Southern Baked Mac And Cheese

Who doesn’t love a good serving of soul food Southern baked mac and cheese (mac ‘n cheese)? 

I think we might all take it for granted. 

Our Southern moms and grandmas have produced this outstanding comfort food dish for years, from family gatherings, holidays, and good ole soul food Sundays. 

It just might’ve gotten lost how impactful this recipe is to the Southern soul food community.

The superb combination of macaroni and cheese is a favorite Southern entree of many households from North to South, East, and West. Especially when it’s taken from the pot and baked to a golden perfection bliss!

How do you make Southern baked mac and cheese the Black way?

When I think of a traditional Southern soul food meal, baked mac and cheese is one of the first things that come to mind. 

A delicious combo of two perfect comfort foods- macaroni and cheese can be found all over the Southern states.

Southern baked mac and cheese – the Black way – is boiled in milk and then baked with a host of soul food seasonings and spices mixed in with sharp cheddar cheese.

 

How do you make Southern mac and cheese from scratch?

Nowadays, this iconic recipe includes additional ingredients with traditional elbow noodles, butter, and milk.

Southern mac and cheese – the Black way – is made from scratch, with elbow noodles boiled in milk, then prepared with a combination of soul food seasonings like salt, pepper, garlic, onion, ground mustard, paprika, flour, milk, and a mix of cheeses.

Commonly used are sharp cheddar cheese, mozzarella, Colby-Jack, or American cheese, baked until creamy on top and golden brown on the edges!

What is the best cheese for mac and cheese?

Another tricky part of making mac and cheese is deciding what type of cheese to use.

There are so many different types of cheeses that people often get overwhelmed by the choices.

While American and cheddar cheese are often mac and cheese lovers’ favorites, a soul food Southern baked mac and cheese recipe should always incorporate sharp cheddar cheese in the recipe, even if you’re adding other cheeses, too.

Here are a few cheese options to consider.

• Sharp cheddar cheese
• Havarty cheese
• Monterey Jack cheese
• Gouda cheese
• Parmesan cheese

This Southern mac and cheese recipe calls for sharp cheddar cheese and Colby-Jack cheese.

So what is Black mac and cheese?

Black mac and cheese, or Black folks mac and cheese, is Southern mac and cheese – the way Black people make it with milk and lots of soul food seasonings and flavors.

So get ready for the most delicious baked mac and cheese you’ve ever tasted! 

Rich in delicious Southern, soulful flavors. 

Southern mac and cheese recipe

Suggested kitchen equipment for Southern mac and cheese

• Instant Pot electric pressure cooker
• 8-inch cast iron skillet or 8″ baking pan

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Ingredients for Southern mac and cheese

• 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter (divided – 1 tablespoon & 3 tablespoons)
• 2 tablespoons of flour
• ¼ cup of heavy cream
• 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese (pre-shredded cheese or grated cheese)
• 1 cup of shredded Colby-jack cheese (pre-shredded cheese or grated cheese)
•  ½ teaspoon of salt 
•  ½ teaspoon of black pepper
• ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon of onion powder
• 1 teaspoon of ground mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon of paprika
• 3 cups of water
• 4 ¼ cups of milk (divided – 1 ¼ cups & 3 cups)
• 8 oz. uncooked macaroni noodles

Instructions for Southern mac and cheese

1. Turn the Instant Pot on the sauté setting for 25 minutes (although you may not need this entire amount of time).
2. Fill the Instant Pot stainless steel inner pot with 3 cups of milk, 3 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of butter. (Or fill a large pot over high-heat so it comes to a boil.)
3. Pro tip- For baked mac and cheese the Black way, use milk to coat the macaroni and give it a smooth, silky texture. Perfect for layering on cheese!
4. Once the liquid begins to simmer, add the macaroni and cook according to the package directions, stirring occasionally to make sure the macaroni does not clump & stick. 
5. Drain the macaroni and set it aside.
6. Add the 3 tablespoons of butter to the empty inner pot and turn it back on the sauté setting.
7. When the butter is melted, add the flour, 1 ¼ cups of milk, and seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, ground mustard, and paprika) and whisk until smooth. 
8. Change the Instant Pot cook setting from sauté to slow cook for 1-hour (although you will not need this entire amount of cook time).
9. While the cook setting changes from sauté to slow cook, allow the ingredients to simmer for about 3 minutes until the milk mixture thickens slightly.
10. Stir in the cheeses (reserve some for topping when baking).
11. Close the Instant Pot with the lid and let slow cook for 5-10 minutes until the cheeses are blended.
12. Open the lid to add the cooked pasta and the heavy cream to the inner pot, stirring the cheese sauce mixture to blend evenly.
13. Transfer the cooked macaroni and cheese mixture into an 8-inch cast iron skillet or prepared baking dish.
14. Top with the remaining cheese.
15. Bake in the Instant Omni Plus oven at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Or bake in the conventional oven for 25 minutes or until mac and cheese is golden and bubbly.
16. Serve this Southern baked mac and cheese recipe right away, and enjoy!

