Not only is my southern mac and cheese recipe easy because there is no roux, but it is also the perfect size for a small gathering. This is my adaptation of the John Legend mac and cheese recipe as shared on Martha Stewart. Also, because a lot of the original colonists in the South were English, cheddar is the cheese of choice. Southern macaroni and cheese differs from other types in that it is custard-style: instead of being loose and runny, it holds its shape after being cut and served. Remember not to stick too much to the clock: the best mac ‘n’ cheese is ready when it’s bubbly and golden, so take into consideration the baking time but do not stick to it and eventually change it to your liking.Jump to recipe Best southern mac and cheese recipe Southern Mac and Cheese Recipe.Add a bit of crunch on top of the baking dish by using breadcrumbs.

For an even more tasty flavor, add different types of cheese to the mix, always remember to use strong ones.

How to make sure the cheese cream is really cheesy? By adding a splash of cream to the bechamel sauce, substituting some of the milk with cream.

Never forget to salt your water when cooking your pasta, otherwise, your macaroni won’t have many flavors.

Always remember to buy durum wheat Italian pasta for your macaroni and cheese.

Undercook your pasta so that when it will be baked won’t be overcooked (check my guide on how to cook pasta like an Italian).

Remember: the cheese sauce is the main element of this dish so you always need to use a pungent cheese so that the white sauce won’t absorb all the flavor.

Total time: 1 hour How to Make an Even Better Mac ‘n’ Cheese To keep it short, macaroni and cheese are short pasta baked with cheddar cheese melted in a kind of béchamel with the addition of more cheese: once cooked, the macaroni and cheese are meant to be soft and creamy and to have a delicious golden crust on the surface. That said, Americans always claim macaroni cheese as their own, and it’s not a mystery that Kraft invented the boxed version using macaroni pasta in 1937. They were brought to the United States by President Thomas Jefferson who tasted this pasta in France in 1700: the mac ‘n’ cheese spread in a very short time in all the American kitchens. People say macaroni and cheese it Italian by origins and for sure it resembles something Italian but being Italian myself, for me, mac ‘n’ cheese has never existed I usually make something similar, in some way, called Pasta au gratin which includes a lot of cheese but also charcuterie.Īccording to the myth, the first ones to prepare macaroni and cheese would have been the French, and traces of the recipe can be found in a 14th-century cookbook.

Roux or no roux for mac and cheese