Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese

close up of a pan of baked mac and cheese

Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese

A rich, creamy baked mac & cheese recipe made with eggs, milk, sour cream, and double the cheddar. Lightened-up option included.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 258kcal

Author Amee

Ingredients

8 oz uncooked elbow macaroni cook according to package directions (I prefer Dreamfields, it's a low-glycemic, low-carb pasta that actually tastes good!)-a standard box of elbow noodles is 16 oz, so you'll only use half the box.
2 eggs beaten
8 oz Cabot extra-sharp cheddar shredded
12 oz Cabot's sharp cheddar cheese shredded (feel free to swap with low-fat cheddar for a lighter version)
1/3 cup sour cream
2 cups milk whole milk for 2% for a lighter version
4 tbsp butter melted
1/4 tsp ground mustard
¼ tsp cayenne pepper optional
Salt and pepper to taste I use about 1/4 tsp pepper and 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Boil macaroni al dente according to package directions, drain and cool.
In a large bowl, mix all other ingredients (except 1 cup of cheddar cheese for topping).
Toss with cooked macaroni (make sure it has cooled completely).
Transfer to a baking dish sprayed with olive oil cooking spray. Top with remaining cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes or until just cheese just starts to turn golden (do not brown).
Let sit for 10 minutes before serving to thicken.

Notes

Lighten things up: To make this classic Southern macaroni cheese with fewer calories and less fat without sacrificing flavor, use low-fat cheese like Cabot’s 50% less fast sharp cheddar for 12 oz of the cheese (you want 8 oz of the full-fat extra-sharp cheddar for some creaminess). Also, substitute whole milk for 2% milk, and be sure to use light sour cream instead of full-fat. As for the butter, sticks of Land O’ Lakes olive oil blend are a great substitution (if you can find them).

Recipe Tips:

Don’t boil the elbows past al dente. If boiled too long, the noodles ultimately overcook during baking and turn mushy.
No rinsing the cooked noodles! It gives the cheese sauce a starchy surface to cling to.
Let cooked pasta cool to the touch. If the pasta is too hot when you toss it with the cheese sauce, the eggs will begin cooking and make the sauce lumpy.
Do not use bagged shredded cheese. Freshly shredded cheese is critical to the creaminess. The bagged stuff simply can’t compete with the melting qualities of cheese grated from a block.
Allow casserole time to cool. Letting the baked mac and cheese stand in the baking dish for at least 10 minutes helps the custard set properly.

Nutrition