"Custard-Cut" Generational Baked Macaroni and Cheese
The Sacred Sunday Dinner: The Midday Feast
Proper Southern macaroni and cheese is sliced, never scooped. Long before the dish was relegated to a sad blue cardboard box, cooks knew the secret is the "custard-cut"—ditching the finicky stovetop flour roux for a rich matrix of Carnation evaporated milk and whole eggs that bakes into a molten structure you can literally slice into a clean, spatula-lifted square. Baking that custard with sharp cheddar inside a 9x13 Pyrex dish for forty-five minutes delivers that sacred Sunday texture on a Tuesday night.
Before you start
Assemble ahead of time for a busy weeknight.
You can build the entire casserole, pour the custard over it, cover tightly with foil, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Bake it straight from the fridge, adding 10 to 15 extra minutes to the cook time.
Ingredients
- elbow macaroni1 lb
- unsalted butter1/4 cup
- sharp cheddar cheese16 oz
- Colby-Jack cheese8 oz
- Velveeta or cream cheese4 oz
- evaporated milk12 oz
- whole milk1 cup
- sour cream1/2 cup
- large eggs3 large
- kosher salt1 1/2 tsp
- dry mustard powder1 tsp
- garlic powder1 tsp
- onion powder1 tsp
- black pepper1/2 tsp
- cayenne pepper1/4 tsp
- smoked paprika1/2 tsp
Method
- 01
Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare the baking dish.
Liberally grease a deep 9x13-inch baking dish. In a large bowl, toss together the freshly grated sharp cheddar and Colby-Jack cheeses, dividing the mixture roughly in half.
- 02
Boil the pasta just shy of al dente in heavily salted water.
Cook the macaroni 1 to 2 minutes less than the package directs; it must retain a firm bite so it doesn't turn to mush while baking in the custard. Drain well.
- 03
Toss the hot noodles with the butter, soft cheese, and half the grated cheese.
Immediately return the hot pasta to the warm, off-heat pot. Stir in the cubed butter and Velveeta until melted, coating the noodles in fat, then fold in half the shredded cheese blend to jumpstart the melt.
- 04
Whisk together the liquid custard base and seasonings.
In a mixing bowl, combine the evaporated milk, whole milk, sour cream, and beaten eggs. Add the kosher salt, dry mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and cayenne, whisking vigorously until frothy and smooth.
- 05
Assemble the dish and pour the custard over the noodles.
Spread the buttery, cheesy noodles evenly into the prepared baking dish. Slowly pour the custard over the top, pressing down gently with a spatula so the liquid seeps into every crevice.
- 06
Top with the remaining cheese and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
Blanket the casserole with the rest of the shredded cheese blend and dust lightly with smoked paprika. Bake uncovered until the edges bubble vigorously and the top is deeply golden brown.
- 07
Let the casserole rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
Do not cut into it immediately or it will be a soupy mess. Resting gives the egg custard time to carry over its heat and set, resulting in perfect, molten yet sliceable squares.
Notes
Avoid pre-shredded bagged cheese at all costs.
Bagged cheeses are coated in anti-caking powders like cellulose that will make your custard gritty and ruin the smooth melt. Grating from the block is absolutely non-negotiable here.
The dry mustard is the secret weapon.
It acts as a chemical emulsifier and cuts the cloying richness of the heavy dairy, highlighting the tang of the aged cheddar without making the dish taste like mustard.
Evaporated milk is structurally essential.
Standard milk contains too much water and will separate during a long bake. Evaporated milk concentrates the milk proteins, keeping the sauce rich, stable, and firmly rooted in Southern tradition.
From Cook Southern Food.