Royal Chef Darren McGrady Shares The Secret To Harry And William's Favorite Mac And Cheese - Exclusive

Pull out a box of Kraft Mac & Cheese, and it's bound to stir up some memories for former royal chef Darren McGrady. He spent years cooking for Princess Diana and her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, at Kensington — and in a YouTube video, McGrady disclosed that he used to make mac and cheese when the princes were boys. Accompanied (naturally) by roast chicken, the chef revealed that the classic pasta dish was "one of [the princes'] favorites." Though, it's not necessarily his.

"Throw those boxes away!" McGrady begged in an exclusive interview with Mashed. "That synthetic nasty cheese is awful." The chef assured that making a homemade cheese sauce fit for a royal palate is "not really, really hard. It's not," and added that quality cheese is indispensable. "In the kitchen, we're chefs, we're cooks," McGrady insisted. "If you can just get a little chunk of fresh Parmesan, maybe a little gruyére, and then some beautiful mature cheddar, then make your own sauce." 

There's another secret to making a royally-approved macaroni and cheese: timing. In fact, Harry and William's former chef gave Mashed a great hack that just may permanently change the way you make your favorite comfort food. 

The technique that Darren McGrady uses to make his royal mac and cheese is, most likely, not dramatically different from the way most do it now. "A little butter, a little flour, stir it, add your milk, and then grate that cheese," McGrady summarized during a chat with Mashed. "And then, just let that cook." It's how long you let your cheese sauce cook, he cautioned, that elevates the dish from an everyday mac and cheese to a dish fit for princes. "When you're making your cheese sauce, let that sauce just bubble away for 20 minutes," the royal chef advised. "That's how long it takes to open those starch granules in the sauce. And that will make you the shiniest, most gorgeous sauce. Drop in your macaroni then, give it a stir." And voila! 

And, don't forget to top off your mac and cheese with "a sprinkle more of gruyére or Parmesan on top," McGrady added and also suggested "some toasted breadcrumbs [and] a little splash of truffle oil" to elevate the experience.

Hungry for more royally approved tastes? Order Darren McGrady's CrateChef box, and visit Chef McGrady's website for more royal recipes and culinary inspiration.