Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Its just about a requirement that all Americans love macaroni and cheese in some form and at some time in their lives, I’m no different. Growing up, my mother made a creamy homemade mac and cheese with a sauce that was smooth as silk and permeated every particle of perfectly cooked macaroni. It was my brother’s favorite so she usually made it every Sunday.
As a teen, we all became well acquainted with the boxed stuff, thrilling over the marvel and convenience of the powdery sauce which combined with milk to deliver the ideal after school snack for three busy young people on the go.
After I had my own kids, however, I quickly learned why my mother seldom ate Mac and Cheese. My kids loved it so much that I got burned out just from stirring those countless pots of pasta.
Then a few years ago I realized something – I missed my mac and cheese. I needed to reacquaint myself with it. While my mother’s mac and cheese is to die for, I longed for a stringy, cheesy, casseroley, version in my adult years. Something as far from the boxed stuff as I could get without introducing things my children would consider “weird”. Voila, Baked Macaroni and Cheese was born.
Those of you who subscribe to my email newsletter will receive an added bonus at the end of this week because I am also sending you my mother’s macaroni and cheese recipe as well as this one in my weekly recipe email!
. Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups uncooked macaroni
- 2 1/2 Tablespoons flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- Pepper to taste (I use about a teaspoon)
- 4 Tablespoons margarine
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup milk
Instructions
- Cook pasta until tender, drain. Mix all dry ingredients together, set aside. Spray oven safe bowl or dish with cooking spray. Place half of macaroni inside. Sprinkle half of the flour mixture over top and top with half of the margarine, sliced into small slices. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups cheese over. Repeat. Pour milk over all. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for thirty five minutes. Remove foil, bake an additional ten minutes. Serve hot.
Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy lives to read Southern Plate! I want to especially thank you for all of your comments and emails! I am usually a little behind on responding (so I can keep getting more recipes up and posted!) but I read every single one of them and always respond as soon as I can. You are all such incredibly wonderful people and I appreciate all of the extraordinary kindness you have and continue to show me!
Gratefully,
Christy
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Posted by Christy Jordan
on Oct 29 2008. Filed under Side Dishes.
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This is my go to recipe bookmarked in my phone! I love southern style dishes and I have a file of recipes that you have mastered to perfection! Have a wonderful holiday!
Making this for the first time tonight. I’ve always made my mac and cheese with a separate white sauce. add cheese and toss with noodles. I love that you just throw this all in the dish!!
I hope you enjoy the recipe Danielle!!!
This recipe is amazing. I loved it and my husband, the junk food connoisseur & businessman, said “people would pay for this”.
I’ve tried probably a dozen homemade mac-n-cheese recipes over the years, this was the first that was totally consumed, not one ounce got to see the inside of a garbage bag.
Thank You!
Oh my goodness, I am so glad that y’all liked it!!
OK, Ya’ll have convinced me to try this! I have been making Mama’s creamy macaroni and cheese, and that is absolutely delicious! Thanks, Christy and Mama for the delicious recipes!
Have you ever tried the box of Deluxe Kraft Mac and Cheese with green pepper, onion and Cream of Mushroom soup? I also add about four slices of Kraft American cheese. Prepare Mac and Cheese but don’t boil as long since you will bake till bubbly in oven at 350 degrees. Add as much onion and green pepper as you like, add soup. You can put in some season salt if you wish. Mix all together and bake at 350 degrees until bubbly or onions and peppers are tender. Great dish and it’s nice and creamy.
Can’t wait to try this. Seems really good.
Thanks
Going to make this for my mac and cheese loving grandchildren and play a board game with them.
When my daughter asks me to make this, she says, Can we have the special macaroni and cheese? That means no Kraft from the box! Everyone loves it! I started making it when I bought your cookbook. Can’t wait for your new one!
I can’t wait to try this!!
This looks delicious and so easy. I always look at Mac and Cheese recipes and think, “I’m never going to make this”. Now I’ve found one I can’t say that about. Thanks Christy!
Have you ever made macaroni and cheese with a bit more milk, no flour, and a couple of eggs. It is custard-like, and outta this world good. My mother made it this way, and I’ve never come across anyone else who did this. I’ll give your version a try.
Joan, that’s the way my mom & her mom made macaroni & cheese… their recipe didn’t have flour either… we loved it, but have found that most of our significant others don’t especially care for the addition of the egg… I’m going to try this recipe this weekend and see how everyone likes it… from the picture, it looks like it will be divine… I might become a “flour mac & cheese” convert… I love me some mac & cheese!
Well I am going to try this tonight . Like others I have always cooked everything separate, then baked it topped with seasoned bread crumbs. I use whatever cheeses i had in house. A blend of cheese brings comfort. I actually won the Mac n chese bake off at work with my dish. Have a wonderful day.
Add a little (powdered) mustard … About 1/4 ish teaspoon for added flavor
I made this for my dinner tonight and I must say it turned out way to salty. I don’t usually shy away from salt, often salting my food after it is cooked. Perhaps my fault, I salted the boiling pasta water and I also used salted butter. If I make it again, I will not do either of those two things and probably just use 1 teas. of salt. I also think that I will melt the butter, then for the first layer use half of the melted butter, half of the milk and gently stir. Repeat with the second layer and also gently stir the top part and then add a bit more cheese to the top of that. I found that the cheese did not uniformly melt and give all the macaroni a cheesy taste, especially on the bottom layer. I also might add some diced smoked beef sausage (already cooked) to help entice my husband to eat it, since he is not a fan of mac and cheese but if it has some meat in it…… If I do that, I will add it in both layers and probably reduce the salt a little more. You can always salt it more later, but you can’t take it back! But the recipe is a good starting point for adventurous cooks! Thanks Christy for this easy basic recipe! Also got the recipe for the chocolate revel bars, but haven’t seen your grandma’s recipe! Is it posted on the site somewhere?
Christy…..I just want to take the opportunity to thank you so much for your easy and tastey recipies. I made this Mac and cheese tonight and it was great. I did not change a thing. I made a meatloaf in the crock pot and your Mac and cheese. I have never enjoyed cooking so much before. Easy recipies.
Oh my goodness, I am so glad to hear that you liked the recipe Cindi!!
Hi Christy. . . I was hoping you could help me out. I have prepared this mac and cheese twice now and both times came up with a curdled consistency throughout. I have prepped it the day before, refrigerated it and baked it the following day. Do you think it’s because I’m pouring the milk on when I’m prepping it? I cool down the noodles completely with cold water before assembling, but should I wait to pour the milk right before baking it the following day? Also, I’m using skim milk. Not sure if that makes a difference. Any advice you have I would appreciate it. Thank you!
Made this tonight, added a few sprinkles of worcestershire sauce, it was awesome and so easy!
Glad to hear it was a hit Christina!!!
I found this recipe today and made it today using shells instead of elbow and it was good! I tend to like a nice sauce in my mac and cheese but this was very good and will go into my recipe book for easy and quick night meals. I can’t wait to experiment with other types of cheese
just a quick question after i put the first layer down do i mix it or just let everything sit unmixed?
This is GENIUS!! So simple!! Love me some Christy!!
Wow!!! looks better then what was on the other websites … making this for dinner tonight … my 17 month old loves mac and cheese … but i think he will love this better … great recipe and easy to make!!!
I hope he enjoys it Nicole!!
[...] I found the original recipe here. [...]