This Southern baked macaroni and cheese is a wonderfully creamy and extra cheesy side dish that everyone will love! Made with a minimum of three kinds of cheese to make the best mac and cheese that is sure to be a family favorite! You'll be bringing it along to every potluck, cookout, and holiday!
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Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and butter or spray your 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Cook the elbow macaroni pasta according to the boxed directions, but remove the pasta 2 minutes earlier than the recommended cooking time (for an al dente texture).
Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy. Then add milk and heavy cream, stir to combine.
Add the cheeses, reserving 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese for the topping, and the seasoning (garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper) as well as the cooked pasta. Stir to combine.
Transfer to your baking dish and top with reserved 1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese.
Bake uncovered in the center of your oven at 350°F (175°C) for 40 minutes.
Allow the Southern baked macaroni and cheese to cool for 10 - 15 minutes before serving. *The macaroni and cheese may appear jiggly, but sets up while cooling.
Notes
Do not forget to undercook your pasta! For best results, cook the pasta according to package directions minus 2 minutes. Rinse under cold water to stop the pasta from continuing to cook.
Get out your cheese grater. The best cheese is block cheese in this recipe. The already shredded cheeses in your grocer's dairy section have additives that prevent the same melting quality of freshly grated cheeses.
To get a lovely browned topping, you can broil the baked mac and cheese for the last five minutes of the cocking time. Watch your dish closely, though, as the cheesy topping goes from browned to burnt really quickly!!