Soul Food Southern Baked Mac and Cheese (2024)

This southern mac and cheese recipe will be the best you'll ever make in your life. It has been passed down for generations in my family, the ultimate comfort food bursting with 5 types of cheese, heavy cream for extra creaminess,. Once you make the best southern mac and cheese from scratch, you'll never go back to the boxed stuff.

Are you as obsessed with a good mac n cheese as I am? Try my old fashioned baked macaroni and cheese recipe, made with a stovetop cheese sauce and toasted panko breadcrumb topping for extra crunch! An amazing Panera Bread White Cheddar Mac copycat; or this pulled pork mac and cheese that is perfect for your next cookout.

Learn the Secrets to a True Soul Food Classic: Southern Baked Mac and Cheese!

This recipe holds deep roots—it's not just Southern-style mac and cheese, it's soul food mac, passed down through generations in my family. Inspired by Thomas Jefferson's chef, James Hemings, it's my take on my mama's recipe, echoing through my grandmama and beyond.

This is the quintessential black folk mac and cheese—the one with memes about only certain family members (usually a Auntie or Grandma with 'the big upper arms') being entrusted to make it. It's hailed as the best mac and cheese ever.

In the Black community, macaroni and cheese is a cherished dish, fit for any special occasion beyond just holidays. Crafted with a mix of cheeses, it's taken seriously, both in flavor and tradition. A bubbling pan of this delicacy holds a special place in the hearts of us all nationwide.

Homemade mac and cheese is revered as the pinnacle of Black culinary excellence, the preferred side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and gatherings with loved ones. Only those deemed worthy bear the responsibility, as compromising these occasions with subpar, tasteless mac and cheese is a non-negotiable.

My creamy baked mac and cheese, dubbed the best by many, has become a tradition for families. Thousands have made it their go-to for Thanksgiving and Christmas, pleasing even the pickiest kids. I'm truly honored.

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Why this is the best Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

• It's a dump and bake, super easy recipe. No roux, no bechamel, no fancy stuff, no stovetop cheese sauce, no add-ins. Not even bacon this time. If you've never made mac and cheese, start with this recipe. It's foolproof. Follow the recipe and reap the rewards!
• It uses real ingredients. No pre-mixed seasoning salt, no boxed mac and cheese. We can argue about American cheese tomorrow.
• It's the ultimate creamy soul food macaroni and cheese.I, too, have been accosted by that weird baked mac and cheese that is clumpy, goopy, dry, and stiff. This is not her. We don't know her here. My mac is luxuriously creamy, made with five different types of cheeses, heavy cream, and plenty of flavor. If you're a true fan of mac and cheese, this recipe is for you.

From your kids saying it's 'bussin!' to your families entrusting you to bring it to all family gatherings, I feel so blessed to say that this authentic southern macaroni and cheese recipe that I have loved since I was a little girl is now a family favorite worldwide!

And there's a huge reason why: this mac and cheese is easy to make, it's incredibly rich and creamy (there's no weird scrambled egg-looking, broken, greasy cheese nonsense going on here!), and the recipe is from a real southern belle, I've been eating my mama's southern-style mac and cheese since the womb!

Ingredients to Make the Best Macaroni and Cheese

Full ingredients, measurements, and printable instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Each ingredient in my homemade macaroni and cheese has a purpose. Different kinds of cheese give different textures and I feel mine is the best cheese combination to not only have a seriously creamy mac, but also the beautiful crust of browned bubbly cheese that is a total crowd pleaser.

