Southern Creamy Mac & Cheese
Creamy, cheesy, & soulful baked Mac & cheese is the absolute best!
This cheesy creamy goodness is such a delicacy and stable in my household, especially for Sunday supper. Once you try this delicious Mac & cheese recipe, the box stuff will be a thing of the past. Yes! I said that right. No more box Mac and cheese once you give this recipe a try. This cheesy and creamy Mac & cheese recipe is such a sweet victory and will win over the kids too.
When it comes to cooking, don’t be afraid to get in the kitchen and have some fun. Let loose and explore- Don’t shy away from experimenting when it comes to cooking. Feel free to mix and try out different combinations of cheeses for this recipe. Cooking is all about having fun and testing what pleases your taste buds. But one cheese I do recommend is adding a sharp cheddar to this recipe. Using a mild or Sharp cheddar cheese for this recipe is a must!
If you want to play it safe you can make this delicious Mac n cheese recipe by using sharp or mild cheddar, some Colby jack, and add a little bit of Velveeta cheese. But if you want to go bold in flavor don’t hesitate to get a little fancy and throw some smoked Gouda or Gruyère cheese (Gruyère also comes in a smoked flavor as well).
I promise- You and your loved ones will fall head over heels with this delicious southern baked Mac & cheese recipe. This Mac n cheese comes out with a nice crust topping and is so creamy on the inside. This recipe is a delight at any time of the year. So don’t wait for those special occasions to bring out this fantastic recipe.
Tips:
Bread crumbs topping:
- Jazz up your Mac & cheese by adding Breadcrumbs topping.
- Add the bread crumbs to some melted butter.
- season the breadcrumbs to your liking, then add the breadcrumbs last to top the Mac & cheese off.
Adding Eggs to your Mac & Cheese:
- Completely optional
- You may add a whisked egg to this Mac n cheese recipe. For this recipe, I forgot to film/add that part in. But I did add 1 whisked egg to my Mac n cheese.
- Once your cheese sauce is seasoned, do a taste test, and make sure it’s up to par to your liking.
- Add the cooked elbow noodles and stir the noodles until they’re well coated in the cheese sauce.
- Afterwards, add 1 whisked egg to the cheese and noodles. Stir consistently until the egg is well incorporated into the Mac n cheese. Don’t allow the egg to cook, so stir the egg into the Mac n cheese quickly.
Freshly Grated cheese vs. pre-shredded bagged cheese:
- I recommend that you grate your own cheese. I feel the Mac and cheese will come out better with freshly grated cheese.
- Why use freshly grated cheese? pre-shredded bagged cheese is drier. Plus, Pre-shredded cheese contains preservatives meant to keep the shreds from clumping together in the bag. And this also means that the pre-shredded cheese doesn’t melt together as well when cooking.
- Some cheeses to try are sharp cheddar, a little Velveeta cheese, mozzarella, any jack cheese, gouda, fontina, and Gruyere.
- Do not overcook the cheese sauce too long, you don’t want to run the risk of burning your sauce. Keep an eye on your cheese sauce and stir consistently.
Evaporated Milk:
- For this recipe, I only used evaporated milk.
- But you can use 1-part whole milk and 1 part half & half for your Mac n cheese.
- If you want to add a splash of whole milk or half & half along with the evaporated milk, you can.
- Whisk the milk into the butter mixture in small increments at a time.
Southern Creamy Mac & Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked elbow noodles
- 2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (Substitute: flour)
- 1 1/2 cup Evaporated milk
- 1 Tbsp Sour cream
- 1 cup shredded cheese of your choice (Options: mozzarella, any jack cheese, gouda, fontina, and/or Gruyere)
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese (1 cup for cheese sauce and 1 cup for layering/to top Mac n cheese)
- ½ cup Velveeta cheese shredded (Feel free to add less Velveeta cheese if you don’t want it to be too creamy)
- salt & pepper to taste
- Smoked Paprika to taste
- Pinch of Ground Mustard
- 1 Egg (Optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil, then add the elbow noodles.
- Cook the elbow noodles according to the package directions. Then, drain the noodles and set aside.
- On medium high heat, in a skillet or pot - add some butter. Once the butter melts whisk in the cornstarch (or use flour as a substitute for the cornstarch)
- Continue whisking the cornstarch until it’s fully mixed with the butter. Then cook for about a minute or two to get rid of the cornstarch/flour taste.
- Next, slowly add the evaporated milk a little at a time. you do not want the mixture to form any lumps. Simmer for about 3 minutes or until the mixture thickens slightly.
- Stir in the cheeses (reserve some of the cheddar cheese for topping & layering the Mac & cheese later)
- Continue stirring the cheese until everything’s melted and smooth.
- Tip: Keep an eye on the cheese sauce, you don’t want the cheese to burn.
- Add the sour cream and stir until well combined.
- Add the black pepper, smoked paprika, and pinch of ground mustard for taste.
- Do a taste test before your cheese sauce and adjust if needed.
- Then add the cooked pasta to the pot and stir to incorporate evenly.
- Optional: add 1 whisked egg to the pasta and cheese sauce.
- Next, add the cooked elbow pasta to the cheese sauce and stir the noodles into the cheese until it’s well incorporated.
- Grease the baking dish with some butter.
- Transfer some of the pasta mixture to the baking dish. Then add a layer of cheddar cheese.
- Repeat the layering process until all the Mac & cheese is in the baking dish.
- Top the Mac & cheese with the remaining cheese.
- Place baking dish into the oven and bake uncovered.
- Allow the Mac & cheese to cook for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden and bubbly.
- Once the Mac & cheese is done, remove from the oven and allow the Mac to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Serve, Enjoy!
