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    Home » Classic Southern Recipes

    Published: May 8, 2018 · Modified: Feb 8, 2023 by Pam

    Old Fashioned Baked Macaroni and Cheese

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    pin image of old fashioned baked mac and cheese

    This Baked Macaroni and Cheese is made the old fashioned Southern way. Just a few simple ingredients go into this classic and beloved dish of pure comfort food.

    baked macaroni and cheese in dish with wooden spoon.

    It can be dolled up lots of different ways and there's nothing wrong with that. But, there is something comforting about plain old fashioned mac and cheese made like it was back in the day before "Mac and Cheese" was even an expression.

    For a fun look at this recipe, check out the web story!

    Preserving the old Southern ways with food

    One of our goals here at Biscuits and Burlap is to document, for future generations, some of the old classics like our Mamas and Grandmas made. My own Mama had lots of specialties, and Macaroni and Cheese was one of my personal favorites.

    I watched her make it countless times, but I never asked her how she did it, or why she made it the way she did. She's gone now, and I hope this post will inspire you to ask your Mamas about their dishes while you can.

    I've made a pretty good version myself over the years, but it never really measured up to hers. And so, I set about working to recreate it, and these memories are what I had to go on.

    • She did not use eggs or flour
    • She only used sharp cheddar cheese that she grated (or chopped up) herself
    • The macaroni was just partly cooked in water
    • She stirred up the ingredients in a pot on the cooktop over low heat before baking
    • Besides the macaroni, the only ingredients were cheese, butter, milk (and salt and black pepper to taste)
    • There was no topping like bread crumbs or crackers (only more cheese)
    Southern Style Macaroni and Cheese from BiscuitsandBurlap.com

    What was I doing wrong? I wanted my Macaroni and Cheese to be like Mama's

    After years of mediocre results and some trial and error I've finally got it pretty close. I know you're thinking "It's just a few ingredients. How tough could it be?" My thoughts exactly.

    So, why was it dry? Why did I feel like I needed to add an egg or thicken the sauce with flour? I read hundreds of other recipes and no one seemed to keep it as simple as Mama did.

    old fashioned macaroni and cheese in black bowl.

    What was I doing wrong? Not enough stuff. That's what. Not enough butter. Not nearly enough cheese and milk.

    This old fashioned Macaroni and Cheese recipe is not your diet's friend, but it's the way our southern Mamas intended it to be. Just tape-it-onto-my-hips rich.

    Also, I was overcooking it in the oven. With no egg to worry about, the ingredients are all cooked by the time it goes in.  It just needs a few minutes in a hot oven to melt that cheese on top, soak up the milk, and get piping hot.

    Keep the presentation as simple as the food

    When I first started planning this post I was thinking iron skillets. We love our iron skillets around here, and we have lots of recipes made in them. Among the reader favorites are our Tomato Gravy, Hot Fudge Pudding Cake, Cajun Steak Bites and Skillet Potatoes for the Grill.

    Mama loved and used her iron skillet often too. But, she did not make baked macaroni and cheese in an iron skillet, and she would probably think I was nuts to even consider it.

    And so, when it came down to it, I used the very Pyrex baking dish that she used and I inherited from her. So, maybe it doesn't make the cutest photo, but that's not what this is all about.

    For fun, I decided to make it in the same old sauce pan she always used, and I thought y'all would enjoy a photo of it. As you can see, it was well-loved.

    sauce pan for cooking macaroni and cheese.

    Some tips for making the best old fashioned macaroni and cheese

    • Use only freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese (I prefer extra sharp)
    • cut the butter into smaller pieces and add it before the milk and cheese
    • don't worry if it's soupy when it goes in the baking dish - the noodles will soak up the liquid
    • whole milk or 2% are best
    • don't overcook in the oven
    • serve it with old fashioned Country Fried Steak, Southern Fried Chicken , Grilled Chuck Roast or Barbeque Pork with Mustard BBQ Sauce

    For a smoky twist on this favorite dish be sure to also make Smoked Mac & Cheese. It's made in one pot or skillet, starts with uncooked pasta and gets rave reviews every time!

