Stovetop Mac and Cheese
Southern Macaroni and Cheese
- Total Time
- 45 minutes, plus cooling
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
Advertisement
Ingredients
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 1pound elbow macaroni
- 2cups whole milk
- 2large eggs
- 4cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar (about 16 ounces)
- ½cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
- 2cups shredded Colby Jack (about 8 ounces)
Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook according to package directions until a little under al dente, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a colander and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.
- Step 2
In a large bowl, whisk milk and eggs. Add cooked macaroni, 2 cups extra-sharp Cheddar, melted butter, 1½ teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper, and stir until well combined.
- Step 3
Add half the macaroni mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish in an even layer. Sprinkle 1½ cups Colby Jack evenly on top. Spread the remaining macaroni mixture on top in an even layer. Cover with aluminum foil, transfer to the middle rack of the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
- Step 4
Remove from oven. Carefully remove and discard the aluminum foil. Top the macaroni mixture with the remaining 2 cups Cheddar and ½ cup Colby Jack. Broil on top rack until cheese is browned in spots, 3 to 5 minutes. (The broiled cheese can go from golden to burnt fairly quickly, so keep a close eye on it.)
- Step 5
Remove from oven and let cool until the macaroni and cheese is fully set, 10 to 15 minutes. (The mixture may first appear jiggly, but it will firm up as it cools.) Serve warm.
Similar Recipes
Creamy Macaroni and Cheese
Creamy Baked Macaroni and Cheese
The Best Macaroni and Cheese
Chile Crisp Fettuccine Alfredo With Spinach
Macaroni Salad
Trinidadian Macaroni Pie
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
French Onion Macaroni and Cheese
Creamy Weeknight Macaroni and Cheese
Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Spam Macaroni and Cheese
Elaine’s Fettuccine Alfredo
Lobster Mac and Cheese
Enchiladas Con Carne
Cheesy Green Chile Bean Bake
Macaroni With Tomato Sauce, Chard and Goat Cheese
Vegan Mac N Cheez
One-Pot Broccoli Mac and Cheese
Macaroni Salad With Lemon and Herbs
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
Can this be prepared in advance, up to step 4, and then reheat and broil the next day?
For those with Pyrex under the broiler questions some clarification is in order. There are PYREX and Pyrex glass dishes and they are not the same. PYREX is the original, better borosilicate glass that is no longer sold in the U.S. Pyrex is the newer, cheaper soda-lime glass sold in America. PYREX should be able to withstand a few minutes under the broiler. Pyrex is best handled with great care as it has a lower thermal shock resistance.
All I have to say is this recipe is dirrrrrty. I inhaled it. I add a little ground mustard and cayenne pepper to mine, like my Nana does. You won't find a richer, crispier, creamier, cheesier mac & cheese recipe.
Finally! A macaroni and cheese recipe I would call "black." Food represents culture. Although you did not give it a cultural origin, most "mac & cheese" recipes begin with a roux. That would be white people's versions. Blacks don't even say "mac & cheese"; but "macaroni and cheese," perhaps because it's served formally. The current recipe is how my mother and aunts made the dish. I have since toyed with it by substituting pureed cottage cheese for milk and adding dry mustard and cayenne. Bravo!
Made this last night, and my family and I agreed best mac & cheese we've ever had. I read the notes from some who advised to let the hot pasta cool a bit before adding it to the egg/milk mixture so you don't end up with scrambled eggs, that was very helpful. I used the warm melted butter to temper the milk/egg mixture, and then I was able to add the warm pasta in with no problem. Keep a very close eye on the broiler and do let it sit up for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
I’ve made this recipe four or five times now and each time it’s been creamy, rich and delicious—just like macaroni and cheese should be. Couple of things—make sure your 350 degree oven is on for at least 20 minutes before putting dish in to bake; make sure your pasta has been rinsed in cold water before adding it to cold milk/egg/cheese, salt and pepper mixture (Mixed well), and add melted butter last, mixing butter in quickly and vigorously. Make this dish! It’s five stars!
This recipe is missing two crucial words: room temperature. I got a late start and pulled the milk and eggs straight from the fridge - it’s been quite an ordeal to finish the recipe. The melted butter immediately resolidified when added to the mixture (obvi, I know, unless you’re moving fast). Then after 40 min in the oven, still watery and only now starting to get warm. I’m sure it will still taste amazing, but just having the words “room temperature” by the milk & eggs would’ve saved me.
