There are a lot of southern and classic baked mac & cheese recipes out there. And, we’ve tried a ton of them over the years. We always come back to my Mama’s recipe because none of them are as good. The addition of eggs, evaporated milk, eggs, butter, and mustard powder in its recipe gives this custard-style baked Macaroni and Cheese dish lots of cheesy gooey goodness.

Best Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

1. • • 1 pound dried elbow macaroni
       
     • 1 tablespoon butter, plus some for buttering the dish
       
     • 4 eggs, beaten
       
     • 1 tablespoon dried mustard powder
       
     • 2 teaspoons salt
       
     • 1 teaspoon pepper
     • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
     • ½ teaspoon onion powder
     • 2 cans evaporated milk
       
     • 6 cups sharp grated cheddar cheese
     • 2 cups grated colby jack cheese
     • Paprika, for sprinkling

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. Boil macaroni in water and 1 teaspoon salt until al dente. 
3. While macaroni is cooking, pour milk into a large bowl. Stir in eggs. Add mustard, pepper, garlic powder to the milk. Mix remaining salt in 1 tablespoon hot water and add to milk mixture. Add cheese, reserving enough cheddar to sprinkle on top.
4. When pasta is done, drain thoroughly and return to pot. Stir butter into pasta.
5. Add milk mixture to macaroni and stir.
6. Pour macaroni into a large buttered casserole dish or lasagna pan, and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Sprinkle with paprika. We also bake in two smaller pans similar to these from Le Creuset. One works well for a half recipe, too.
7. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until custard is set and the top is crusty. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before serving.