Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese
(Soul Food Style)
Watch me make this southern baked macaroni and cheese from start to finish!
I’m pretty sure you all know how hard it is to find a good, southern, soul food style baked macaroni and cheese recipe, right?
People tend to keep a tight grasp on their prized macaroni & cheese recipes, but not in my family. We share our favorite recipes like they are going on out of style! “Aint no sense in taking recipes to the grave” is how my grandmother sees it.
Well, imagine my shock when my sister sashayed in on Thanksgiving and casually placed this baked macaroni & cheese on the table. I could have sworn I had all of my family members baked mac n cheese recipes.
What was this impostor all about! The proof was in the taste. I had one (ok three) plates of this macaroni and cheese and was on her heels like ash in the wintertime trying to get this recipe.
My husband took a bite and said, “um, you need to take your mac n cheese recipe off your blog and put this one up. This one is way better than yours!”
THANKS A LOT, MATT…You’ll pay for that comment dearly! lol
Yall this baked macaroni and cheese is FULL OF SOUL!! That is the first thing that came to mind when I took that first bite. Usually, I’m not that into mac and cheese recipes that involve Velveeta, but this one….yeah, this one gets a pass!
I just love how that top layer of smoked cheese forms like a crust. It’s super creamy, flavorful, and easy. The MVP is definitely that SMOKED CHEDDAR! Good God, I couldn’t stop eating this stuff.
So big sis…I will bow down gracefully to you and say that you make THE BEST Baked MAC N CHEESE EVER!
I have printed out this recipe, took a photo of it, laminated it, and put it in my recipe album. Not many recipes get to make it to the album. She’s a keeper!
I’m sure that if you give it a try, it will end up going into your recipe collection, as well.
Get the Recipe: Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup Colby & Monterey Jack, shredded (cheese blend)
- 6-8 oz Velveeta cheese, shredded (feel free to cut back on the Velveeta if you don't want it to be super creamy)
- 1 cup sharp cheddar, shredded (can use less if you don't like a sharp taste in your mac n cheese)
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup smoked cheddar cheese, shredded (a must)
- paprika, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Cook macaroni until just al dente or a little under al dente. (Look on the back of the box to see how long you need to cook your pasta for it to reach al dente.) Be careful not to overcook.
- Drain pasta and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add milk, heavy cream & cheeses (except for the smoked cheddar).
- Stir to combine.
- Taste the milk mixture and add salt & pepper until it has a good taste. (You can also add in other seasonings like onion powder, paprika, etc. Tasting will help avoid having a plain, bland baked macaroni & cheese.)
- When you are content with the taste, add the eggs.
- Stir well until combined.
- Butter a 9 x 9-inch baking dish.
- Add macaroni to the baking dish.
- Pour cheese mixture over macaroni.
- Make sure the cheese is distributed well.
- Top with the smoked cheddar cheese. (I add a little more Colby jack as well.) Sprinkle with paprika and/or black pepper, if desired.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes. Do not overbake. It may be a bit jiggly when you take it out of the oven. It will firm up as it cool.
- Let cool for about 10-15 minutes or until fully set.
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Smoked cheddar cheese can be found in grocery stores in the specialty cheese section, not with the shredded, common cheeses. I get mine from Walmart.
Do not over bake! Mac and cheese may be a tad jiggly when removed from oven but it will firm up as it cools.
Feel free to use other cheeses, but that smoked cheddar is a MUST!
*UPDATE* Sorry sis but I think I’ve discovered a new best-baked macaroni and cheese recipe lol I’ll be posting it soon guys, but this one is still a favorite!!
Wait I’ve got more macaroni and cheese recipes!! Check these out!
Creamy baked macaroni and cheese!
(this one is great for kids and adults It has no Velveeta)
Classic Homemade Baked Macaroni & Cheese
The first mac and cheese posted on my site.
I paln on making this mac n cheese for thanksgiving ….i have at least 20 people coming so do i have to triple the amount of cheese and eggs
I was asked to make mac & cheese this year for the holiday and came across this recipe. It seems to have great reviews so I’d like to try it. Problem is, I have a big family so was wondering if I double up on the ingredients would I have to let it cook longer? Suggestions greatly appreciated!
I cannot find smoked cheddar cheese anywhere! I’ve tried Wal-Mart and i was told that they don’t carry it anymore. I’m going to try Publix when i get off work so hopefully they’ll have it. Happy Thanksgiving all!!!
Hi Alesha, I got mine from Whole Foods. Couldn’t find it last year, so when I stumbled across it in October, I grabbed it! It was pre-packaged, not the kind they will cut for you. The name is “Pineland Farms Smoked Cheddar Cheese” made from non GMO, non-antibiotic fed cow milk. Good hunting!
I CAN NOT FIND SMOKE CHEDDER ANYWHERE MYSELF WALMART OR PUBLIX ,,THINKING ABOUT TRYING ANOTHER WE WILL SEE
I cant find smoked cheddar at all! Is there sum other type of cheese that I can use?
I found the smoked cheddar in the specialty/imported cheese area both at Krogers and Meijer. Hope this helps
I just got finished cooking this Mac and cheese and I got that SMOKED CHEDDAR CHEESE!!!!! I can’t wait to dig in…
Hi. I found smoked cheddar cheese at Meijer Grocery store. Good luck!
Do not feel overwhelmed simply bc you cannot find the smoked cheddar cheese just yet. I had to call around to 5 different Walmart stores before I found one that still carries it. When I finally found a walmart that had it, I had to drive nearly 30 minutes to pick it up and let me tell you, IT WAS WORTH IT! It completely transformed the mac and cheese dish however be sure not to overload because the smoked flavor can be overpowering. I actually added a bit of Colby Jack/Monterey AND sharp shredded cheese over the top as well as a pack of sharp shredded cheese to the actual cheese mix (I just can’t make mac n chs withwithout sharp!) WAY TO GO, CHEF! Happ holidays to everyone!
I don’t know where you live but, Ultra food store, Mariano,Whole Foods,and Trader Joe’s sell it.Try any speciality store that sells like organic foods.Hope this helps. I got mine from Mariano.
I had the same problem. Try whole foods.
I will be making this for Thanksgivings even though I see thanksgiving as every day of the year for me I’m thankful
I made this Macaroni and cheese back at Easter. I have tried several different recipes and this one is the best!! I did make a few modifications after the first time making it. I only use one egg and for the seasonings I add a little bit of seasoning salt, a dash of cajun seasoning (Tony’s), and a dash of old bay. Everytime I make it, it gets completely devoured! Thanks 🙂
I made this recipe, but the texture was a little funny. It wasn’t as creamy as I would have liked. The taste was delicious though! Would it help to melt the cheeses in the milk mixture before mixing it with the noodles?
Patti, I was thinking I may try the sane thing. I think I want to warm the milk mixture on the stove & then add the cheeses to make a cheese sauce before mixing it with the noodles. I’ve been having a hard time getting the seasoning right everytime I make it because I don’t like tasting it as is so maybe if it’s a warm cheese sauce I could taste it & get the seasoning just right!