Who didn’t grow up eating the famous boxed macaroni and cheese? You all know exactly what brand I’m talking about. This comfort dish has always been the go to favorite for families with kids, those on a budget and picky eaters. And it’s no different for this Long Island mom and family. After all, it includes two of the most delicious ingredients ever created– Pasta and Cheese!
But this “only for kids” dish has grown up. Upscale restaurants now make versions of it with with lobster, truffles and other expensive ingredients. Chefs on cooking shows are always trying their hand at new versions of this dish. It is no longer just for kids.
For our family, however, there is nothing more comforting and satisfying than the traditional southern version of this savory dish. My family’s travels to the South definitely had something to do with this. Spending time in Memphis and eating mac & cheese with some barbecued ribs is as close to heaven as you can get. (Read more about my family’s Memphis journey, click here:https://followmyyellowbrickroad.com/?p=2649)
My recipe makes one delectable 9×12 baking dish or two 8×8 baking dishes. Perfect for a family meal or for a side dish for a get together or holiday celebration.
So let’s start baking!
INGREDIENTS
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 box of elbow macaroni
- 16 oz of Cheddar Cheese (2 packages)
- 8 oz of Colby Cheese (1 package)
- 2 cups of whole milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 stick unsalted butter
DIRECTIONS
- Pre-grate all your cheeses and keep in refrigerator until you are ready to prepare the dish. (This is the most labor intensive part of this entire dish and can easily be done ahead of time.)
- Make sure that your cheeses, cheeses, milk, eggs and butter are room temperature. I have found this to be key to making this dish.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook elbow macaroni according to “al dente” package directions. This takes about 4-5 minutes.
- Once macaroni is cooked, rinse with cold water to stop it from cooking.
- In a bowl, whisk milk and eggs together.
- Add melted butter, milk, 1 tsp of pepper, 1 1/2 tsp of salt, cheddar cheese (about 2 cups or 1/2 of what you grated) and macaroni to milk and egg mixture.
- Mix all together.
- Place about 1/2 of this mixture evenly into baking dish.
- Place about 1/2 of colby cheese on top.
- Place remaining mixture on top
- Place in preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 30 minutes.
- Once baked, remove pan(s) and put remaining cheddar and colby cheese on top.
- Place back in oven and broil to cook top cheese layer. Be very careful! Cheese burns quickly. This should take about 3-4 minutes so keep a close eye it.
- Remove from oven when done and let sit for about 15-20 minutes. This will give it a chance to firm up a bit since it may seem jiggly when you remove it from oven.
SERVE AND ENJOY!
