We've Tried Every LongHorn Steakhouse Side. Here's Why The Mac And Cheese Stands Out

Steakhouse sides can make or break a meal, even if the steak itself is good. A table full of mediocre dishes shows that the kitchen only knows how to choose a good cut of steak and cook it properly. Our recent ranking of every side dish available at LongHorn Steakhouse found that, for the most part, the chain's options fared well. There was one clear winner, though: mac and cheese. The texture of the sauce, pasta, and Parmesan bread crumbs all combined to make a winning side.

The flavors were well balanced between the cheese, smokey bacon, and onion, and it had just the right amount of creaminess. The shape of the cavatappi pasta held the cheese sauce well. Everything tasted natural. Our reviewer ordered all the sides to go and tasted them alongside the steak to see how well they did their job of complementing the main course. Another factor that pushed the mac and cheese up in the rankings was its size. It was just the right amount to complement the steak and not overwhelm it.

If you're having steak night at home, you can learn from what LongHorn Steakhouse does right with its sides and make your own mac and cheese that pairs perfectly with your dinner. Start with making parmesan breadcrumbs using a simple toast trick. Make toast, toss it in a Ziploc bag, crush it with a rolling pin, and add parmesan. This will add the crunchy umami kick. Together with some chopped-up bacon, these toppings make the pasta less one-note.

Make sure you use cavatappi because the shape of your pasta matters. "Cavatappi" means "corkscrew," and the extra turn in their shape gives them more little spots to hold cheese and cream. And you want to get more cheese and cream in your mouth! An ex-employee of the restaurant posted on Reddit that the recipe and the 4-cheese sauce appear to be made up of Gruyere, Fontina, a lot of cheddar, and a bit of parmesan. Add those into your roux and then some heavy cream and smoked paprika. Top it, bake it, then serve it for your next steak dinner for a true steakhouse at-home experience.