Name: Southern Mac and Cheese
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 350 g elbow macaroni; 60 g butter; 400 g sharp cheddar, grated; 3 eggs; 350 ml evaporated milk; 250 ml whole milk; 1 tsp mustard powder; ½ tsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp salt; ½ tsp black pepper

Southern Mac and Cheese

Macaroni in a baked egg custard with sharp cheddar, evaporated milk and butter, topped with more cheese, set in a dish rather than a sauce.

55 min total Serves 8 servings Medium

What Makes Southern Mac and Cheese Work

Why does this macaroni and cheese set like a slice of pie? Because it has no roux. The binding is a custard of eggs and evaporated milk, which sets in the oven to a firm, creamy square that can be cut and lifted onto the plate. It is a very different thing from the saucy stovetop style.

Cook the macaroni until just short of tender, about 2 minutes less than the pack says, and drain it well. It will finish in the oven, where it absorbs custard. Toss it while hot with butter and half the cheese so that the cheese starts to melt before the eggs are added. Hot pasta poured into cold eggs scrambles them, so let the mixture cool for a few minutes.

Grate the cheese yourself and use a sharp, aged cheddar. Bagged shredded cheese is coated with starch that stops it melting cleanly. A mix of sharp cheddar and a milder one like Colby gives both flavour and a creamy melt.

Bake in a hot oven until the edges are bubbling and the top is golden, with a slight wobble in the middle. Rest for 10 minutes, which sets the custard and allows clean slices.

Southern Mac and Cheese, Step by Step

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Heat the oven to 190°C / 375°F. Boil the macaroni in salted water for 6 minutes, drain and return to the pan.
Stir in the butter and two thirds of the cheddar until melting. Leave to cool for 5 minutes.
Whisk the eggs, evaporated milk, whole milk, mustard powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Stir into the pasta.
Pour into a greased 23 by 33 cm baking dish and scatter with the remaining cheddar.
Bake for 35 minutes until golden and set with a slight wobble. Rest for 10 minutes before cutting.

Related guide: Pan and tin size.

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Tips for Making Southern Mac and Cheese

Cool the pasta slightly before adding the eggs.
Grate the cheese yourself.
Rest before cutting so the custard sets.

What Goes With Southern Mac and Cheese

Collard greens
Fried chicken
Baked ham
Cornbread

Sides from the same cuisine on this site: New York Bagels, Creamy Coleslaw, Boston Baked Beans.

Keeping and Reheating

Keeps for 4 days in the fridge. Reheat covered at 170°C / 338°F for 15 minutes.

Nutrition per Serving

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.

526Calories

24gProtein

40gCarbs

30gFat

2gFibre

7gSugar

700mgSodium

Vegetarian No Added Sugar

Southern Mac and Cheese

Southern Mac and Cheese, Step by Step

Tips for Making Southern Mac and Cheese

What Goes With Southern Mac and Cheese

Keeping and Reheating

Nutrition per Serving

Your notes on this recipe

Cooked this? Keep a note for next time

Southern Mac and Cheese, Step by Step

Tips for Making Southern Mac and Cheese

What Goes With Southern Mac and Cheese

Keeping and Reheating

Nutrition per Serving

Your notes on this recipe

Cooked this? Keep a note for next time

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