with No Recipe | Epicurious

Mac and cheese-simple enough when you’re following directions. But what would you do if you weren’t given a recipe and had to make one up on the spot? Novice chef Joe, home cook Diane, and professional chef Saúl Montiel find out who has the kitchen experience and culinary creativity to pull it off. 3 chefs, no recipes-and lots and lots of mac and cheese.
Director: Chris Principe
Director of Photography: Francis Bernal
Editor: Phil Ceconi
Director of Culinary Production: Ali Inglese
Coordinating Producer: Kevyn Fairchild
Culinary Producer: Jessica Do
Assistant Culinary Producer: Leslie Raney
Line Producer: Jennifer McGinty
Associate Producer: Amy Haskour
Production Manager: Janine Dispensa
Production Coordinator: Elizabeth Hymes
Casting Producer: Cynthia Simpson
Camera Operator: Ben Townsend
Assistant Camera: Tony Aviles
Sound Mixer: Rachel Suffian
Production Assistant: Amanda Broll
Post Production Supervisor: Andrea Farr
Post Production Coordinator: Scout Alter
Supervising Editor: Eduardo Araújo
Assistant Editor: Andy Morell
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[@TheFierywaters]

Chef Saul might be a pro chef, but still faces dad chef challenges 😂😂

[@lewizm697]

Chef who?

[@Ben-Carr]

He must cook the onions a long time or use very little onion if the kids dont like too much onion. Onion quickly overpowers everything else in the dish.

[@Kjfletcher1985]

I love painfully spicy foods but my children complain if I put fresh ginger or onions in their meals. I'm slowly trying to acclimatise them.. then we'll move on to chilli. It's nice to know even pro chefs have these battles.

[@katl8825]

@@Kjfletcher1985 kids generally have more tastebuds than adults (you lose them as you age, or something) hence why a lot of kids can’t tolerate stronger flavored foods and ingredients :’)

[@elizahhoward6810]

@@katl8825interesting to note

[@jeboks777]

I see Chef Saul, i watch

[@arbbairagi]

Exactly😊

[@SenatiaA]

Yep, same

[@cdatlas]

Saul is my favorite chef on the channel, I wish he would do his own channel. I do like Frank too but Saul is really just a naturally funny person.

[@mathfan22]

Same

[@KillianMaddox]

Same

[@trevorpacelli8056]

After all these years, Epicurious finally gave us what we wanted: the 3 chefs trying each other's meals.

[@elizahhoward6810]

It really is a first huh lol…I understand it’s not a competition but why not have them try if they’re not allergic

[@synocrat601]

The next step is bringing in the level 4 food scientists to blind taste test and judge them.

[@kirstinweber3250]

Why does the level two sound like Hannah Montana? I can’t unhear it😭

[@SuperGraynard]

​@@synocrat601I'd honestly be interested in seeing the food scientists trying their hands at making some of the dishes

[@Alr1ghtyThen]

​@@synocrat601i want the food scientist to try the food too but i don't want her to rank them or judge them just commentate on the different styles and techniques.

[@Bored0720]

3 different level chefs, access to all the same ingredients, AND the same time limit?! AND they all get to sample each other's dish?! This is what your audience has been waiting for! 😱🥳

[@jankie321]

I love how at the end they get to try each other's dish and compliment each other. It's so wholesome 🥰

[@delightschwartz2155]

Finally, they get to taste and compare! The element I've been craving.

[@Horseplucker]

Agreed

[@nygreek743]

The most overused word ugh

[@Feliphezo]

​@@delightschwartz2155they've already done it multiple times..

[@kay-no]

@@nygreek743just a lil bit buzzkill 😔

[@stevendezwaan5707]

Chef Saul is awesome. He brings so much fun to these videos. His reaction to Velveeta is fantastic as well.

[@suelfitz]

I just about choked on my coffee laughing, when he crossed himself putting the dish in the oven!

[@stevendezwaan5707]

@@suelfitz I was having a drink of coffee when he commented on Velveeta and I had to try hard not to have coffee sprayed all over.

[@muafey]

zip it up when your done

[@darvoid66]

Chef Saul should be on television. He's a talented chef and he's fun too.

[@kaprilarismendy]

He was on a tv program calle Hoy Dia for Telemundo but sadly it was only as a guest for one week! Greetings!

