Southern Baked Mac and Cheese (Soul Food Recipe) (2024)

Published: Jul 10, 2019 · Modified: Jul 17, 2023 by Ashley · This post may contain affiliate links

A classic, soul food southern baked macaroni and cheese recipe that bakes up firm but creamy with a delicious crusty top. Made with evaporated milk, cream, eggs, and three types of cheeses, this mac and cheese is rich, indulgent comfort food at its best!

I don't think many people realize how seriously we Black folks take our mac and cheese in the South. Some people joke that you need at least five years of experience and ten references to make the holiday mac and cheese and that's pretty close to accurate!

For more authentic southern comfort food recipes, check out our Southern Candied Yams and Old Fashioned Banana Pudding recipes next!

What Is Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese?

We do mac and cheese a little differently in the South, and it has taken me quite some time to perfect this recipe. Soul food mac and cheese is super rich and has a custard-like but creamy texture and a golden-brown crust on top.

Contrary to what you may have heard, there is no roux in traditional southern mac and cheese! At least not in the soul food version that Black folks like my family have enjoyed for decades.

Southern macaroni and cheese is made using eggs as the binder instead of flour, which is the base of most other creamy baked macaroni and cheese recipes. Another ingredient that stands out in Southern mac and cheese is evaporated milk.

Evaporated milk is shelf-stable milk that has been heated to evaporate most of the water. Evaporated milk gives this mac and cheese an extra-rich flavor and a creamy consistency.

Ingredients You Need To Make This Recipe

Measurements and step-by-step recipe instructions area in the recipe card located at the bottom of this post.

• Elbow macaroni pasta. Traditional southern macaroni and cheese is made with elbow noodles. No need to get fancy with the shapes here!
• Unsalted butter. To toss the cooked pasta in to keep it from sticking and butter the baking dish.
• Evaporated milk. Evaporated milk is concentrated, shelf-stable milk that helps gives this macaroni and cheese its richness and creaminess. Evaporated milk is heated so that most of the water evaporates before it is hom*ogenized and canned.
• Half and half. Half and half is combined with the evaporated milk in the custard-like base for this recipe. You can also use whole milk if you do not have half and half.
• Sour cream. I added this ingredient to this mac and cheese recipe because of the subtle tanginess and additional creaminess that it adds. I always get asked what I put in my mac and cheese because there's just something extra delicious that people can't quite put their finger on, and they're usually surprised to hear that's it sour cream!
• Salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, dry mustard powder, and cayenne pepper. These are the spices used to flavor the macaroni and cheese.
• Large eggs. Eggs act as the binder for this mac and cheese instead of the roux that most baked mac and cheese recipes feature. This is one of the things that sets southern mac and cheese apart from others.
• Freshly shredded extra sharp cheddar, Colby jack, and Monterey jack cheeses. These are the cheeses used for this recipe and we use lots of it in this macaroni and cheese! Do not use pre-shredded cheese!

How To Make This Recipe

• Preheat your oven to 375°F. Generously butter a 9 x 13 baking dish and set aside.
• Cook the elbow macaroni noodles in salted water until they are almost al-dente and still firm to the bite. Drain the pasta, place it back in the pot, and toss it with two tablespoons of butter.
• Add the evaporated milk, half and half, sour cream, and seasonings to a large mixing bowl, and whisk to combine. Taste the milk mixture and add more salt to taste until you are pleased with the flavor.
• Stir in the cheese with a wooden spoon, reserving about a cup for topping the mac and cheese. Pour the warm elbow macaroni into the bowl with the milk mixture and stir to combine all of the ingredients.
• Transfer the macaroni and cheese to the prepared baking dish, stir in the beaten eggs, and top with the remaining cheese. Bake the mac and cheese for 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden and bubbly. Allow the mac and cheese to cool for about 10 minutes and enjoy!

Variations and Substitutions

If you do not have evaporated milk on hand, you can use regular whole milk instead. However, I highly recommend trying it with evaporated milk for the old-school, extra-rich macaroni and cheese I grew up eating in Mississippi!

You can also experiment with different ratios of heavy cream, whole milk, and/or half and half until you find which combination gives you the best result.

What Cheeses Are Best For Mac and Cheese?

Many Southerners swear by adding American cheese or Velveeta to mac and cheese, and I'm not against either. Just make sure you choose good melting cheeses and grate them at home yourself.

Use a food processor with the grater attachment to save time. Some of my cheese suggestions for mac and cheese are:

• Mozzarella
• Gouda
• Fontina
• Gruyere
• Pepper jack

Do I Need To Put Eggs In Macaroni and Cheese?

While you do not have to put eggs in macaroni and cheese, they are used in southern-style mac and cheese recipes to give the dish structure and to bind the ingredients. Many macaroni and cheese recipes call for flour to be cooked in butter, better known as a roux, as the base for the recipe.

Eggs give southern mac and cheese a characteristic sturdy structure that is still creamy and cheesy. Southern macaroni and cheese is more of a custard than its roux-containing counterparts.

More FAQs

Make-Ahead and Storing Instructions

You can assemble this macaroni and cheese a day ahead of time and bake it when ready to serve. Assemble the mac and cheese, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and store it in the refrigerator overnight. Take it out about 30 minutes before you plan to bake it.

Leftover macaroni and cheese can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat mac and cheese in the microwave or oven.

Tips For The Best Macaroni and Cheese

• Do not use pre-shredded cheese! Buy blocks of cheese and shred it at home with a box grater or a food processor with the grater attachment. Packaged pre-shredded cheeses have anti-caking agents added to them which prevent them from melting well.
  • Trust me on this if you want extra creamy macaroni and cheese that gives you an epic cheese pull!
• Southern mac and cheese has a characteristic crusty top that is so dang good! Try turning on the oven broiler for the last couple of minutes to get an even crustier top on your mac!

What To Serve With Southern Macaroni and Cheese

Soul food is made with love and when I serve my southern style mac and cheese I like to pair it with other comforting southern dishes. Try serving this macaroni and cheese with some of the following for an authentic down-home meal:

• Southern Smothered Chicken
• Southern Fried Catfish
• Southern Salmon Croquettes
• Oven Fried Catfish
• Southern Homemade Chicken and Dumplings
• Hot Water Cornbread
• Southern Fried Okra
• Buttermilk Cornbread Muffins
• Southern Green Beans
• Soul Food Collard Greens
• Classic Southern Buttermilk Cornbread
• Hummingbird Cupcakes
• Southern Buttermilk Pie
• Peach Sweet Tea

• 9 x 13 baking dish
• Cheese grater
• Mixing bowl
• Whisk

More Southern Recipes You Will Love!

• Classic Southern Coleslaw
• Southern Hush Puppies
• Southern Buttermilk Biscuits
• Biscuits and Sausage Gravy
• Chocolate Gravy
• Louisiana Red Beans and Rice
• Cajun Shrimp and Grits
• Skillet Peach Cobbler
• Bananas Foster French Toast
• Old Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes
• Southern Pecan Pie
• Southern Sweet Potato Pie
• Moist Lemon Bundt Cake
• Fresh Peach Lemonade
• Strawberry Sweet Iced Tea

📖 Recipe