We call this Black folks baked mac and cheese – an authentic soul food dish easy for anyone to make and everyone to love! This recipe is made with rich, creamy cheese sauce and Southern comfort soul food flavorings baked ’til the edges are crispy and browned to taste like someone stewed over it in the kitchen all day! One such variation is Southern baked mac and cheese – the soul food way! There are many variations of the classic dish macaroni and cheese. It’s a staple for soul food Sundays, summer cookouts, Juneteenth celebrations, and always a featured item at a soul food Thanksgiving or on a Black folks Christmas dinner menu.Įven though I love macaroni and cheese, I don’t always want to make it the traditional way. Mac and cheese is one of my favorite Southern comfort soul foods and a favorite of many households. With bonus crispy cheesy bits and cheese pulls for days.Southern soul food baked mac and cheese – the Black folks way! Then switch the broiler on to high and broil until the top is lightly golden in spots, about 1 to 2 minutes.Īnd pretty much the cheesiest of cheesy mac and cheeses out there. yum cheese!īake on the middle rack of your preheated 325° for 10 minutes. Top with half the remaining cheese, the rest of the macaroni and cheese and the last of the shredded cheese. Using a rubber spatula, toss the pasta in the cheese sauce to coat.Īdd half of the macaroni and cheese sauce to a lightly sprayed casserole dish. Once the cheese sauce is smooth, add in the partially cooked pasta. Season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Next, stir in 1-1/2 cups of the combined cheeses, 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard and 1/4 teaspoon paprika. While whisking, slowly pour in 2 cups of half & half.Ĭontinue to whisk until the mixture has thickened to the consistency of a creamy soup. Meanwhile, in a 10-inch skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter over medium heat.Ĭontinue to whisk while the flour/butter mixture cooks for 1 minute.
Add in 10 ounces (not a full box!) of elbow pasta and cook 1 to 2 minute shy of the package directions. For an extra cheese Mac and cheese, add in an extra 1/2 cup of cheddar jack.Īdd 2 tablespoons of sea salt to a boiling pot of water. In a bowl, combine both the 1-1/2 cups freshly grated cheddar and cheddar jack. In This Easy Baked Mac and Cheese You Will Need:
Yielding the best baked Mac and cheese, I’ve ever made. This recipe however, is mostly done in a skillet before being baked at a lower temperature for 10 minutes and then a quick trip under the broiler for those undeniable crispy brown bits. The combination of both makes the milk solids separate. One, is that bad mac and cheese is both baked at too high of a temperature and for far too long.
After years of bad mac and cheese, I was determined to make a homemade macaroni and cheese that was creamy and dreamy. there’s no sauce) or the sauce has broken, making it clumpy and gloppy? ??♀️I’ve made so many baked macaroni and cheese recipes and all end up either too dry or (gasp!) curdle-y. Let’s get to the point, shall we? Who here has had mac and cheese that the sauce has either been absorbed into the pasta (i.e. Get your cheese fix with this Easy Baked Mac and Cheese! Cheddar and jack cheese melted into a simple sauce, tossed with elbow macaroni and then layered making this the cheesiest baked mac and cheese!! Serves 6 in under an hour.