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    Pink Owl Kitchen » southern recipes » Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese

    Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese

    Published: Jul 10, 2019 · Modified: Apr 26, 2022 by Ashley · This post may contain affiliate links

    Sharing is caring!

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    southern baked macaroni and cheese on a spoon with in a white baking dish in the background

    A classic, soul food southern baked macaroni and cheese recipe that bakes up firm but creamy with a delicious crusty top! This decadent macaroni and cheese is made with milk, cream, eggs, and three types of cheeses, and will be requested at every holiday dinner!

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    southern baked macaroni and cheese in a white baking dish

    I am so excited to share this macaroni and cheese recipe with you all! I was born and raised in Mississippi, and if there is one thing Black families don't play about in the south, it's macaroni and cheese! No Thanksgiving meal is complete without it.

    We do mac and cheese a little differently in the South, and it has taken me quite some time to perfect this recipe. I knew that my last test run was a winner when my family said they wanted this exact recipe at every family gathering and holiday dinner from now on! This just might be the best southern macaroni and cheese recipe you will find.

    Contrary to what you may have heard, there is no roux in traditional southern mac and cheese! At least not in the soul food version that black folks like my family have enjoyed for decades. That's right! Our macaroni and cheese is made using eggs as a binder instead of roux, which is the base of most other baked macaroni and cheese recipes.

    southern baked macaroni and cheese in a white baking dish
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients You Need To Make This Recipe
    • How To Make This Recipe
    • Variations and Substitutions
    • Make-Ahead and Storing Instructions
    • A Few Tips For Making This Recipe
    • What To Serve With Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese
    • Recommended Tools for Making This Recipe
    • More Southern Recipes You Will Love!
    • 📖 Recipe

    Ingredients You Need To Make This Recipe

    • Elbow macaroni pasta. Traditional southern macaroni and cheese is made with elbow noodles. No need to get fancy with the shapes here!
    • Evaporated milk. Evaporated milk is concentrated, shelf-stable milk that helps gives this macaroni and cheese its richness and creaminess. Evaporated milk is heated so that most of the water evaporates before it is homogenized and canned.
    • Half and half. Half and half is combined with the evaporated milk in the custard-like base for this recipe. You can also use whole milk if you do not have half and half.
    • Sour cream. I added this ingredient to this mac and cheese recipe because of the subtle tanginess and additional creaminess that it adds. I always get asked what I put in my mac and cheese because there's just something extra delicious that people can't quite put their finger on, and they're usually surprised to hear that's it sour cream!
    • Salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, dry mustard powder, and cayenne pepper. These are the spices used to flavor the macaroni and cheese.
    • Large eggs. Eggs act as the binder for this mac and cheese instead of the roux that most baked mac and cheese recipes feature. This is one of the things that sets southern mac and cheese apart from others.
    • Freshly shredded sharp cheddar, Colby jack, and Monterey jack cheeses. These are the cheeses used for this recipe and we use lots of it in this macaroni and cheese! Do not use pre-shredded cheese!
    southern baked macaroni and cheese on a white plate

    How To Make This Recipe

    • Preheat your oven to 375°F. Generously butter a 9 x 13 baking dish and set aside.
    • Cook the elbow macaroni noodles in salted water until they are almost al-dente and still firm to the bite. Drain the pasta but do not run cold water on it.
    • In a large mixing bowl, add the evaporated milk, half and half, sour cream, and seasonings, and whisk to combine. Taste the milk mixture and add more salt to taste until you are pleased with the flavor.
    • Add the eggs to the milk mixture and beat with a whisk until they are mixed in. With a wooden spoon, stir in the cheeses, reserving about a cup for topping the mac and cheese. Pour the warm elbow macaroni into the bowl with the milk mixture and stir to combine all of the ingredients.
    • Transferred the macaroni and cheese to the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining cheeses. Bake the mac and cheese for 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden and bubbly. Serve immediately!
    cream and egg base for macaroni and cheese in a glass bowl
    milk, cheese mixture for macaroni and cheese in a glass bowl
    milk, cheese, and macaroni mixture in a glass bowl
    macaroni and cheese in baking dish before going in the oven

    Variations and Substitutions

    If you do not have evaporated milk on hand, you can use regular whole milk instead. However, I highly recommend trying it with evaporated milk for the old-school, extra-rich macaroni and cheese I grew up eating in Mississippi!

    Feel free to try different cheeses in this dish according to what you like. Many people swear by American cheese or Velveeta in southern mac and cheese. Just make sure you are using good melting cheeses and grate them at home yourself. Some of my suggestions are:

    • Mozzarella
    • Gouda
    • Fontina
    • Gruyere
    • Pepper jack
    southern baked macaroni and cheese in a white baking dish

    Make-Ahead and Storing Instructions

    You can assemble this macaroni and cheese a day ahead of time and bake it when ready to serve if you like. Just assemble the mac and cheese, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and store it in the refrigerator overnight. Take it out about 30 minutes before you plan to bake it.

    Leftover macaroni and cheese can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat mac and cheese in the microwave or oven.

    southern baked macaroni and cheese on a spoon with in a white baking dish in the background

    A Few Tips For Making This Recipe

    • Do not use pre-shredded cheese! Buy blocks of cheese and shred it at home with a box grater or a food processor with the grater attachment. Packaged pre-shredded cheeses have anti-caking agents added to them which prevent them from melting well. Trust me on this if you want extra creamy macaroni and cheese that gives you an epic cheese pull!
    • Southern mac and cheese has a characteristic crusty top that is so dang good! Try turning on the oven broiler for the last couple of minutes to get an even crustier top on your mac!

