Yum, yum, yum! This is one of my favorite comfort meals. Baked macaroni and cheese. But the truth is guys, I mostly grew up with a version of box macaroni and cheese. It actually wasn’t until I met my husband that I set out on a journey to learn how to make this oh so wonderful dish. My husband is from the south and he grew up with the real thang! And I didn’t want to disappoint. It has taken me three years to perfect this recipe and babyyyyy, we got ourselves a winner.
The ooey gooey cheesiness of this recipe will have your mouth watering and your family asking for seconds. The best part is this recipe uses totally kid friendly cheeses. Also this recipe has no Velveeta in it. Yet it’s still oh so creamy. So if you’re looking for a baked mac n cheese recipe that doesn’t have it in there. This one’s for you honey!
I like to use four different cheeses and they are readily available at most local stores. I like 8oz blocks of sharp cheddar, colby jack, mozzarella, and gouda. But you can easily substitute out for the types of cheeses you prefer.
So get ready, get set, for this extra creamy, mouth watering take on an old school southern classic. I’m telling you my friends, you won’t be disappointed. Enjoy!
Creamy Baked Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds pounds of elbow macaroni noodles
- 2 cups shredded Sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded Gouda
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 cups shredded Colby jack
- 3 tbsp unsalted Butter
- 3 tbsp All Purpose Flour
- 1 12 oz can of evaporated milk
- Salt & Black pepper
- Garlic powder
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ Whole milk
- 1 cup half n half
Optional: 1 cup panko bread crumbs, 1 tbsp avocado oil, ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F or 177 degrees C.
- Shred your cheeses. I highly recommend using block cheeses and shredding them yourself. Most pre-shredded cheeses at the store contain an anti-caking agent that makes it harder for the cheeses to melt.
- Add water to a large pot and boil noodles per package instructions. But first, generously season that water honey. I like to use garlic powder, salt, and pepper. The more flavor in the water the better the noodles will taste once cooked. I prefer to cook my noodles al dente. This way the noodles won’t get mushy. Nobody has time for that.
- Drain the noodles and place them in a bowl and set aside.
- Melt 3 tbsp of unsalted butter on medium heat in a saucepan.
- Once butter is melted, Add the 3 tbsp of all purpose flour and mix together. This is the base for your cheese sauce.
- Now remove the saucepan from the heat and add in the 1 cup of warmed half n half. Mixing until the sauce becomes smooth.
- Return the saucepan to the heat and Add 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese and continue to stir until well incorporated.
- Pour the cheese sauce over the macaroni noodles and gently mix to coat all the noodles.
- Add to a large bowl the 1 ½ cups of whole milk, 1 can of evaporated milk, 1 cup of colby jack cheese, ½ cup of mozzarella, and ½ cup of gouda cheese.
- Place macaroni noodles in a baking dish and pour the milk/cheese mixture over the noodles using a spoon to fully incorporate.
- Taste mixture and add more salt and pepper if needed.
- Here’s the fun part. Add the beaten eggs and use either your hands or a spatula to combine. I like to put on gloves and use my hands to fully combine. But a spatula works just fine as well.
- Add the remaining gouda, sharp cheddar and colby jack cheeses to the top of the dish.
- Bake for 30-35 mins until all the cheese is melted to golden brown perfection.
- Wait 5-10 mins to allow the dish to rest and Viola!, Serve and enjoy.
Optional Instructions: In a small bowl mix together the 1 cup of panko, 1 tbsp of avocado oil and ¼ tsp of salt. Pour the mixture over the shredded cheeses and bake in the oven for 30-35 mins. This adds a nice little crust of texture to the baked mac n cheese.
Notes
- Shredding your own cheese is king! Your mac n cheese dish will thank you for the extra work. Also, if you have a food processor you can easily shred your block cheeses in there.
- My family and I love sharp cheddar, colby jack, mozzarella, and gouda cheese but you can really use any cheese that you like to put your own spin on it and truly make it your own.
- 1-8oz block of cheese is 2 cups shredded. So for this recipe I recommend shredding 1 whole block of cheddar and colby jack and ½ block of mozzarella and gouda. Of course you can always shred the whole block of mozzarella and gouda because I mean who doesn’t love a little extra cheese!!
Go…Lisha, Lisha, rah, rah, rah!!!
Awww thank you so much for the support!! I truly appreciate it❤️.
Mmm! Sounds amazing….I can’t wait to try this recipe!! ?
Thanks for stopping by! You’re going to love it.