Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Creamy baked southern-style macaroni and cheese, a cheesy baked casserole and soul food classic.
I've lived in St. Louis for some time now, and as I've said before, it's very "southern" here in terms of cooking. One of our favorite soul food restaurants had the best mac and cheese, and that would be Sweetie Pie's. Miss Robie's recipe is easily found on the web and the local paper has published a paired down recipe for the home cook.
I'm pretty sure the location we went to in The Grove neighborhood has closed and I don't understand all the drama surrounding the closing. It was the subject of a reality TV show at one point. I just know we went often and always, always had her macaroni and cheese.
What is southern macaroni and cheese?
It's basically a custard-style baked macaroni and cheese with eggs and evaporated milk. This version uses three kinds of cheese and butter and a little sour cream. It bakes up creamy but firm, hearty and filling and absolutely delicious.
How to make this soul food classic
It's really easy, here's how:
- Cook and drain elbow macaroni and place in baking dish or pan.
- Make the custard mixture by whisking together milk, evaporated milk and eggs and some seasoning, pour mixture over macaroni.
- Add the butter, sour cream and three cheeses and stir to combine well.
- Top with more grated cheese and bake until bubbly and top is browned.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- People swear by Velveeta in this recipe, do not use a substitute. Miss Robie herself uses only Velveeta.
- While pre-packaged shredded cheese works fine, grating your own is the better option. It just melts better.
- It's going to be oily on top after baking, that's how it is with real cheeses and butter. If you think it's excessive, blot some up with a paper towel while it rests. I do sometimes.
- Reheats are great, just pop in the microwave.
- This is filling and hearty enough to serve as the main dish but most often it is a side dish. It's unbelievably good alongside collard greens and fried chicken!
Delicious soulful macaroni and cheese, doesn't get any better than this. A real treat and labor of love for Sunday supper and the holiday table. Trust me on this one! Kelly🍴🐦
Try these collard greens in the Instant Pot for some more traditional soul food.
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Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 to 10 ounces elbow macaroni
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1½ teaspoons white pepper
- 1½ teaspoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter, cut into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- ½ pound Velveeta, cut into small chunks
- 8 ounces shredded Colby-Jack cheese or 4 ounces Colby and 4 ounces Monterey Jack
- 4 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º. Bring large pot of water to boil and then salt generously. Cook macaroni just shy of package directions, al dente. Drain well and place in 9" by 13" baking dish or pan.
- In same pasta pot, whisk together whole milk, evaporated milk, eggs, salt, pepper and sugar until combined. Pour mixture over cooked macaroni in pan.
- Add butter, sour cream, Velveeta, Colby-Jack and sharp cheddar cheeses. Stir to combine well and top evenly with shredded mild cheddar.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until bubbly and lightly browned on top. Let rest 10 minutes or so before serving. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- People swear by Velveeta in this recipe, do not use a substitute. Miss Robie herself uses only Velveeta.
- While pre-packaged shredded cheese works fine, grating your own is the better option. It just melts better.
- It’s going to be oily on top after baking, that’s how it is with real cheeses and butter. If you think it’s excessive, blot some up with a paper towel while it rests. I do sometimes.
- Reheats are great, just pop in the microwave.
- This is filling and hearty enough to serve as the main dish but most often it is a side dish. It’s unbelievably good alongside collard greens and fried chicken!
Nutrition
*Inspired by Sweetie Pie's, St. Louis and adapted from STL Post-Dispatch.
Pretty awesome! As warned, there was a lot of oil left behind, so I might cut back on the butter next time. The recipe I usually use calls for a roux, and that might also help keep the oil in place.
This is my go to recipe I melt the velveeta some by mixing it with the hot noodles before adding everything else. I also use shells!
Perfect.... every time
I'll be making this again, basically like my grandma's, but here's the trick to get rid of the oil- grandma would place the package of cheddar on top of the fridge for the day, maybe overnight, I can't remember, and as it warms all the oil comes out of it!
Absolutely a hit! I made this mac n cheese with a couple alterations and it was delicious. This recipe nailed it. I added Smokehouse Cheese for that smoky flavor to make it pop and used more whole milk since I didn’t have evaporated milk on hand. I’m excited about this one. My first ever Mac made from scratch didn’t turn out well but this second time around, I nailed it!
So glad you liked it and it turned out delicious with your tweaks!
I have a silly question..do you melt down the velvetta, butter, and cheeses on the stove before adding to mixture or do you add it cut into tiny pieces?
No, I do not melt it, just add in pieces as directed.
This is a wonderful recipe that was able to remind of the way my Great-grandmother taught me to bake this side dish. I haven’t made Mac and cheese in over 5 years. I used more eggs and milk but otherwise it’s spot on!
I’ve made this recipe before and loved it. Today I made the recipe but I also added 1/2 block of cream cheese cubed. 2 oz of diced jalapeño, 1/2 package of pepper bacon. Cayenne, paprika, red pepper flakes and I cooked the pasta in chicken bouillon water instead of water. Also, Fantastic! Topped with mixture of 2 tablespoons melted butter and 1 cup of panko
Every holiday this is what I am asked to bring. You must freshly grate the cheese. You can cut down on the butter but do not need to. You must use Velveeta. If you are out of sour cream you can skip it or use Greek yogurt. And I always weigh the macaroni and use a little extra cheddar on top. But since it is greay without it. 5 stars are absolutely deserved.
This will be the 3rd year using this recipe. My MIL insists I bring it every Thanksgiving and Christmas. I'm actually writing this comment while I wait for the noodles to boil for this years mac and cheese haha!
Love this recipe! It’s easy to make, and has been a fantastic crowd pleaser. It’s also one that you can play with and doctor to you/your family’s liking without deviating too much from the classic recipe. It is so similar to my grandmother’s version that we had growing up that I was too young to ever get the recipe for (and of course she never wrote it down lol). Thank you!
I’ve been making this exactly as in the recipe for over two years now and it’s perfect. My family loves it. I make it every holiday dinner. Thanks so much.
I'm so glad you and your family loves this mac and cheese, us too!
@Debbie, as do I! Literally just got done making it 😋
Can I use this recipe in a crock pot?
I have never made this in a slow cooker and I don't recommend it. It is meant to be baked in the oven.
VERY fatty from so much dairy and only tasted like velveeta to us. Prefer simpler recipes that are easier on the gut.
Made it again with the half the amount of white pepper and muah, perfect! I also added a little more salt and sugar!
Glad that adjustment worked out for you!