    What To Serve With Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese

    I grew up on straight-up soul food and if you want a true southern-style meal, serve this mac and cheese with some of the following:

    • Southern fried chicken
    • Fried fish
    • Fried or baked pork chops
    • Smothered baked chicken
    • Baked ham
    • Baked turkey
    • Collard greens
    • Turnip greens
    • Green beans
    • Black-eyed peas
    • Candied yams
    • Cornbread
    • Cornbread dressing
    • Peach cobbler
    • Caramel cake
    southern baked macaroni and cheese on a white plate

    Recommended Tools for Making This Recipe

    • 9 x 13 baking dish
    • Cheese grater
    • Mixing bowl
    • Whisk

    More Southern Recipes You Will Love!

    • Creamy Southern Cheese Grits
    • Classic Southern Coleslaw
    • Mississippi Comeback Sauce
    • Southern Sweet Onion Hushpuppies
    • Authentic Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

    📖 Recipe

    southern baked macaroni and cheese on a white plate

    Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese

    Ashley
    A classic, soul food southern baked macaroni and cheese recipe that bakes up firm but creamy with a delicious crusty top! This decadent macaroni and cheese is made with milk, cream, eggs, and three types of cheeses, and will be requested at every holiday dinner!
    4.5 from 32 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Total Time 45 mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 10 Servings
    Calories 642 kcal

    Equipment

    • 9 x 13 baking dish

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 pound (16-ounces) dried elbow macaroni
    • 1, 12-ounce can evaporated milk
    • 1 cup half and half
    • ¼ cup sour cream
    • 1-2 teaspoons salt see note
    • 1 teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
    • ½ teaspoon mustard powder
    • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • 2 large eggs
    • 16 ounces sharp cheddar cheese freshly grated
    • 8 ounces colby jack cheese freshly grated
    • 8 ounces monterey jack cheese freshly grated

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat your oven to 375°F. Generously butter a 9 x 13 baking dish and set aside.
    • Cook elbow macaroni according to the package directions in salted water until almost al dente and still firm to the bite. Drain.
    • To a large mixing bowl, add the evaporated milk, half and half, sour cream, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, mustard powder, and cayenne pepper, and whisk to combine. Add more salt to taste if needed until you are pleased with the flavor. Add eggs and whisk until mixed in.
    • Add the cheeses, reserving about a cup for topping, and mix with a wooden spoon until combined. Pour the macaroni noodles into the bowl with the milk and cheese mixture and stir to combine.
    • Transfer the macaroni and cheese to the prepared baking dish, top with the remaining cheese, and bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until golden and bubbly. allow the mac and cheese to cool for a few minutes and enjoy!

    Notes

    • Taste for seasonings before adding the eggs and add more salt to taste if desired.
    • Leftover macaroni and cheese can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat mac and cheese in the microwave or oven.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1servingSodium: 996mgCalcium: 824mgSugar: 5.3gFiber: 1.6gPotassium: 296mgCholesterol: 139mgCalories: 642kcalSaturated Fat: 24.2gFat: 38.2gProtein: 31.4gCarbohydrates: 42.3gIron: 2mg
    Keyword baked macaroni and cheese, easy side dish recipes, mac and cheese, soul food macaroni and cheese, southern macaroni and cheese, southern recipes
    Tried this recipe?Tag @thepinkowlkitchen on Instagram! Don't forget to leave a star rating and review!

    Sharing is caring!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rebecca

      November 06, 2021 at 8:45 pm

      How has no one commented on this yet!? This Mac and cheese is DELICIOUS and now a staple in our home. I could actually live off it. My grandmother was from the south and we grew up with Mac and cheese on the thanksgiving table and while I loved it, I love trying more bold and spiced recipes. This one is it. Thank you for this delicious recipe and today it’s being served at our Friendsgiving

      Reply
      • Ashley Boyd

        November 17, 2021 at 4:46 pm

        Hi Rebecca,

        This comment just warms my heart! I am so happy that you enjoy the flavors of this southern mac and cheese recipe! I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

        Reply
    2. Marlon Boyd

      April 26, 2022 at 2:12 am

      5 stars
      Perfect mac and cheese! My family loved it! I will def be making this every holiday season!

      Reply
      • Ashley Boyd

        April 26, 2022 at 3:35 am

        I'm so happy you and your family love the mac and cheese! Thank you for trying the recipe!

        Reply
    3. Peggy

      April 26, 2022 at 7:18 pm

      There is nothing in the list of recipes how many eggs to add to it. I don’t understand why

      Reply
      • Ashley Boyd

        April 26, 2022 at 7:26 pm

        Two large eggs!

        Reply

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    Ashley Boyd - creator of Pink Owl Kitchen

    Hi! I'm Ashley.

    I'm Ashley, go-to chef and hostess for huge family gatherings, new mom of a beautiful baby boy, and creator behind Pink Owl Kitchen. All of our recipes are influenced by my Southern upbringing and feature fresh, seasonal ingredients to bring families together around the dinner table more.

    Learn more about me →

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