Southern Mac and Cheese -

A serving of cheesy baked macaroni and cheese is lifted out of a glass baking dish, revealing a golden, bubbly, and slightly browned melted cheese topping.

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Southern Mac and Cheese

This classic, Southern Mac and Cheese recipe is gooey, creamy, perfectly seasoned, and a hit at every holiday. As a custard-based mac and cheese (with eggs and evaporated milk), this is incredibly easy to throw together while not sacrificing on flavor and texture.

Prep Time20

Active Time40

Rest time20

Total Time1 20

Course: dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Baked mac and cheese, TikTok Mac and Cheese

Yield: servings

Calories: 282kcal

Author: Author: Maddy & JD - Them Bites

Equipment

1 13 x 9 baking dish

Materials

1 lb elbow macaroni
4 tbsp unsalted butter
3 12 oz cans evaporated milk
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp paprika
salt and pepper to taste
3 eggs beaten
8 oz cheddar cheese freshly shredded
8 oz colby cheese freshly shredded
4 oz gruyere freshly shredded

Instructions

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tbsp of salt. Add and cook elbow macaroni in liberally salted water one minute less than the package instructions for al dente preparation.
While noodles cook, shred all of the cheese. It can all ne mixed together. Reserve 1½ cups for the top.
Drain noodles then set aside. Add 2 tbsp of the butter to the noodles and toss to coat.
Combine the evaporated milk, dry mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Make sure you can really taste the salt in your milk mixture.
Next, add the well-beaten eggs into the seasoned milk and stir to combine.
Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease a 3-quart 13x9 baking dish. Layer cheese and noodles evenly into baking dish, starting with cheese (aim for 3 layers of noodles).
Sprinkle the reserved 1½ cups of cheese evenly over everything then pour milk mixture evenly over noodles and cheese. Sprinkle top with salt and pepper.
Cut butter into thin pats then place them evenly on top of cheese.
Bake at 350℉ for 40 minutes. Turn the oven to broil and bake for a couple more minutes until the top is slightly browned. Be careful to watch so it doesn't burn.
Remove from the oven and let sit for 20 minutes. Do not skip this step! If you dig in too soon it will be soupy, so this time will allow for it to set up.

Nutrition