🎙 Join the conversation about Southern baked mac and cheese on The Soul Food Pod!

Southern mac and cheese pro tips:

1. First: Southern mac and cheese must include sharp cheddar cheese.
2. Then start with a good quality macaroni. 
3. Making baked mac and cheese the Black way – boil the macaroni in a mixture of half water and half milk. The milk coats the macaroni and gives it a smooth, silky texture. Perfect for layering on cheese!
4. Make sure you’re using a baking dish that’s not too deep. An 8-inch baking pan or 8-inch cast iron skillet is perfect for this oven recipe!
5. Make sure not to walk away from the Instant Pot when using the sauté setting to avoid burning or over-cooking.

What to serve with soul food baked mac and cheese?

What goes with mac and cheese?

Baked macaroni and cheese can be eaten as a side dish or main course, depending on how hungry you are!

But the following Southern soul food side dishes and main entrée are often served with Southern mac and cheese:

Southern fried chicken, Southern soul food cabbage, soul food collard greens, soul food candied yams, Southern sweet tea, and homemade cornbread.

Southern mac and cheese FAQs

Is mac and cheese popular in the South?

Many people ask, “Is mac and cheese a Southern thing?” 

Or “Is mac and cheese an African American dish?” And “How did mac and cheese become soul food?”

Topping the list of Southern soul food main dishes is Southern mac and cheese.

Southern African Americans have always included baked mac and cheese in Sunday dinner line-ups for a sit down feast, cookout side, tailgating, or a when watching the game, enjoying a well-seasoned flavorful bite with each play!

 And according to Due South, “Southern Mac and Cheese has been a staple dish in the Southern United States since its first recorded appearance in Mary Randolph’s cookbook, The Virginia House-Wife.”

Why put mustard in baked mac and cheese?

This recipe calls for ground mustard powder. 

The mustard in this recipe is just enough to cut the overwhelming creaminess and round out the flavors.

Why do you put sour cream in mac and cheese?

Some Southern recipes include sour cream or cream cheese as a substitute for milk when making Southern macaroni. 

I’d suggest not substituting the milk when boiling the noodles, except with a milk-alternative. But rather interchanging this recipe’s heavy cream with either sour cream or cream cheese when necessary.

Should you put egg in my mac and cheese?

Why add egg to baked mac and cheese?

Some Southern baked mac and cheese recipes call for an egg as an ingredient for binding and adding creaminess.

However, you won’t need eggs for this recipe. Instead, the flour is a binding and texture agent, and the milk adds the necessary silkiness and creaminess.

What is the best cheese combination for macaroni and cheese?

You can combine cheeses for Southern mac and cheese. Just be sure that one of the cheese blends is sharp cheddar cheese.

Favorite cheeses combined with sharp cheddar cheese include American cheese, Colby-Jack cheese, or mozzarella cheese.

Could you substitute one of the cheeses for pepper Jack cheese?

Yes, and warn your guests that the recipe will have a bit of a spicy kick!

Also, it’s important that you keep the sharp cheddar cheese in the mix with the pepper jack cheese.

Why is Black folks mac and cheese the ultimate comfort food?

Mac and cheese is warm, gooey, and cheesy – everything you want on a chilly evening.

And when you make Southern mac and cheese the Black way – there’s the unrivaled addition of delicious, heart-warming soul food flavors!

Why is Southern baked mac and cheese so important to Black culture?

Baked mac and cheese is among the many soul food cuisines turned American dishes. And this yummy dish has a really old soul food history.

Known initially as macaroni pie, baked mac and cheese was created by James Hemings, an African American enslaved and trained as a culinary chef in France.

Hemings was born in Virginia in 1765. At eight, he became one of Thomas Jefferson’s many enslaved persons at his Monticello plantation.