[@justinannpeasee295]

He should make his own show instead on youtube or twitch. Being independent is better than being on a tv show that takes 80% of the profit he would be making.

[@syifarz1]

I could totally see him being on Masterchef Junior

[@lilempescrempa]

"I just kind of keep tasting things until it tastes like how my mouth wants it to be" Best way to cook

[@jaimesegura7318]

More of these please, so we can see what chefs can do with actual expensive ingredients too

[@robinbarker5407]

Always nice to see a Dream Theater fan :)

[@jaimesegura7318]

@@robinbarker5407 since 1997

[@xanderscookingschool1497]

3:42 This is why everyone loves Saul. He's basically admitting to being a pathological liar, and I love it.

[@gimmyyy]

it’s a latino parent tactic. my mom used to do it on me 😂

[@peadar-o]

I did the same with mushrooms with a housemate. I blended them into sauces and soups. 🤭🤭🤭

[@KarlainChrist]

No he’s not … weird comment

[@xanderscookingschool1497]

@@KarlainChrist "That's how you get vegetables into your kids. By lying to them." Sounds like pathological lying to me.

[@crimsonwingzero]

@@gimmyyy can confirm. My grandmother used it on me when I was a kid to eat my veggies

[@sony967]

Sauls comment about Joe being ready to be a father was so nice, perfect way to compliment the mac and cheese

[@PuffinPsychologist]

When Chef Saul imitated his daughter with the: “Is the food ready daddy? I don’t want no Oniyun-“ it took me out a lil more than it should have 😂 💀 ⚰️

[@froosh93]

Would you consider an episode with 3 Pro chefs, Saul, Frank, and Esta? Maybe with this format or the recipe swapping format. It'd be interesting to see how they do things differently.

[@maotingdew]

^^^THIS

[@liazavala1250]

I thought this would be 3 pro chefs too! That’s all I want to see

[@DirMaverick]

Nice to see the three chefs interact and eat each other's food. I always wondered why they didn't in the previous episodes. I thought, if I tasted the food I cooked, I'll definitely say I'd outdone myself...lol

[@levi6720]

The previous episodes were filmed during quarantine

[@acanthafiore]

And before the quarantine they were still separated, and that was because all the chefs were filmed at different schedules. So that might still be a thing if certain chefs are busier or if they're doing some ridiculous prep that makes the dish take much longer to finish.

[@Dominicana24]

Joe was everything in this video. I was cracking up the whole time

[@jonharris9681]

Love the format - the time limit is fun. I don’t think Frank could be a part of this bc it would take him two days to make Mac and cheese.

[@maddelise2110]

This format would be a true challenge for Frank 😂

[@amingusamongu5]

Frank would need to plant the durum wheat, raise and milk the cows... safe to say it will take him longer than 2 days

[@Jobother]

Frank would see the eggs and flour and be halfway through making his own pasta when the time limit ends 😂

[@flowertrue]

Frank would be putting a weight on a cheese press and churning butter.

[@YuuKamijo]

We always watch when Chef Saul is there.

[@adriansolis5362]

What a great show! Diane has a genuine enthusiasm for her cooking that is infectious, Joe just cracks me up with his ultimate confidence, and we all love Chef Saul. I was smiling the entire way through

[@mrfarenheit0323]

Love this format, do more of these please!

[@meredithlawhorn7044]

Wow I didn’t know about the pro tip -don’t add your cheese until after folding your pasta into the white sauce. Gonna use this!

[@breaker6683]

I've never heard of that either, hopefully I remember it for next time, I just made mac and cheese yesterday.

[@jc3drums916]

Not sure how beneficial that is. I feel like the consistency would be better if you make a mornay sauce before adding the pasta.

[@ellax325]

I add some cheese into the sauce, add the pasta, then tip it off with more cheese

[@twat1854]

@@jc3drums916I make Mac and cheese quite often and it’s the one dish of mine that is well beloved. Adding the cheese after you’ve coated the noodles in the bechamel sauce is the way to go. The cheese incorporates differently and the texture is wildly better. Nothing wrong with a mornay but if we’re being technical the sauce is meant to have parm or Gruyère and so not all cheese types incorporate nicely into it.

[@silvernickel108]

I love Chef Saúl!!! He’s so nice and funny, and it’s so sweet to hear about his children and their deceiving yet wholesome relationship with onions.

