Southern Mac & Cheese
It’s so hard to find a good recipe for Macaroni and Cheese. I have tried so many different ones in the last few years. Some have been good, some have been great, and some have just been alright. But this one….this one is one of my favorites! It’s the perfect combination of your favorite homemade, creamy, stovetop Mac & Cheese and your favorite baked Mac & Cheese.
Which makes it the perfect one for us, because Dustin prefers stovetop Mac & Cheese, while I prefer baked Mac & Cheese. This one is both! I know what you’re thinking, if it’s both made on the stovetop and in the oven, it must be a lot of work. I promise you, it’s one of the easiest recipes I have EVER made! It’s so simple, but so delicious!
Growing up in the South, Mac & Cheese is one of the dishes you look forward to at every occasion. Whether it is Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, you know someone is bringing homemade Mac & Cheese, and you know it’s going to be so good! You don’t let just anyone bring the Mac & Cheese. There’s usually a designated Mac & Cheese maker who has earned the right to make it and without a doubt will never fail you. Y’all know what I’m talking about. If someone brings the boxed stuff, they’re getting banned from the family. They are getting voted off of the island. We are appointing them as the bringer of paper plates (If you are reading this and you are the bringer of paper plates…we see you! Your job is important too, and we appreciate you). You get the picture!
This recipe really doesn’t even have that many ingredients, so it’s something I can bring together pretty quickly to complete a good home cooked meal. I love making this as a side dish when I cook beef tips and gravy with mashed potatoes (what can I say…I love my starches), deviled eggs, and buttery yeast rolls. They go great together! It’s the perfect Sunday Dinner. This creamy, cheesy side dish is also great served with barbecue. I love Mac and cheese with a nice plate of ribs and some kind of potato (sweet potatoes, potato salad, mashed potatoes, or baked potatoes).
What do you need for this easy, and delicious side dish? Elbow macaroni, butter, flour, milk, salt & pepper, and shredded cheese….THAT’S IT!!! I don’t know about you, but I pretty much always have these ingredients in my fridge and pantry. These ingredients are staples in my kitchen that I don’t like to run out of.
Homemade Mac & Cheese doesn’t have to be difficult or time consuming. You could easily throw this together on a busy week night. I can have this ready on the stovetop within 10 minutes and pop it in the oven to cook while I finish the rest of the meal. The best part about this side dish, is if you’re on a real time crunch, you can skip the baking altogether and eat it as is or just pop it under the broiler for a couple of minutes to brown the top. It will be extra creamy and tasty! If you choose to bake it, you can bake it for the suggested baking time, which is what I always do.
Now, let me show you how easy and quick this really is. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F if you plan on baking it. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for your pasta. While your pasta cooks, grab a large enough pan/pot to hold all of your ingredients in as you cook on the stove. Turn your stove up to medium heat. Toss your butter in and wait until it’s melted and fragrant.
Who else loves watching butter melt? No one? Just me? Well, I think it’s a beautiful sight. Butter is good in everything if you ask me. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
Once it’s completely melted, add your flour in and whisk. Continue to cook it for 1-2 minutes until it’s lightly browned.
Gradually add the milk as you whisk to remove any lumps. Add the salt & pepper.
Cook over medium-high heat until the sauce thickens and starts to bubble. Mine usually takes about 5 minutes at the most. Whisk in the cheese. Once it’s melted and your sauce is smooth, turn the heat off. This is a great time to taste the sauce to see if it needs any more salt.
When the pasta is almost done, but still firm, drain it and add it to the sauce.
At this point, it’s up to you if you want to go any further. You can broil it for a couple of minutes to brown the top or bake it the full time and then broil it if you’d like.
When you’re ready to bake, just pour your macaroni and cheese into a greased baking dish. I use an 8×8 inch baking dish and it works perfectly. You can easily double this recipe and use a 9×13 inch baking dish instead.
Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes until browned and bubbly. I usually broil mine after this for an extra minute or two. If you do this, just keep a close eye on it.
How amazing does this Mac & Cheese look?! All done with little to no effort, only a few ingredients, and in very little time. It’s ready to serve and I promise it won’t disappoint!
This is what I call the perfect Mac & Cheese. A little browned on the outside, but still creamy on the inside! There’s nothing worse than “dry” Mac & Cheese, and with this recipe, that will never happen.
What is your favorite way to eat homemade Mac & Cheese? Do you prefer stovetop or baked?
Southern Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups dry elbow macaroni shells
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 3 Tbsp all purpose flour
- 2 cups milk not skim
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2 cups shredded cheese I use sharp cheddar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil to cook the pasta.
- While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a skillet or pot that is large enough to hold all of the ingredients, including the pasta after it's done cooking.
- Add the flour and whisk it with the melted butter over medium heat until the mixture us lightly browned; about 1-2 minutes.
- Gradually add the milk and whisk to remove any lumps. Add the salt and pepper.
- Continue to cook over medium-high heat until the sauce thickens and starts to bubble; about 5 minutes.
- Whisk in the cheese until melted and smooth. Turn off the heat.
- When the pasta is almost done but still firm, drain it and add it to the sauce.
- Stir the pasta with the sauce and pour it into a greased baking dish (I use an 8x8 inch dish).
- Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes until browned and bubbly. I also broil it an extra 1-2 minutes if the top isn't browned enough. You can skip this step altogether if you prefer your Mac & Cheese super creamy, and just broil it a couple of minutes instead of baking to brown the top, and serve.
Notes
