Fresh Baked Fridays: Southern Style Mac n' Cheese

Southern Style Creamy Mac ‘n Cheese

Makes 8 Servings

You can get really creative with this dish nowadays – people put all kinds of things in Macaroni and Cheese now and it seems with the expansion of cheese departments, the options for types of cheese or several cheeses in one dish are endless. I keep it simple, while I like variety – too much of a change makes me feel a little odd about the dish. For years, my Nana has made delicious macaroni and cheese, my Mother mastered it, as for me - I just couldn’t get it to look like hers. Now there are some things I make JUST like Nana’s and even some things she prefers for me to make now instead of her own recipe, so I think I have done pretty well in the observe and learn department. I have a recipe that is a take on my Nana’s with my little spin. I hope you enjoy it!

1 Small Box of Elbow Macaroni

1 Small Kraft Sharp Cheese (or any Sharp Cheese)

1 Small Kraft Mild Cheddar Cheese (Or any Mild Cheese)

½ Cup of Flour

1 Can of Evaporated Milk

3 Eggs

Salt and Pepper to taste (I also use a little Onion Powder and Garlic Powder)

½ Stick of Unsalted Butter

You need two nice sized pots, one for your noodles and the other for your cheese sauce.

You will need one nice sized stoneware baker

Grate all of the cheese

Boil entire package of elbow noodles until al dente, not overdone.

While your noodles are cooking, make your cheese sauce:

Add ½ of the unsalted butter to the pot and let melt down to a golden brown

Sprinkle in flour, in a circular motion, slowly and evenly, and stir the flour around the pot with a wooden spoon. Slowly add milk to the flour and butter, slow enough to work the flour into a paste, take your time with the mixture. Keep and eye on your sauce, you should have a nice golden paste developing; while this is being mixed, add some salt and pepper. Don’t be afraid to add flavor to your sauce, be careful to only add just the right amount, the cheeses will bring bite and salt to the dish.

Add in your cheeses and stir the mixture constantly, to avoid large clumps of cheese, keep the fire on a low to medium flame, but constant stirring is the key. Reserve a small amount of each cheese for the topping of dish.

Keep an eye on your noodles – drain them when they are al dente (sort of transparent and soft, not mushy, still tasting kinda starchy but done).

Return the noodles back into the pot they were boiled in; add the last of the butter to the noodles and give a stir. Add a pinch of salt to noodles and butter, add eggs one at a time. Maintain a medium heat under pot.

Begin to stir your cheese sauce into the noodles. When noodles and sauce are completely combined and the sauce is hot but not boiling, transfer to the stoneware dish for baking. Add more cheese to the top of the dish.