Southern Macaroni Crispy Cheese Recipes

SOUTHERN MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook according to package directions until a little under al dente, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a colander and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk milk and eggs. Add cooked macaroni, 2 cups extra-sharp Cheddar, melted butter, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and stir until well combined.
• Add half the macaroni mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish in an even layer. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups Colby Jack evenly on top. Spread the remaining macaroni mixture on top in an even layer. Cover with aluminum foil, transfer to the middle rack of the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
• Remove from oven. Carefully remove and discard the aluminum foil. Top the macaroni mixture with the remaining 2 cups Cheddar and 1/2 cup Colby Jack. Broil on top rack until cheese is browned in spots, 3 to 5 minutes. (The broiled cheese can go from golden to burnt fairly quickly, so keep a close eye on it.)
• Remove from oven and let cool until the macaroni and cheese is fully set, 10 to 15 minutes. (The mixture may first appear jiggly, but it will firm up as it cools.) Serve warm.

CRISPY BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a shallow 2-quart baking dish; set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs for al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain.
• Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking, until smooth and lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Add the bay leaf, cayenne and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the sauce comes to a simmer and thickens slightly, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Remove the bay leaf from the sauce and whisk in the monterey jack, gruyere and cheddar one cheese at a time, allowing each cheese to melt before adding more. Add the pasta and stir until coated, adding the reserved cooking water as needed to loosen (the sauce will thicken as it bakes).
• Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the microwave. Add the panko, parmesan and a pinch of salt; stir to combine. Scatter over the pasta and bake until the crumbs are browned and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes.

SOUTHERN BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• Cook macaroni until just al dente or a little under al dente. (Look on the back of the box to see how long you need to cook your pasta for it to reach al dente.) Be careful not to overcook.
• Drain pasta and set aside.
• In a large bowl, add milk, heavy cream & cheeses (except for the smoked cheddar).
• Stir to combine.
• Taste the milk mixture and add salt & pepper until it has a good taste. (You can also add in other seasonings like onion powder, paprika, etc. Tasting will help avoid having a plain, bland baked macaroni & cheese.)
• When you are content with the taste, add the eggs.
• Stir well until combined.
• Butter a 9 x 9-inch baking dish.
• Add macaroni to the baking dish.
• Pour cheese mixture over macaroni.
• Make sure the cheese is distributed well.
• Top with the smoked cheddar cheese. (I add a little more Colby jack as well.) Sprinkle with paprika and/or black pepper, if desired.
• Bake for 35-45 minutes. Do not overbake. It may be a bit jiggly when you take it out of the oven. It will firm up as it cool.
• Let cool for about 10-15 minutes or until fully set.
• Enjoy!

SOUTHERN MACARONI & CRISPY CHEESE

Steps:

• Boil the macaroni in a large pot with the olive oil until tender.
• While the macaroni is boiling, shred the cheddar cheese and the Monterey Jack cheese onto separate plates.
• Pour milk into a mixing bowl. Add the eggs, salt, pepper, and flour. Add melted butter. Mix until ingredients are well blended.
• When macaroni is finished cooking, remove from pot and rinse well with cold water.
• Pour the macaroni into a large oven safe dish (I prefer an aluminum pan for easy clean up.
• Mix about half of the cheddar cheese into the macaroni. Mix in all of the Monterey Jack cheese. Cut the Velveeta cheese into chunks and mix into macaroni. Pour the milk and egg mixture over the macaroni and mix well. Spread the remaining cheddar cheese over the top of the macaroni.
• Bake uncovered at 350°F for 30 minutes.

CLASSIC SOUTHERN MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch ovenproof casserole dish.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until tender (a little more than al dente), about 12 minutes. Drain well in a colander.
• In a large bowl, combine the macaroni, cheese, milk and eggs. Add some salt and pepper. Transfer to the prepared dish.
• Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool slightly before serving.