Southern Baked Mac and Cheese

This is my mom's macaroni and cheese recipe, the one from page 38 of The Pick of the Crop. I don't make my mac and cheese like my mom did hers, so this was really interesting! And, honestly, a bit of a challenge!

I have memories of what it looked like and, more importantly, what it tasted like! I'm not really sure where the measurements for this recipe came from because I never remember mama measuring any of it.

The first thing I noticed when I read the recipe was 2 teaspoons of salt! What?! That's way too much salt! Then there was the ratio of milk and eggs to cheese. It just didn't feel right. I remember Mama's mac and cheese being light and fluffy and ultra cheesy!

But... I made it as it was written. Just less salt.

It was good, but it was too custardy and just wasn't right. On top of that, the butter made it way too greasy. And there was not nearly enough cheese!

This isn't what I remembered it tasting like.

I was determined to make it taste just like what I grew up with. I cut back on the milk and eggs, cut out the butter completely, added more cheese and more types of cheese too. It finally tasted just like I remembered! One bite brought me back to when I was younger and eating this with my family.

Remember that one scene in Ratatouille where Anton Ego (the food critic) eats Remy's ratatouille for the first time and is immediately transported back to his childhood?

It was just like that!

I am beyond happy with how this turned out. But more importantly, I think Mama would be too!

My kids loved this mac and cheese just as much as I do. We actually just stood around a casserole full of mac and cheese and ate the entire thing! Memories are important and moments like these where I can share recipes from my childhood with my children mean absolutely everything.

What is Southern Baked Mac and Cheese?

Everybody knows what macaroni and cheese is. Most are made the same way I make mine - with a béchamel. This one, however, is made with a custard base. I know you're thinking, "Why would you do that?" My answer is because it's light and fluffy and cheesy! It's baked, so it's more like a casserole than a stovetop side dish. It also comes together a lot faster and with a lot less effort than traditional mac and cheese.

How to make this dish

This is an easy one! Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and get your ingredients together first so you're not digging through the refrigerator looking for things later. Cook your pasta (just to al dente). While the pasta is cooking, grate the cheeses and whisk together the milk and egg. Drain the pasta, and hit it with a bit of cold water to stop the cooking process. Add the macaroni to the milk mixture, stir in the cheeses, season to taste, pour it into a casserole that has been sprayed with cooking spray, put it into a 350 degree oven and bake for 20-30 minutes until set.

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The active work on this dish takes less than 10 minutes! That's pretty amazing when you think about it!

Expert tips

• Use a small casserole dish. You want the mac and cheese to be about 3 inches thick. The thicker amount will yield a finished dish that is much more moist. If you spread it too thin, it will dry it out.
• Parmesan cheese adds a terrific base flavor and rounds out the flavor of the cheddar.
• White cheddar is not as greasy as yellow cheddar, so I use half yellow and half white.

When you make Southern Baked Mac and Cheese, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #MSDHospitality.