i heart recipes southern baked macaroni and cheese

I use low-sodium chicken stock to make my cheese sauce.I chose cheddar cheese, gouda, white cheddar cheese, and mozzarella. I discussed in detail a little earlier about the cheese.I prefer the large shells as the narrow tubes are larger and can carry a little more of that creamy cheese sauce. The most popular pasta to use is elbow or macaroni pasta if you make mac and cheese.Let’s dig a little deeper into the mac and cheese ingredients:

I can eat mozzarella on anything you can put cheese over.

Mozzarella has a distinct but mild, somewhat salty flavor and does a great job picking up flavors from other ingredients.

It’s a household favorite that I use in many recipes.

Gouda is characterized by its rich, nutty, and caramel-like flavor paired with its smooth and creamy texture.

White cheddar is a New York-style Cheddar that has a sharp and buttery flavor as well but tends to be milder than the sharp cheddar above.

Because this cheese is aged longer, it has a more sharp and pronounced cheddar flavor.

Sharp or medium cheddar is a tangy cheese with more complex and deeper flavors.

I think this is a great combination for this easy mac and cheese recipe: I chose to go with four different kinds of cheeses. You know I wasn’t going to toot my own horn here, but this is some of the best baked mac and cheese I have ever made. However, I still bake it, so it still has some of those traditional components. My version uses a Béchamel sauce (technically a Mornay sauce) which gives my recipe a distinct creaminess and results in very rich mac and cheese. This is what I call traditional southern baked macaroni and cheese AKA Soul Food mac and cheese. Growing up, a baked mixture of cooked macaroni, milk (whole, evaporated, heavy cream, or half-and-half), cheddar cheese, and sometimes eggs was always the foundation.

The mac & cheese I grew up on is very different than the mac and cheese I now make for my family. The cheese you’ll use will also vary as well as the technique - and the technique is where the real difference lies. Some prefer to make it on the stovetop while others bake it. It seems there are a lot of versions out there that we’ve all grown to know and love hence there are multiple ways to make it. Macaroni and cheese recipes can become the topic of “healthy” discussion when speaking on its preparation. It’s the one recipe that every cook should have, is perfect for serving at any gathering, and is the quintessential southern comfort food. Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese is a staple recipe that is enjoyed in many households at pretty much any time of the year.

I heart recipes southern baked macaroni and cheese