Description
A rich, creamy Southern baked mac and cheese featuring a blend of sharp cheddar, smoked gouda, pepper jack, and Velveeta cheeses baked to golden perfection with a crispy top.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheeses
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, block-style
- 8 ounces smoked gouda cheese, block-style
- 8 ounces pepper jack cheese, block-style
- 8 ounces Velveeta (original flavor), cubed
Pasta
- 1 pound dried elbow macaroni pasta
Sauce
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Generously grease or butter a 9×13-inch baking dish and set it aside.
- Prepare Cheeses: Shred the sharp cheddar, smoked gouda, and pepper jack cheeses using a food processor or hand grater and place in a large bowl. Place the cubed Velveeta in a separate bowl.
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add elbow macaroni and cook until al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cool water to stop cooking. Leave pasta in colander and return pot to stove.
- Make Roux: Over medium heat, melt butter in the pot. Add flour and stir continuously with a wooden spoon until the mixture turns light golden, about 2-3 minutes to cook off the raw flour taste.
- Prepare Sauce: Slowly pour in whole milk while whisking to avoid lumps, then add half-and-half. Bring to a simmer while whisking constantly for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Season Sauce and Add Cheese: Stir in salt, pepper, ground mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, nutmeg, and optional cayenne. Fold in three-quarters of the shredded cheese until sauce thickens and coats the spoon. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Add cooked macaroni to cheese sauce and toss until fully coated.
- Assemble Dish: Transfer macaroni mixture to prepared baking dish. Distribute cubed Velveeta evenly, submerging them just below the surface. Sprinkle remaining shredded cheese on top. Place baking dish on a large baking sheet.
- Bake: Bake uncovered for 35 minutes until the top is golden brown, crispy, and bubbly.
- Broil for Browning: Optionally, switch oven to broil and broil the mac and cheese for about 2 minutes to achieve a deeper brown, slightly blistered top.
- Serve: Serve immediately and enjoy your creamy Southern baked mac and cheese.
Notes
- Read the full blog post for additional tips and detailed instructions.
- Use gluten-free flour instead of all purpose flour for a gluten-free version.
- Store leftovers tightly covered in the refrigerator for 2-3 days; reheat in microwave or oven.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 550 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 35 g
- Saturated Fat: 20 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
