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Southern Baked Mac and Cheese

Make the best Southern Baked Mac and Cheese recipe, a well loved reader favorite. A creamy, custard-style side dish made with eggs, cream, and five cheeses with thousands of happy reviews!

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 424 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: African-American Fusion

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp butter for buttering the pan
  • 16 oz elbow macaroni, uncooked
  • 6 cups chicken broth (I use Better than Bouillon)
  • 8 oz sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 8 oz Colby jack cheese, shredded
  • 8 oz part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 8 oz American cheese, cubed
  • 4 oz cream cheese warmed in the microwave for 30 seconds
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • 1-2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp mustard powder
  • 2 large eggs

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Butter an 8 by 11 or 9 by 13-inch baking dish and set aside.
  2. Fill a large stockpot or dutch oven halfway with chicken broth (or water if you don't have broth), and bring to a boil. Add in elbow macaroni and cook until just under al dente, according to package directions. Do not fully cook or overcook the macaroni pasta, it'll finish cooking through completely in the oven. Once just under al dente, drain the pasta.
  3. While the pasta boils, use a wooden spoon to mix the half and half, heavy cream, half of the cheddar cheese, half of the Colby jack cheese, all of the mozzarella cheese, all of the American cheese, and all of the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl.
  4. Add smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, and some kosher salt and pepper, stirring well and tasting the mixture to ensure there is a good flavor. Do not add too much salt, since cheese is pretty salty and will add its saltiness as it bakes. Once satisfied with the seasoning, stir in the cooked macaroni and eggs until well incorporated with the cheese.
  5. Pour the macaroni mixture into the baking dish and spread evenly.
  6. Top the macaroni and cheese generously with the rest of the cheddar cheese and colby jack cheese. Sprinkle the top with a little more smoked paprika, if desired.
  7. Bake the mac and cheese for 35 minutes or until the cheese crust is bubbly and nicely browned. Do not over-bake or the macaroni pasta will become mushy and the cheese mixture will become dry.
  8. Let the baked macaroni and cheese cool for about 5 minutes or until just cool enough to serve. Serve hot so the cheese is nice and creamy.
  9. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Notes

  • For extra creaminess, use 8 ounces of cream cheese.
  • Don't have half and half? You can use evaporated milk (not condensed milk!) instead.
  • You can use whatever cheese you like, (monterey jack, whole milk mozzarella, mild cheddar, extra-sharp cheddar cheese) as long as they aren't hard cheeses like aged gruyere or 1,000 day aged gouda. They tend to separate and not melt easily when baked.
  • But the less aged versions like red wax gouda and smoked gruyere, are good to go into the mac. Softer cheeses like burrata, brie, camembert, and chevre (goat cheese) are also welcome to the party to replace the cream cheese.
  • This recipe doubles just fine, only add one more egg and use a (much) larger baking dish, you'll probably need the disposable aluminum ones because it's a LOT of macaroni and cheese. Bake it for an extra 10 minutes as well to ensure the custard gets cooked and that cheese crust gets nice.
  • Readers have put together this baked mac and cheese the day before, baking it the day of, with no problem. Go all the way up to Step 7 and bake the day of.
  • Put the mac in airtight containers or keep in the baking dish wrapped in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Reheat a serving in a microwave-safe bowl with a splash of milk to mix in and keep the mac and cheese.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 serving Calories 424kcal (21%) Carbohydrates 25g (8%) Protein 19g (38%) Fat 28g (43%) Saturated Fat 16g (80%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 7g Trans Fat 0.2g Cholesterol 104mg (35%) Sodium 881mg (37%) Potassium 195mg (6%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 3g (6%) Vitamin A 937IU (19%) Vitamin C 0.3mg (0%) Calcium 503mg (50%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 16servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 424

% Daily Value*

Serving 1 serving
Calories 424kcal 21%
Carbohydrates 25g 8%
Protein 19g 38%
Fat 28g 43%
Saturated Fat 16g 80%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 7g 35%
Trans Fat 0.2g 10%
Cholesterol 104mg 35%
Sodium 881mg 37%
Potassium 195mg 4%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 3g 6%
Vitamin A 937IU 19%
Vitamin C 0.3mg 0%
Calcium 503mg 50%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.