[@zacharyduryea4248]

Love this so much! My dad was a professional chef, very rarely saw him use a recipe or measure things. To me, this is how cooking really is When I got my first job in a kitchen, the head chef would ask me to make things without recipe all the time. There was no measuring equipment in the kitchen so I learned how to “eye ball” everything.

[@treehuggingbuddhist]

I would never dream of telling Chef Saul how to live his life.

[@crazyrabbitmom]

Joe is hilarious, I love it when he appears in videos! Never seen Diane before, I think she's great tho and should appear more. Chef Saul is amazing as always. I'd try all three dishes btw!

[@goeticfolklore]

There’s not enough comments about her! Hers looked delicious, I’m also a fan of spicy mac

[@kirstinweber3250]

All I could think about was how much she sounds like Hannah Montana. I can’t unhear it😭

[@ntielman2072]

always happy to see Saul. Joe's vibe is really chill as well. would love to see more of him All 3 chefs did amazing!

[@Singsonggirl]

LOVING this new format. And I'm stoked to see that Saúl does it the way I would have done it. Well, mine would have been a bit lumpier and without the chillies, but still.

[@arielmanela7641]

PLEASE! Get Chef Saul his own series! He's the soul of this channel

[@celiaflores-perez4932]

Chef Saul is a mood 🤣

[@paulorr4896]

This was fun. I think I love Chef Saúl even more now. How is that possible?

[@GyroCannon]

Joe has the exact same energy as me, a fellow person whose parents didn't know how to cook 😂

[@alnazdili4691]

1:50 "We use fancy stuff to impress people"😂😂😂😂😂

[@cassandrasinclair8722]

I love Chef Saul's energy.

[@brendaortiz5614]

I want a compilation of all of Chef Saul's greatest moments

[@bow3i]

This format is fantastic! Please do more of this

[@alionintights4074]

Saul's reaction to velveeta.....🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@I.Am.Lindsey.]

"Daddy, is the food ready!? I don't want no onion!" 😂Oop!

[@1263903]

Bro if Saul has his own channel, I WOULD WATCH HIM ALLL DAAYYYY

[@plantmommich]

Joe is my new favorite!!!! He’s so funny 😂

[@pixiesanchez9195]

My brother taught me a trick with veggies if you cut them small enough so say broccoli you can cut it so small it looks like green dots my brother told his son its green sugar 😂

[@rb-zn7me]

Anything with Joe and Saul is gold.

[@jono2245]

This format >>> 4 levels since at the end it’s not just the person cooking it giving their input. Like duh the person cooking it would it their creation since it’s also the effort they’re appreciating. Everyone should know what Saul is cooking up 😮‍💨🔥

[@ohwowoh7281]

Love how they got to taste each other’s dishes. That reveal was so well done! This was a hit Epicurious!

[@Romi_Zii]

Love Saul’s Dad Energy by hiding the vegetables in the food! 🩷❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜🖤🤍🤎

[@TPJN777]

This is my favorite concept for 'challenge' videos that you guys have done and I hope there's a whole lot more in the future

[@enny_oae2561]

Omg I love the interactions with the chefs. This is what the other series needed. 😍

[@toregenekhatun480]

This was fun would love to see more like it! They all did great with an everyday dish!

[@jl11sr]

love this evolution of the video format. as much as i loved the "4 ways" ...there was never really a 4th way and its fun to see the folks interact

[@firestick1481]

The most polite way to say I'm not feeling your Mac and cheese...... You need to have kids, they would love this.

[@wehcd]

MORE of this series please!

[@daintyboii]

Loved seeing Diane in this - such a calming and light energy (and had the best looking Mac & Cheese imo!). Keeping my fingers crossed that she features in many more videos! :)

[@rash9488]

Chef Saul is life.

[@Mcmuffinwaffle]

I don't think they could of had a more perfect cast for this video.

[@annelynn8708]

Each dish looks amazing. Thank you for this!

[@Arabwel]

This is a great format! I love this

[@nptuk2163]

Saul, you deserve your own show… you rock the place 😄😄

[@leenaabed1817]

This is the BEST series!! Are there more??!

[@alicetwain]

Let me say it again. Saúl thinks like a spicyer Italian. We have to adopt him to the boot shaped country.

