There are probably few things more Southern than a good old baked Macaroni and Cheese dish. Sure, we use a box of shells and cheese sometimes when we’re in a hurry, but when you’re craving pure comfort food this is one dish you can’t beat. Nothing is better than a dish warm from the oven, the gooey cheese blending perfectly with the subtle tang of the creamy sauce. I especially like this dish in the fall when there’s a slight nip in the air. Or really, anytime. It’s a delicious accompaniment with our Coca-Cola Barbeque chicken recipe.
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
This recipe can easily be made gluten-free by substituting gluten-free pasta. I made a couple of substitutions to my basic recipe for the pictures used of this dish. I didn’t have any cheddar cheese so I used a shredded Italian blend. That made my photos appear a little lighter than the traditional color of the baked macaroni and cheese. I also discovered I didn’t have any macaroni on hand. Instead of running to the store, I substituted a box of farfalle pasta. Finally, all my casserole dishes were in use, so I used a pie pan. My family still gobbled it up!
Printable Recipe
- 8 ounces macaroni (can use gluten-free pasta)
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 cup (8 ounces) milk
- 1 package ( 8 ounces) sharp cheddar cheese
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Boil macaroni as directed on package until tender. Drain the macaroni and return to the pan.
- Stir in the butter and the egg.
- Mix mustard and salt with one teaspoon hot water. Stir until blended. Add this mixture to the milk.
- Add the milk mixture and 6 ounces of the cheese to the macaroni. Stir until combined.
- Pour the macaroni mixture into a greased 8″ by 8″ casserole dish.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the macaroni.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until mixture is firm.
Cooking Tips:
*Get creative with the cheese and pasta in this recipe. It doesn’t have to be macaroni. Use your favorite shape of pasta and try different flavors of pasta. You can also use different blends of cheese in this recipe. However, if you use a mild cheese the flavor profile will not have the rich punch of a sharper cheese.
*Don’t have dry mustard powder? Substitute regular or dijon mustard. I prefer the spicy tang of Dijon mustard if I’m using a prepared mustard. You can find dry mustard powder in the spice aisle of most grocery stores.
*Some of the corner edges of the baked macaroni and cheese can get too dry during baking. You can cover the edges with a piece of foil or cover the entire dish with a piece of aluminum foil. Just remove the foil about five minutes before it’s finished baking to allow the cheese to brown.
You Might Like These Recipes
Do you have a family favorite baked macaroni and cheese recipe? What is your favorite comfort food recipe for fall?
You Might Like These Recipes:
Slow Cooker Beefy Beer Stew
Southern Chicken Casserole Recipe
Bacon and Tomato Pie Recipe
Have you seen our cookbook?
It has over 100 from scratch Southern recipes with lots of gluten free, dairy free and vegan adaptions, Y’all! You can order it here-> The New Southern Cookbook.
I would love to try making homemade mac and cheese again. This looks like a yummy recipe.
Mac and Cheese is my family’s comfort food. We have it as often as we can and we will never grow tired of it!
This looks delicious! I never made it with bow tie pasta but I think it would be a great to eat it this way.
Yum! I will have to try this. Mac and Cheese is one of my kids all time favourites!
This dish looks really delicious and looks so easy to make. I will definitely try this and I am sure my husband would love it.
This mac & cheese recipe is your perfection! I love how you got it or you can add extra cheese and make it your own. Making it always adds that extra crunch to the top
I have found that dry mustard is a key ingredient to real mac and cheese. It is a household favorite.
This looks really good. Our family loves mac and cheese. I’m always up for trying all kinds of these recipes. Looking forward to giving this one a try too.
OH MY LORD! I’m in the south (Texas) and we sure do love our mac n cheese! This looks absolutely AMAZING!
Yum! There’s nothing more comforting than mac & cheese. Love how you adapted it to suit what you had on hand. The best chefs are tied to a recipe to make something amazing happen.
I am not a great cook, but I can do a mean macaroni and cheese, but I have to say, yours looks yummier than mine. I may have to try this recipe
Oh wow, a warm plate of this sounds really nice right about now. It’s definitely the season for this kind of meal.
Mac & Cheese is one of my favorites. This sounds SO good!
Oh yeah! NOTHING beats southern style mac and cheese. I have had mac and cheese everywhere from Hawaii to New England, and I have to say, the south has the market cornered.
Right?!?! Southern anything is pretty much the best, but this mac & cheese is the best.