    This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.  Click here to read our full disclosure policy

    This recipe made the suggested list for the Backyard BBQ Menu Ideas. You'll want to visit for lots of other recipes as well as tips, tricks and planning help for your cookout.

    📖 Recipe

    square image of baked macaroni and cheese.

    Macaroni and Cheese - Southern Style

    Pam
    Macaroni and Cheese made just the way Mama made it. 
    4.53 from 42 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Servings 6 people
    Calories 382 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 8 ounces elbow pasta
    • ¾ teaspoon salt
    • 5 Tablespoons butter cut into pieces
    • 1-¼ cup whole milk or 2%
    • 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese freshly grated
    • black pepper to taste

    Instructions
     

    • Bring a medium sauce pan of water (filled ⅔ full) to a boil
    • Add salt and stir.
    • Add macaroni noodles and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes.
    • Drain noodles and return to sauce pan, stirring in butter.
    • Put pan on low to medium low heat and stir until butter melts.
    • Add cheese, milk and black pepper, reserving ¾ to 1 cup of cheese
    • Continue cooking over low heat, stirring, until cheese melts.
    • Pour into a casserole or baking dish and top with reserved cheese.
    • Bake about 25 minutes at 375.
    • Broil 1-2 minutes if top browning is desired.

    Notes

    For best results always use freshly grated cheese. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 382kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 15gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 615mgPotassium: 138mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 687IUCalcium: 295mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    This recipe made our top 10 of 2018. Click over here to see them all. 

    If you love southern food, you'll want to read Southern Food Then and Now. 

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    Until next time,

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Carol says

      November 26, 2020 at 10:35 am

      Hi, happy thanksgiving. What size is your Pyrex dish for this recipe.

      Reply
      • Pam says

        November 27, 2020 at 9:46 am

        Hi Carol, So sorry we didn't back to you yesterday. We were busy cooking our own Thanksgiving dinner. This mac and cheese will work fine in an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish.

        Reply
    2. Jessica Formicola says

      February 24, 2021 at 10:21 am

      5 stars
      I love a good homemade mac and cheese, and this one looks perfect! I will definitely be making this soon!

      Reply
      • Pam says

        February 24, 2021 at 10:30 am

        I hope you love it like we do!

        Reply
    3. Aimee Mars says

      February 24, 2021 at 10:38 am

      5 stars
      I was just discussing family recipes with my mom the other day! I agree, classic and simple mac and cheese is one of the best versions there is. I'm so glad you've documented this recipe.

      Reply
      • Pam says

        February 24, 2021 at 10:44 am

        Thanks so much, Aimee.

        Reply
    4. Katherine says

      February 24, 2021 at 10:42 am

      5 stars
      Oh yes! The perfect mac n cheese!

      Reply
      • Pam says

        February 24, 2021 at 10:43 am

        You've got it! Thanks, Katherine.

        Reply
    5. Alisa Infanti says

      February 24, 2021 at 10:44 am

      5 stars
      I have been searching for a simple classic Mac and Cheese recipe... this was amazing!

      Reply
      • Pam says

        February 26, 2021 at 11:41 am

        Thank you, Alisa!

        Reply
    6. Beth says

      February 24, 2021 at 10:50 am

      5 stars
      This looks so delicious and so cheesy! My son is going to be all over this! I can't wait to give this a try!

      Reply
      • Pam says

        February 26, 2021 at 11:42 am

        Hope y'all enjoy it, Beth!

        Reply
    7. Hunty says

      March 04, 2023 at 8:10 pm

      1 star
      Awful. The cheese sauce was so watery and it turned out so grainy and bland.

      Reply
      • Pam says

        March 05, 2023 at 10:43 am

        Thanks for stopping by Hunty. If your mac and cheese was grainy I'm going to guess that you used pre-shredded cheese. That's one of many reasons we don't recommend it. The additives that keep the shreds from clumping are grainy.

        Reply
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