[@michaelfouladi4961]

Chef Saul is a part time pro chef and full time entertainer😂

[@Taric25]

I love this format!

[@babs3241]

Excellent new show! Love this. It looks like how I cook when I stare at my fridge. (Made lovely reduction last night by deglazing a pan with canned tomato water and rice vinegar.)

[@lexymartin6841]

I really enjoyed watching this. Its so relatable,funny and satisfying ❤

[@lars4884]

they are all nice but because its the frist time seeing joe i have to say, he is so much fun to watch

[@AustinMerfeld]

Awesome content, I hope to see more of this series.

[@queenonac5171]

Beautiful ❤i love that they all tried each other dishes

[@PuffinPsychologist]

Watching this a second time without realizing I’ve seen it and AS SOON AS CHEF SAUL SAID “Is the food ready daddy? I don’t want no Oniyun-“, I immediately realized I have indeed seen this video. I died laughing and proceeded to drop my phone on my dog.

[@vicesobrevinas7230]

This new format is fun! Can’t wait for the interaction of other chefs and the combinations for a set of chefs are endless.

[@ohiko9594]

It's going to be my favourite show on the channel, hands down

[@GMLFire]

“This may be a disaster, but I’m having fun” I so so so love that!!!

[@TedBuk29]

Very fun video. Please do more!

[@kishavacadoo]

oh i love this series 😍

[@benkirkland5354]

All three were amazing!

[@jeff__w]

Novice chef Joe exudes the perfect combination of nonchalant coolness (“My method is called ‘The Slop.’ I learned it at Le Cordon Bleu”) and intensity (“It’s not a competition…but I’m gonna win”).

[@jeanw4287]

love these three people

[@clueless9619]

""why i choose this? because its fancy and that's what professionals do." absolutely perfect line!! love chef saul

[@PassiveAgressive319]

Is this a new series? Yessss pleaaasee🙏

[@nyandakun]

The editing is just next level 🔥

[@sreejamitra5872]

Love this new form of episode…. @epicurious you growing gracefully

[@VIP-ry6vv]

Oooo. I like this new series. Epicurious stepping it up.

[@JP-jd8wr]

Great idea for a series!

[@carialv]

Love this type of episode

[@lennysgomez7800]

LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS NEW FORMAT❤❤

[@victoriascotttheclassicist3692]

I'm with Chef Saul on the noodles! Cavatapi is one of my favorites. Also, thank you for the parenting advice Chef Saul 😂

[@Blarrrghish]

Looks like a new Epicurious series!

[@ThrwG49]

When I make mac/shells and cheese, I never use a recipe to begin with. I just boil pasta, and while the pasta is cooking, I make the roux. Once the pasta is close to being ready (al dente), I start adding the cheese to the roux and then combine the finished pasta and sauce, along with a little bit of the [leftover] pasta water. If anything goes wrong at the this point, I will add more cheese, milk, or butter until I get to where I want it. Then, finally, I serve the finished product.

[@juanalejandrosotto6217]

"You have children? I think they will really like this!" Sounds like an insult , hehehe

[@kidogames3455]

I found my new favorite series 😍

[@knowwe]

They all looked yummy. I'd pick Diane's one just because I love peppers & spice, but they all looked lush!

[@celseasharcelceeofficial]

I loved that they tasted each other’s!!! That was so cool!!!!

[@Elishacheinje]

OMG I love Saul. "That's what professionals do. We use fancy stuff to impress people"

[@DaBlaccGhost]

Chef saul seeing velvita for the first time is a whole mood 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@donMurgero]

So, this is Three Levels of Pro chef now? I’m in.

[@elifyakut3499]

I love this new concept!

[@kaprilarismendy]

Please keep this series! It’s so entertaining. Hopefully we’ll see chef Frank

[@Smilealot62]

Enjoying the show so much!!!! 🎉🎉🎉

[@Mervin-Bunter]

I will watch any video with Chef Saúl. More of him pls.

[@jenoellejudilla7275]

More of this ep. plssss

[@pinkhandgrenade]

I think Chef Saul needs to be my life coach.

[@elizabethpeterson7848]

I love all three of them!

[@juliagearing506]

I enjoyed this new content. Epicurious we need more

[@Arcana_Gamez]

i want more of this style of video please