I grew up below the Mason-Dixon line, which often manifests itself in my love of good, Southern cooking and a tendency to say “y’all” when I get angry or excited. As such, on occasion you can find me whipping up dishes that get a low brow reputation, but are truly high in deliciousity. And/or high in calories, but whatever to that. The hardest decision one should have to make when tucking into comfort food is whether the Country Fried Steak should come with scrambled eggs and grits or mashed potatoes and corn.
Down south mac and cheese is all about the simple ingredients – no artisan cheese blends here. Just straight cheddar, jack and velveeta to round things out. The recipe is similar in preparation to my classic (more upscale) baked mac and cheese, with the exception of the velveeta to round out the sauce. The pasta softens right up in the bubbly, creamy goodness and comes out so gorgeous, Aretha Franklin herself would sing bars of joy over a bite or two. And I don’t just say that because we used to share the same last name…
Southern-Style Mac and Cheese
1 lb. of elbow macaroni
4 tbs. of butter
4 tbs. of flour
1 grated shallot, juices and all
4 c. of whole milk
2 tsp. of salt
1/8 tsp. of paprika
1/4 tsp. of black pepper
1/8 tsp. of white pepper
2 tsp. of worchestershire sauce
1 tsp. of deli mustard
pinch of cayenne pepper
10 oz. of velveeta, cubed
2 c. of sharp cheddar, shredded
2 c. of colby jack, shredded
1/2 c. of plain bread crumbs
1/4 tsp. of paprika
1/4 tsp. of black pepper
1/4 tsp. of garlic powder
Preheat oven to 400°. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente and drain.
While pasta is boiling, make your sauce. In a large sized pot, melt your butter on medium-low heat. Add the grated shallot and stir. Whisk the flour into the butter to form a smooth paste. Add the cubes of velveeta and allow to melt. Slowly add the milk in a steady stream, whisking the whole time to prevent lumps. Add the salt, paprika, black pepper, white pepper, worchestershire sauce, mustard and cayenne. Turn up heat and continue whisking until sauce thickens. Turn off the heat and add the 2 c. of cheese and whisk until melted.
Dump macaroni into a buttered 13x9x2 inch pan, pour the sauce over the pasta and stir. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. In a small bowl, mix the 2 cups of colby jack, panko, paprika, black pepper and garlic powder. Top the macaroni with the cheese mixture. Turn the oven up to 500° and bake for another 5 minutes or until the top is bubbly and golden. Let sit for 4-5 minutes and then serve.
You know, sometimes you just gotta love the low brow, dig in and enjoy every single calorie. I LOVE mac and cheese and have been known to eat it without even bothering to sit down. THIS version justifies a sit down and appreciate moment! Love the addition of the deli mustard. YUM!
I am a straight-up culprit of the eating out of the pan in the kitchen. Besides, I'd be too tired to do extra dishes after eating some of this 🙂
Speaking of comfort food, girl, I need to whip up some of your Maui Onion Rings asap. I'll be sure to take a pic that you can use on your site.
I just made this and it came out awesomet!!! You were right, it is so easy.
Yay! I'm glad you made it – I wish I could have been there to snag a forkful.