Baked Macaroni and Cheese for a Crowd

This simple baked macaroni and cheese is the perfect side dish for your next holiday dinner. It's super easy to make and totally unfussy. 

Plus, I'm sure this macaroni and cheese will make any picky twelve-and-under guest at your table happy.

This mac and cheese is about as easy as it gets to make, yet, with its simple ingredients and cheesy and buttery sauce, it will please everyone. 

History of Macaroni and Cheese:

Macaroni and cheese, first called "macaroni pie," has its roots in both France and Virginia. 

Macaroni and Cheese's African American roots can be traced back to Thomas Jefferson and his chef de cuisine, James Hemings, who was a slave. 

I've been hooked on the podcast, The Sporkful by Dan Pashman for a long time. In 2019, he visited the kitchen at Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's plantation, along with Michael Twitty, the author of The Cooking Gene, Niya Bates, a historian, and Gayle Jessup White, a community engagement officer at Monticello. 

According to the podcast, when Thomas Jefferson was appointed Commerce Minister to France, he took James Hemings with him. While in Paris, Hemings mastered the techniques of French cuisine. 

Hemings could have easily petitioned the French government for his freedom and stayed in France, but as a very young man, he also wanted to return to his family in America. He convinced Thomas Jefferson to give him his freedom as long as he trained his successor chef (Hemings' brother) when they returned, and, after three years (while the story is a lot more complicated) Jefferson kept his word. 

P.S. Other American dishes with roots to Monticello and James Hemings include French fries and ice cream! 

Shopping List for this Macaroni and Cheese:

- One pound of elbow macaroni. You can also use shells, fusilli, penne, farfelle, salad macaroni, or any other pasta that works in a casserole. 

- Gruyère cheese. This cheese has great melting quality and amazing flavor. 

- Cheddar cheese. You can also substitute Monterey jack or mozzarella cheese for the cheddar. 

- Butter. One whole stick plus more for buttering the baking dish. 

- Sour cream, evaporated milk, and eggs. 

- Spices: Salt, white pepper, cayenne pepper, and sweet paprika. 

With this macaroni and cheese, you don't have to make a roux or a béchamel sauce. Instead, combine melted butter, sour cream, eggs, and evaporated milk and pour the mixture over the layered cooked noodles and shredded cheese in a baking dish. 

After that, top the dish with more cheese, a sprinkling of paprika, and bake. Super easy. 

Of course, you can mix in some chopped cooked shrimp, lobster, or sausage (or anything else you like). I also like to sprinkle some crushed red pepper on my serving. 

Tips for Success:

1. If you can, grate your own cheese rather than buying the pre-shredded bags. These include additional ingredients that can affect the texture and meltiness. 

2. Don't overcook the pasta. Just cook it to al dente before layering it in the casserole. 

3. While this macaroni and cheese is best fresh from the oven, leftovers are fabulous reheated in the oven for several days. 

More Fabulous Mac and Cheese Recipes:

Spiralized Sweet Potato Macaroni and Cheese

Individual Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Crab Macaroni and Cheese

Chorizo Macaroni and Cheese with Cheddar and Cotija

Chili Macaroni and Cheese

Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

Cauliflower Cheese (Mac and Cheese without the Pasta)

More Side Dish Recipes:

• Apple Pomegranate Salad from Art of Natural Living
• Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Balsamic, & Brown Sugar from The Spiffy Cookie
• Cheesy Grits Souffle from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Grape and Pineapple Salad from Palatable Pastime
• No Knead Dinner Rolls from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Palak Paneer Pulao from Magical Ingredients
• Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Parmesan Cheese from Blogghetti
• Savory Canned Pumpkin Drop Biscuits from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Squash Salad with Tahini Vinaigrette from A Day in the Life on the Farm

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Yield: 10 Servings

Author: Karen's Kitchen Stories

Prep time: 45 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 1 H & 30 M

This simple baked macaroni and cheese is the perfect side dish for your next holiday dinner. It's super easy to make and totally fuss free.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons softened butter, for the baking dish
• 1 pound elbow macaroni
• 8 ounces (2 cups) shredded Gruyère cheese
• 8 ounces (2 cups) shredded cheddar cheese
• 4 ounces (1 stick) butter, melted
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 5 large eggs, beaten
• 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Paprika for topping

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 35 degrees F and butter the bottom and sides of a 13 inch by 9 inch casserole dish.
2. Cook the macaroni according to the package directions, until al dente. Drain.
3. Combine the two cheeses in a bowl. Set aside one cup (4 ounces) of the cheeses.
4. In the bottom of the casserole dish, distribute 1/3 of the macaroni. Top with half of the remaining cheese (minus the reserved cup of cheese). Repeat with 1/3 of the macaroni, 1/2 of the remaining cheese, and the rest of the macaroni.
5. In a medium bowl or extra large measuring cup, whisk together the melted butter, sour cream, eggs, evaporated milk, salt, white pepper, and cayenne. Pour the mixture evenly over the macaroni and cheese layer. Sprinkle the top with the reserved cup of cheese and sprinkle with the paprika.
6. Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 45 minutes, until the cheese on top is crusty and the sauce is bubbly.
7. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

478

Fat (grams)

30 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

17 g

Carbs (grams)

32 g

Fiber (grams)

1 g

Net carbs

31 g

Sugar (grams)

5 g

Protein (grams)

20 g

Cholesterol (grams)

159 mg

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2023/11/baked-macaroni-and-cheese-for-crowd.html

Karen's Kitchen Stories

macaroni and cheese

side dishes

American

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Recipe adapted from Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking. I received a complimentary copy.