To save me from myself, I’ve tapped Allison Arevalo for help. There is nothing worse than a macaroni and cheese with a gritty sauce. Cheese sauce is so difficult to pin down due the temperamental protein structures found in the cheese get it too hot, and the whole thing dissolves into a pool of curds and oil. I’ve tried so many methods: starting with a roux that transforms into a bechamel, boiling pasta in milk and tossing in shredded cheese while saying a hail mary, crying when the sauce eventually breaks but still whisking vigorously in hopes that it will miraculously come together. I can’t make a cheese sauce to save my life. © Photo courtesy of Pasta Louise Design by Grace Han for Thrillist