Mac & Cheese Variations
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Baked macaroni and cheese is a quintessential Southern side dish. Although the dish has European roots, the version Americans are familiar with today can be attributed to James Hemings, President Thomas Jefferson's highly skilled, enslaved chef. Hemings learned of the dish during his travels to Europe with Jefferson and produced the cheesy, savory side we all know and love. Word of the dish spread like wildfire and the cooking technique was passed along through the enslaved community, creating what would become a staple of the African-American and Southern dinner table.
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First, let's attend to the pasta. Boil the macaroni in a large pot of generously salted water until al dente. Bite into one to check—it should put up some resistance. You don't want to cook the pasta any further at this stage—it will get plenty tender when baked in the oven. Drain the pasta and immediately rinse under cold running water to halt cooking.
When the macaroni is cool enough to touch, melt the butter over medium-low heat in the same pot you used for the noodles. Add the pasta and season with salt and pepper; stir to coat. Stir in 2 cups of the cheddar. Don't worry about melting the cheese here; the melting will happen in the oven.
Layer like lasagna! Transfer half of the macaroni mixture to a large, deep baking dish greased with cooking spray or butter and spread it out into an even layer. Top with all of the Colby-cheddar blend, then layer with the remaining macaroni mixture.
Time to make the custard—won't take but a minute. Whisk together the eggs and milk (or cream or half-and-half, depending on how rich like your mac) and pour evenly over the macaroni.
Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake the mac & cheese at 350° for 25 to 35 minutes, until bubbling but still a little jiggly. I like to set the baking dish on a baking sheet to catch any drips.
Let's finish the job. Remove the mac & cheese from the oven and heat the broiler. Remove the foil from the baking dish and top the mac with the remaining cheddar (I like to include a little more Colby-cheddar blend too). Return the baking dish to the oven and broil until the cheese is melted and golden on top. Let cool slightly before serving, to allow the mac to set up further.
Full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe below.
Baked mac and cheese will always steal the show but there are a few mains that are worthy enough to grace the same table, like this oven-baked BBQ chicken or this juicy rib-eye steak. Can't get enough of my recipes? You'll find more of 'em right here.
Save your future self some time and prep this macaroni ahead. Once it's done baking, allow it to cool to room temperature and wrap the entire pan tightly in plastic wrap and a layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Reheat at 350° until heated through. Baked mac and cheese will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
(1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for dish
Kosher salt
macaroni
Freshly ground black pepper
shredded extra-sharp cheddar, divided
shredded Colby Jack-cheddar blend
large eggs
whole milk
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