Here is a great weeknight recipe for Baked Macaroni and Cheese that comes together quick and provides a hearty side dish or even an entrée! No need to make a fancy béchamel or beurre blanc for this, your cheese will melt just fine. The consistency of this macaroni and cheese might be different than what you’re used to, but if you give it a chance, you may be pleasantly surprised.
Making a cheese sauce takes time and practice to avoid becoming grainy or risking it separating. Using sliced and shredded cheeses prevents this and in my recipe, you will never know the difference!
Why should you make this recipe:
- This is a classic side dish that compliments many main dishes
- The full recipe serves a crowd but it easily scaled up or down depending on your needs
- For simplicity, I use pre-shredded and pre-sliced cheeses
Ideas for customizing this recipe:
- Swap one of your cheeses for a Blue or Gorgonzola cheese (Go super easy with these!)
- Try Pepperjack in place of Cheddar
- Add in chopped bacon or diced jalapenos or both!!! 🥓
- Use whatever type of non-spaghetti type pasta; Jumbo Elbow Macaroni noodles are traditional, but shells or even rigatoni work well also
Main dishes to serve with Baked Macaroni and Cheese:
- Classic Meatloaf that bakes at the same oven temperature…hint, hint!!
- A grocery store Rotisserie Chicken! 😱
- Great as a meal by itself and reheats really well
How to make Baked Macaroni and Cheese
- Preheat your oven to 375° or 350° if using the convection setting
- Make sure to grease your baking dish with either butter (traditional) or cooking spray. I like glass bakeware so that I can see if things are cooking and not burning just by looking, but use what have
- Bring a large stockpot full of water to a nice rolling boil, salt your water if you want
- Add in your box of jumbo macaroni noodles and cook 2 minutes LESS than the package directions. Your pasta will finish cooking in the baking dish and if you cook your pasta the full recommended time, you will end up with noodles that turn mushy.
- Stir occasionally and then drain your pasta in a large colander; DO NOT RINSE YOUR PASTA
- In the empty pot that you just cooked your pasta in, cut in a 1/2 stick (1/4 Cup) of butter. Stir your pasta back in until the butter is melted
- In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk your eggs and spices until smooth
- Add in your milk and whisk until well incorporated
- If using sliced cheeses, chop them into strips or chunks
- Add in your cheeses and stir until coated in the milk and egg mixture
- Now you can mix in your buttered elbow noodles
- Scoop everything into your greased baking dish and cover with aluminum foil
- Bake for 40 minutes
- Remove aluminum foil and bake an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is golden brown
- Let sit for no less than 5 minutes to allow everything to settle, then serve and enjoy
Southern Style Baked Macaroni and Cheese
4 different cheeses and a bold spice blend give this traditional southern style macaroni and cheese great flavor and classic texture.
Servings: 8 Servings
Ingredients
Cheese
- 1 16oz Box of Jumbo Elbow Macaroni or whatever pasta you're using
- 8 oz Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese white or yellow
- 8 oz Shredded Low Moisture Mozzarella whole milk if possible
- 4 oz Sliced Provolone cut into strips
- 4 oz Smoked Gouda cut into chunks or strips if pre-sliced
Spices
- 1 tsp Ground Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Granulated Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Mustard Powder
Other
- 2 Cups Whole Milk
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1/4 Cup Butter salted or unsalted
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375° or 350° if using the convection setting
- On the stovetop over high heat, bring a large stockpot full of water to a rolling boil, salt if you wish
- Cook your jumbo elbow macaroni in the stockpot 2 minutes less than the package directions1 16oz Box of Jumbo Elbow Macaroni
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together your spices and eggs until completely smooth1 tsp Ground Black Pepper, 1 tsp Granulated Garlic Powder, 1 tsp Onion Powder, 1 tsp Paprika, 1/2 tsp Salt, 1/2 tsp Mustard Powder, 2 Large Eggs
- Stir occasionally and then drain your pasta in a large colander; DO NOT RINSE YOUR PASTA
- After draining your noodles, add back to the empty stockpot and toss to coat in butter1/4 Cup Butter
- Add in your milk to the bowl with the eggs and spices and whisk until well incorporated2 Cups Whole Milk
- Add your cheeses to the mixing bowl and stir until coated in the milk and egg mixture8 oz Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese, 8 oz Shredded Low Moisture Mozzarella, 4 oz Sliced Provolone, 4 oz Smoked Gouda
- Toss your drained noodles in with the milk, eggs, and cheese and stir until thoroughly combined
- Scoop everything into your greased baking dish and cover with aluminum foil
- Bake for 40 minutes
- Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly
- Let sit for no less than 5 minutes to allow everything to settle, then serve and enjoy
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