Southern Style Mac and Cheese, way better than the boxed macaroni and cheese, and takes a short time to come together. Creamy, rich, and cheesy, this baked mac and cheese is gloriously delicious and a family favorite.
Watch the video tutorial below and follow the tips mentioned in this post for the ultimate comfort soul food!
Southern-Style Mac and cheese Recipe
I’ve enjoyed exploring different amazing versions of macaroni and cheese in The Southern States of America, especially Georgia, and they were all delicious. Mac and cheese are a staple in the United States, and you can find it in most restaurants, and don’t be surprised to find it in stores too. There is the frozen version, and the boxed version found on the shelves. The flavor is alright, but there is a hint of an unpleasant after taste probably coming from the preservatives.
The best Southern Style mac and cheese are homemade, nothing can beat a homemade mac and cheese, simply because people have different taste, so they add different spices, cheeses, and pasta.
Mac and Cheese Ingredients
Elbow macaroni. You can use other types of pasta but avoid the large ones and the long ones like spaghetti. The large pasta will take in a lot of sauce, turning your mac and cheese dry, and long pasta, can’t hold the sauce well.
Flour. We are making a roux (basic sauce). All-purpose flour brings out great flavors when sauteed with butter. You can use whole wheat flour, but the sauce will come out dense and with less flavor.
Butter. Use unsalted and unflavored butter.
Mustard. Some people don’t like it in their mac and cheese, you can omit it, but it pairs well with cheddar cheese in this cheese sauce.
Salt.
Black pepper.
Whole milk and Heavy Cream, to add creaminess and silky texture to the cheese sauce.
Cheddar and mozzarella cheese use mild or sharp cheddar.
Egg.
How Do You Make Southern Style Mac and Cheese?
- Melt the butter in a saucepan.
- Add the flour to the melted butter.
- Add the milk and the cream to the flour, stir.
- Season with salt and pepper and add the mustard.
- Turn off heat, add both cheddar and mozzarella cheese to the sauce and stir.
- Add an egg to the sauce, whisk.
- Add the cooked pasta, mix.
- Pour the mixture in a baking pan, spread cheddar cheese on top. Bake.
Tips for The Best Southern Style Mac and Cheese
- Use your favorite cheddar cheese, but know that the sharpness of the cheese decreases when you add it to the sauce.
- Do not cover the macaroni and cheese while baking to have a bubbly a little crispy top. But if your oven is too hot, then cover the macaroni and cheese with aluminum foil so it doesn’t get dry while it is baking and remove it 10 minutes before you take the mac and cheese out of the oven.
- Shred your cheese, it is convenient to use already shredded cheese, but it loses some moisture in the process, which leads to the grainy texture of cheese sauce. Buy a block of cheese and shredded it at home.
- Take out the macaroni and cheese from the oven immediately after it’s baked. Some people leave it in the oven to keep it warm, but that makes it go dry and lumpy.
- Overcooking the macaroni will create lumps in the mac and cheese. I suggest you cook the macaroni 2 minutes less than the time mentioned on the box.
- If you don’t want to use eggs in this recipe, then replace it with three tablespoon cream cheese, or quarter cup mozzarella cheese.
- Feel free to double the amount of the sauce if you like your macaroni and cheese with more sauce.
More Mac and Cheese Recipes you’ll love:
📖 Recipe
Southern Mac and Cheese A Soul Food
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup uncooked elbow macaroni
- 4 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 5 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- Salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
- 1 cup cold whole milk
- ½ cup cold heavy cream
- 1 ¼ cup mild or sharp cheddar cheese cubes I have used mild
- ⅓ cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Keep an 8” or 7” baking pan on the side.
- Cook the elbow macaroni 2 minutes less than the time mentioned on the box, since it will continue to cook in the oven for 25 minutes.
- In a saucepan, add the butter and when it melts add the flour and stir on medium heat for one minute.
- Add the cold milk and heavy cream to the flour and whisk to avoid creating lumps.
- When the sauce is thick and dipping a spoon in it, coat the back of the spoon, season the sauce with black pepper.
- Stir the sauce for 1 minute and then turn off the heat.
- Add both cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese to the sauce and keep stirring until the cheese dissolves. Taste the sauce and accordingly add as much salt as it needs according to your taste.
- Add an egg to the sauce and beat quickly.
- Add the pasta to the sauce and mix well.
- Pour the mac and cheese into an 8” or 7” baking pan and sprinkle the top with a layer of shredded cheddar cheese — Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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FOOD HEAL
I love the creamy part, it's promising to be a hearty meal.
munatycooking
Thank you 🙂
Sarah Emery
I'm a huge fan of mac n' cheese, yet this is a first I've heard of adding mustard. I'm now very intrigued. I'll have to try. Thanks for this recipe!
munatycooking
Let me know how you liked it Sarah 🙂
Maysz
Wow this is so looks delicious and easy to made perfect serving for dinner I would love to try this!
Jennifer Van Haitsma
I love baked mac and cheese! My mom used to make it growing up and I haven't had it in ages. This looks so good.
Ivana Mearns
Sounds delicious yet quite simple to make, thanks for the recipe!
munatycooking
You are welcome Ivana!
Ivana Mearns
This looks delicious yet very simple to make, thanks for the recipe!
munatycooking
You are most welcome 🙂
Emily Fata
Oh my goodness, this recipe looks absolutely heavenly! I'll have to give it a try one of these days.
Marie Phillips
My son makes a mac and cheese recipe that is almost identical to this one. Comfort food at its finest!
Kuntala Bhattacharya
Mouth is watering, what a delicuous yummy recipe. These are really needed now as we are cooking at home and no home delivery. My son will definitely like it.
munatycooking
This is one of my favorite mac and cheese recipes, hope you give it a try!
the joyous living
mac and cheese made with an egg? clever and sounds very good. probably adds to the creamy texture?
munatycooking
Oh yes, the egg adds amazing texture to the mac and cheese!
Beeb Ashcroft
This is some amazing looking mac and cheese. I would love to serve this at a pot luck.
Kristine Nicole Alessandra
This looks like a better way to make mac and cheese. I am going to try your recipe and make this for my family on Friday. (It is our family's pizza pasta day). I am sure they will like this better than the usual way I make it for them.
munatycooking
You can never go wrong with mac and cheese 🙂
Nkem
Mmm this looks super good and filling. I'll have to try some veraion of this next week.
munatycooking
Let me know how you liked it 🙂
Autumn Murray
Yum to the yum! I am always looking for Mac & Cheese recipes to try. This recipe looks and sounds delicious! Thank you!
blair villanueva
Your recipe sounds delicious. I think this will be enjoyed too by our teens.
Emman Damian
I love Southern Mac and Cheese! I hope to do it later in the evening. Yummy!