SOUTHERN BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE RECIPE! THIS ONE IS PERFECT!
WHAT IS SOUTHERN BAKED MAC AND CHEESE? (ALSO KNOWN AS SOUL FOOD MAC AND CHEESE)
There are several variations of Macaroni and Cheese recipes online however you will see varying differences when it comes to ingredients and preparation and cooking technique.
Most people are familiar with the mac and cheese that is creamy, orange in color and cooked on the stove top. What makes Soul Food Mac and Cheese different is the variety of cheese which all have different textures and the fact that the recipe is baked in an oven creating a crispy and delicious topping.
When I received the new cookbook The Up South Cookbook written by Nicole Taylor, I was immediately drawn to the southern macaroni and cheese recipe. I definitely knew I wanted to include this book in my #BlackGirlMagic Cookbook series (more on that here).
It seemed like pure comfort food in a cookbook that knows its way around the Southern kitchen. Nicole really has a way of adding her Brooklyn modern flair to traditional recipes that shaped her Georgia culinary history. If there was another mac n cheese I would be open to trying, it would certainly be one from Nicole.
SOUTHERN MACARONI AND CHEESE INGREDIENTS
This baked macaroni and cheese is quite delightful because of the following CRUCIAL KEY ingredients:
- Butter
- Heavy Cream
- Half and Half
- Eggs
- Shredded Cheese
Butter is always essential in Southern Mac and Cheese recipes. It adds richness and additional fat. For liquids to create additional creaminess, both heavy whipping cream (which also has butter) and half and half are used.
The eggs are essential since it will add stability to the baked dish and allow everything to come together perfectly.
This mac and cheese is made of cheeses like sharp cheddar, manchego and gruyere that really give it a lovely depth of flavor.
P.S. I also loved that no velvetta cheese showed up in this recipe. No need for fake cheese in Southern Macaroni and Cheese making. There is a hint of spice with smoked paprika that added a great note as well.
SOUTHERN BAKED MAC AND CHEESE RECIPE CHEESES: THREE CHEESE MACARONI
This southern style baked macaroni and cheese is quite delightful and made with three cheeses:
- Sharp Cheddar
- Manchego
- Gruyere
These really give it a lovely depth of flavor. Sharp cheddar is a conventional cheese choice and is often used in many macaroni and cheese recipes.
The other two cheeses are a little more unique. Manchego is a hard, sharp Spanish sheep’s milk cheese that has a buttery nutty taste that melts well and is perfect for macaroni and cheese.
Gruyere is a sweet, yet slightly salty cheese that originates from Sweden. As it ages, the taste of gruyere changes from creamy and nutty to more earthy and complex. This combination of cheeses gives this mac and cheese recipe a delicious and distinct taste that you’ll love!
IS THIS AN EASY BAKED MAC AND CHEESE RECIPE?
This recipe is also a very easy baked mac and cheese that many beginner cooks can try. It’s important to add salt to the water when boiling your macaroni to insure it is flavorful.
This baked mac and cheese recipe is pure soul food. It reminds me of the macaroni and cheese my family would have every Thanksgiving and Christmas. I can’t wait to try more recipes from Nicole’s soulful book.
If you love this Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese recipe, you will love these other soul food inspired recipes:
- If you love it smothered, try my Southern Smothered Chicken recipe !
- And of course this recipe for Smothered Pork Chops too!
- For dessert, how about a piece of this Southern Sweet Potato Pie recipe!
- And there’s always my Southern Caramel Cake recipe which is the real deal!
Want To Grab The Products To Make This Recipe? Grab Them BELOW!
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Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
- 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
- 3 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese about 1 pound
- 1 cup shredded manchego cheese about 1/4 pound
- 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese about 1/4 pound
- 8 cups water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Prepare a 9x13-inch baking dish with 2 tablespoons butter.
- In a heavy saucepan, whisk in cream, half-and-half and 4 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat. Add black pepper, red pepper flakes, nutmeg, and mustard, and whisk in flour. Cook the mixture about 2 minutes, until there are no more flour lumps. The mixture should not be bubbling. If so, reduce heat.
- Whisk in the cheddar, manchego, and Gruyere. Keep cheese sauce on low heat until ready for the baking dish.
- Using a stockpot or Dutch oven, bring 8 cups of water to a boil. Sprinkle in salt. Put in the pasta and cook for about 8 minutes. The macaroni should not be mushy. Drain and transfer to prepared baking dish.
- Mix the eggs well into the pasta. Next, pour cheese sauce over macaroni and stir well. Sprinkle paprika on top of macaroni and cheese.
- Bake for 40 minutes, until you have a golden crust.
- Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
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This recipe looks amazing I want to make this for Thanksgiving dinner.. If I want to double the recipe, do I just double everything? Also what would be the effect if I omitted the eggs?
The recipe makes a ton so you may not want to double but you could definitely do so or make two separate large dishes to make it easier for bake time. Also omitting the eggs would change the consistency and the structure as it helps to set up the dish.
This looks delicious do you know if it would freeze well before cooking?
I actually haven’t tried freezing this before cooking.
Oooh looks good I love baked Mac and Cheese it’s one of my best dishes. I guess me growing up in Florida and Georgia my family and I never needed to use flour to make it hold together. I actually stopped using eggs. Just a ruox made from butter, milk and cheese.
Oh nice!!!!
This was really good. Made it this past weekend with a smoked turkey. Perfect match. Also added the lobster and shrimp which added more great flavor.
Great Job!!!!
This really does look interesting after searching for hours. So, when do I add my lobster and shrimp?
Gosh that sounds awesome. I would add that when you toss everything together before baking.
Hi. This recipe looks good and I wanted to try it until I saw the ingredients. I am not a complainer nor do I have a problem with other people’s recipes, but some of these ingredients are not so easily available at regular grocery stores. When I see a recipe titled anything with “southern” I instantly look at it and like to try it. My mother, mother in-law, husband, and host of in-laws, cousins, etc grew up in the south. We have never heard of manchego nor gruyere cheese. I could look it up to see where I can purchase it, but to call it “southern” is misleading. Again, I don’t have any problem with other people’s recipe, but this is not the typical southern baked Mac and cheese. I hope my comment don’t come across as me not supporting you. I follow your blog and others because I was drawn to it because I enjoyed what’s on them. But our feedback should be important.
Hi Veronica, thanks so much for your comment. I think we can agree to disagree on this particular recipe. I don’t think certain cheeses make a recipe typically Southern. In this case, the technique and baking of the dish make it inherently Southern. Feel free to use different cheeses that you prefer. Cooking is very subjective so I want you to enjoy your dishes at home as much as possible but I also want you to be open to trying new things. The cheeses in this dish from Nicole are really wonderful together, and she is a true Southerner from Georgia. Give it a try!
I have found both cheeses you mentioned at grocery chains including Albertsons and Aldi.
Even Walmart has upped their game with specialty cheeses.
Now this is Mac and Cheese!! Thank you for sharing the recipe!