• Sharp Cheddar Cheese or Extra-Sharp Cheddar Cheese. Mild cheddar just doesn't have the flavor we're looking for in a cheese sauce, so use that sharp cheddar!
• Colby Jack. Monterey jack also works; we want a really melty, ooey-gooey cheese and colby/monterey jack is the one for this recipe. It's got great flavor, supporting the cheddar cheese without adding too much 'cheddar' flavor.
• Part-Skim Mozzarella cheese. Love that great cheese pull that only comes from mozzarella!
• American cheese. Don't fight me on the American cheese, honey. American cheese is made of natural cheeses that are melted together with emulsifiers, which is what keeps it rich, luscious, and creamy when you melt it down on burgers and grilled cheese sandwiches. These emulsifiers help keep your harder cheeses (like that sharp cheddar) from separating in the heat of your oven while baking the mac.
• Cream Cheese. And cream cheese...'cause my mama uses it. If it ain't broken, don't fix it. It adds more moisture and extra creaminess to the mac and there are all kinds of flavors you can use. My mom uses sour cream and chive flavor, it's SO good. You can also use sour cream or mascarpone cheese, which is like a lighter Italian cream cheese.
• Garlic Powder. A must, a must, a must. We want good flavor, add in the garlic powder.
• Onion powder.Same as the garlic. It adds good flavor!
• Mustard powder.It brings out that 'cheese' flavor, it intensifies that tangy cheddar flavor.
• Smoked paprika.Look, if you're looking to add that little oomph, that special little something to your mac, this ingredient is it. It's not spicy like cayenne pepper, but has a delicious smokiness that is so good and adds depth!
• Unsalted butter.To grease down your baking dish! The heavy cream acts as the 'butter' in the dish without making it really greasy so it isn't needed within the macaroni and cheese.
• Chicken broth -Y'all have raved about this secret of mine: boiling the pasta in chicken broth! Yes, y'all, it really does make such a big difference in the flavor. I use Better than Bouillon, it's much easier to have than many boxes or cans of broth.
• Eggs. Look, I know it's a controversial ingredient. But once again, I've got a reason for the eggs! The egg whites keep structure so you don't end up with a soupy, stringy, cheesy mess on the inside, while the fats (it's all about the fats y'all!) from the egg yolks control those cheeses and keep them from getting grainy and gritty and oily. I will say that it can be optional, but for the most authentic experience you'll want to use them.
• Elbow Pasta.Sure, you can use just about any short-cut pasta shape, but elbow macaroni are just the classic shape that everyone loves. It holds the cheese sauce so well and is a familiar shape that kids love.
• Heavy Cream. The fats, y'all. You don't want the cheese to separate from the heat of the oven, so fats are very important. Heavy cream takes the place of where most people use butter in their mac, so we get the fats without the grease pooling on top of the whole thing at the end.
• Half and Half. I know a lot of people use evaporated milk, which is whole milk that is reduced until it's thicker. I like half and half, but if you cannot find it use the same amount of evaporated milk.

How to Make Southern Mac and Cheese

Step 1 | First thing, cook macaroni pasta in a large pot of the chicken broth until just under al dente so it finishes cooking in the oven. Then rub down an 8 by 11 or 9 by 13-inch baking dish with the butter. Give it a good, generous layer of butter.

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Step 2 | Shred your cheeses and then add your spices to the cheeses: A little mustard powder boosts the cheddar cheese flavor, salt and black pepper are a must, garlic and onion powder, and smoked paprika for that little extra somethin'.

Step 3 | In a large bowl, mix in all of the different cheeses, the half-and-half and heavy cream. Mix in the cooked macaroni pasta into the shredded cheese, then give it a taste for seasoning. Add a little salt if needed, or black pepper or garlic, whatever you want to boost up in flavor. Step 2 and 3 are interchangeable, we just want to make sure to always taste for seasoning before moving on to adding the eggs!

Step 4 | Then stir the eggs into the macaroni mixture. Get it nice and well-mixed before adding it to the buttered baking dish and spreading it evenly in there.

Step 5 | Cover our mac in the remaining cheese on top, sprinkle with some smoked paprika, then bake for 35-40 minutes. No, there are no bread crumbs here, we have a cheese crust instead. If you want breadcrumbs, don't add the cheese on top and use your favorite breadcrumbs instead.

Step 6 | Pull the mac and cheese from the oven, let rest for five minutes because a molten cheese burn is not fun, then serve while still gooey and delicious!

I honestly can tell you this is the best macaroni and cheese you will ever make in your life. Which is exactly why it's such a cultural staple.

And no, I will not argue with you about it. I stand on my decision ten toes down!

Substitutions and Variations

I see y'all hating on the American cheese (or you just can't get it in your country) so here's how you can still guarantee a super creamy cheese sauce: you'll need some sodium citrate.What is it?Sodium citrate is a food-grade emulsifier that's in things like ice cream, jarred alfredo sauce, even sausages, and...American cheese. That emulsifier will ensure your cheese mixture will not break apart and thicken the cheese sauce, making it silky and creamy. Here's a great recipe for making a cheese sauce with sodium citrate.

You can use whatever cheeses you want really! Get into some gouda, monterey jack cheese, havarti...I suggest staying away from hard, very aged cheeses unless you're going to use that sodium citrate as mentioned above. They aren't good melting cheeses and will split easily.

Pasta shapes can vary, too. My faves are cavatappi, elbow, and rotini because they hold cheese sauce incredibly well.

Pro Tips for the Best Homemade Mac n Cheese

• Grated cheese makes all the difference! Grate your own with that big box grater that doesn't fit in the drawer!
• If you're confused about the American cheese, I buy mine at the deli section at my supermarket. You can either get them sliced and just cut them up yourself, or have the deli clerk measure out the amount of American cheese you need from their block and have them shred or cube it for ease.
• Keep plenty of cheese aside to put on the top of your mac, it's so important for that bubbly browned cheese crust!

Make Ahead Instructions

Readers have put together this baked mac and cheese the day before, baking it the day of, with no problem. Go all the way up to Step 7 and bake the day of.

Storing and Reheating Instructions

Store the mac and cheese either plastic wrapped in its baking dish or in an airtight container for up to about 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven at 300 degrees F until it's fully warmed through and melty.

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