You can never go wrong with a piping hot pan of homemade macaroni and cheese. Some of our favorite recipes include slow cooker mac and cheese, buffalo chicken mac and cheese, and this Southern style version.
Southern Mac and Cheese Ingredients
To make this Southern mac and cheese you will need cooked macaroni noodles, milk, heavy cream, eggs, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cheddar cheese, American cheese and parsley. This is one of my favorite side dish recipes and it goes great with other Southern favorites like fried corn, collard greens, red beans and rice and Coca Cola ham.
How Do You Make Southern Mac And Cheese?
The key to this Southern mac and cheese is the cheese mixture. Unlike some recipes, there is no need to whisk anything or cook up a sauce on the stove. First, mix together milk, cream, eggs, shredded cheese and seasoning in a large bowl. Combine this cheese mixture with al dente boiled macaroni elbows and put it all in a baking dish. Sprinkle a little cheddar on top as a finishing touch. After a trip through the oven, the cheese and milk turn into a creamy and delicious sauce while the noodles soak up all the flavor. Serve this mac and cheese with a little chopped parsley sprinkled on top.
Tips For The Perfect Mac And Cheese
For the creamiest mac and cheese, buy a block of American cheese from your deli counter. Make sure to let the pasta sit for at least 10 minutes before you serve it. This allows the mac and cheese to reach the perfect consistency and temperature. Always use freshly shredded cheese. Avoid bagged pre-shredded cheese which can have anti-caking agents and may not melt as well as freshly shredded cheese. You can assemble the mac and cheese up to 4 hours before you plan to bake it. Simply mix together the cheese mixture and the macaroni and refrigerate it until it’s ready to go into the oven.
Flavor Variations
While this Southern mac and cheese is delicious as is, you can modify the recipe to suit your taste.
Pasta: Feel free to use any small pasta shape that you like such as small shells, elbows, rotini or fusilli. Cheese: If you want to add other cheeses, you can mix in cheeses that melt well such as smoked cheddar, sharp cheddar, Gouda, Monterey Jack, colby-jack or fontina. Bacon: For a rich, smoky flavor add chopped cooked bacon to this dish. Meat: Add cooked diced ham, turkey or chicken to this mac and cheese. You could also add some diced cooked sausage. Spicy: Turn up the heat with jalapeno slices, cayenne pepper or a little hot sauce mixed into this dish. Veggies: This mac and cheese is great with diced tomatoes, spinach or peas mixed in with the noodles. Toppings: Try this mac and cheese with a mixture of crushed buttery crackers and melted butter on top or a mixture of breadcrumbs and melted butter.
Dishes To Serve With Mac And Cheese