At age 19, Jefferson takes young Hemings with him to France to train in the art of French cooking.

Did a Black person invent mac and cheese?

Southern baked mac and cheese the James Hemings way –

James Hemings was a highly trained cook known to many modern-day chefs and culinary historians. 

A notable African American chef who helped create and define American cuisine as we know it today.

According to Netflix’s soul food documentary High On The Hog, where an all-Black creative team tells the story of African American food. Baked mac and cheese is initially cooked by Hemings in a mixture of boiling water and milk. 

Hemings placed sharp American cheese in between layers of butter and milk-coated macaroni. Then baked in a Dutch oven over an open-hearth fireplace stove with hot coals placed on the pot’s lid to bake.

Today, we can make easy macaroni and cheese while still incorporating the original recipe’s culinary technique. Much safer (no open fire needed)!

 

How did mac and cheese become soul food?

Hemings’ legacy of baked mac and cheese continued long after the Emancipation Proclamation in the 1860s.

Macaroni and cheese began to have new meanings and multiple identities in the Black community. Mac and cheese became “a celebratory dish, a convenient comfort food, and a meal stretcher for impoverished families.”

We recognize this dish today as authentic soul food – now easy enough for anyone to make and everyone to love!

Learn more about the African American history of macaroni and cheese HERE.

What can you add to your mac and cheese to make it better?

Asked another way, what are some variations of this Southern mac and cheese recipe?

Pro tip: First – Southern mac and cheese must include sharp cheddar cheese.

You can bake this recipe.

Or make this recipe without baking using only the stovetop or the Instant Pot.

You can also add protein like crab meat or lobster meat for this recipe.

What makes Black folks’ soul food baked mac and cheese so different?

Prepared with a combination of soul food seasonings like salt, pepper, garlic, onion, paprika, flour, milk, and a mix of cheeses.

Soul food baked mac and cheese recipes incorporate milk, interchanging whole milk, evaporated milk, or sweetened condensed milk.

What is the difference between evaporated milk and regular milk?

Evaporated milk has gone through a cooking process to vaporize and remove (evaporate) over half of the water content.

The refined result is creamier and thicker than regular whole milk. Making it the perfect addition to sweet and savory dishes!

Could you use a glass baking dish instead of a casserole dish?

Yes, and a good size for either is 8 inches.

Should you cover Southern baked mac and cheese when baking it in the oven?  

Don’t cover Southern baked mac and cheese in the oven because the goal is to achieve the yummy golden-brown crispy edges! 

Can this recipe be doubled or tripled for the same result?

For example, if you use a whole box of elbow macaroni, does the recipe remain the same?

You’ll want to use the dynamic recipe card below to adjust the ingredients for a custom proportionate-size recipe (less, double, or triple).

If you want to use less cheese, should you adjust the other ingredients?

Yes, and you can use the dynamic recipe card below to adjust the ingredients for a custom proportionate-size recipe, even if you want to make a smaller portion of the dish.   

How do you reheat leftover mac and cheese without drying it out?

Reheat in the oven using the ‘warm’ setting.

If you’re using an Instant Pot, use the ‘keep warm’ setting. 

It’s also a good idea to mix a bit of milk into the pasta mixture before reheating.

Can this recipe be made ahead and cooked the following day?

Making macaroni and cheese ahead of time can be a huge lifesaver for those with busy schedules. 

You could make this dish the day before, and the next day add toppings and bake.

• Put all ingredients in a baking dish and cool completely (do not bake). Place in an airtight container or tightly seal with plastic and refrigerate.
• Let the dish sit on the countertop for 30 minutes before baking.
• Bake at the recipe temperature (350 degrees) for 20 minutes until hot, bubbly, and crispy.

Could you make this ahead of time and then put it in a crockpot to heat up and keep warm?   

Sure, this baked Southern dish can reheat in a slow cooker.

Also, wondering if this can be frozen before it goes into the oven?   

Yes, it’s possible to make this dish in the pot, freeze it, and then bake it when ready. 

Because you’d be cooking from a frozen state, the oven bake time will be longer than suggested in the recipe instructions.

 

Would you like more soul food recipes?

Then check out The Soul Food Pot recipes and The Soul Food Pod podcast.

 

What do you think of this Southern baked mac and cheese recipe?

Have you had it?

Would you make it? 

Comment below and lemme know. 

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