I wonder if folks who are complaining this dish is runny---who are legion---I wonder if they really shook the water out of the macaroni when they were draining the pasta. Those little tubes can hold a boatload of water.
I'd add a mix of panko, butter and garlic powder on top, give it a nice crunchy breading
Made this for a super bowl crowd and it was a hit, but I could see some of the problems others describe. I needed to take the first baking to 30 minutes to get the first complement of cheese melting and the liquid simmering. I added the second helping of cheese, and then went with a 450 convection setting instead of broiling, which browned the top in a controlled way. The recipe may be very sensitive to the pan you pick, how wet your rinsed noodles are, your oven’s temp ... use judgement.
Now I know where my mom learned how to make Mac n Cheese! A new Army bride (from Germany), her first posting was Atlanta, Georgia. Only thing different is she always added half a finely chopped onion and topped with toasted bread crumbs and butter. Yum! And we always ate it with ketchup!
I don’t understand the obsession with putting bacon in every single dish!
Perhaps two pounds of cheese?
my family has always made what we called "macaroni pie," which is the cooked macaroni layered and topped with generous amounts of cheddar cheese. Then, a mixture of eggs and milk were poured over the casserole. Bake at 350F until done. Most excellent.
Your pasta was still warm when u added the eggs which is why they seemed scrambled
I added canned diced tomatoes to the mix, that's how my Mom use to make and we still love it that way. Cuts the richness a little but adds another layer of flavour.
Add cayenne pepper and ground/dry mustard
I made a mistake and forgot to save a cup of cheese for the top...but it was still delicious! A nice easy recipe and very good actually excellent.
A crowd pleaser! I make the recipe as written. I might experiment one day with it, but as is: awesome! If it matters to anyone, I do not use pre-shredded cheese bc I don’t like fillers. I get blocks of Cracker Barrel and the like-meltable cheeses. I keep them in the fridge (everything else at room temperature). When ready to shred I cut them into quarters or fifths and pop them into the ninja (regular knife-no need for a grater disk). Run it til course-chopped. Fast prep, looks the same.
This recipe was not for me. It came together well, and the resting time was important for it to firm up. However, the recipe lacked flavor for me.
Made this tonight. Big hit. Grandkids had seconds. Read the recipe wrong and put topping cheese on before baking. 30 min covered with foil. took foil off and finished at 450 on convection baking on top shelf. about 8 minutes. nicely browned areas, delicious crusty edges. this is a winner. used 1/2 stick of butter.
This recipe is a fail. There is no way that the cheese, milk and eggs can come together with the macaroni after 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven. I had to bake mine for more than double that time, throwing off the timing of the other dishes I was preparing. I would give this a zero if I could as it is an insult to waste someone’s time by not providing a realistic cook time.
If your completed recipe came out runny, even after setting for 15 minutes, you may have overcooked the macaroni. Undercooked, as instructed, allows the pasta to absorb more liquid. Then sitting after removing from oven completes the task. I'm making this for my grandson this weekend! Yay!
You don’t need another recipe. Millie’s is definitive.
BEST Mac n cheese ever! Add a dash of tobacco sauce (green stuff) and stir before placing in oven. A light dusting of cinnamon atop of last cheese layer as a kiss from Mama! BEST EVER!
@David, I would call the difference between making mac & cheese with a roux vs with eggs is not a black/white things but a north/south difference. I know a lot of white southern folk who would make m&c no other say!
I added a shallot that I had pan friend in butter with fresh baby spinach in between the 2 layers... delicious!
My southern black self knows this recipe very well. My mom did it like this, but I still prefer to start with a roux for consistency, mouth feel, and taste.
Because I live in Santa Fe, I was obligated to add chopped green chile, but other than that I followed the recipe precisely, baking it in 2 deep-dish pie pans. It's the best macaroni and cheese I've ever had and I'm looking forward to bringing it to gatherings (where I can't eat all of it myself).
Mix up the cheeses. I used Gruyère and/or havarti with the extra sharp cheddar. It’s a hit every single time.
Advertisement
More From Best Casserole Recipes
Trending on Cooking
Cooking Guides
Cooking Guide
How to Make Mac and Cheese
Cooking Guide
Basic Knife Skills
Cooking Guide
How to Make a Sheet-Pan Dinner
Cooking Guide
How to Make Cooking Substitutions
Cooking Guide
How to Make Cranberry Sauce
Cooking Guide
How to Make Sole Meunière
Cooking Guide
How to Make Ice Cream
Cooking Guide
How to Make Sugar Cookies