Old Fashioned Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Our Old Fashioned Baked Macaroni and Cheese is loaded with melty Colby jack cheese, sharp cheddar, and a creamy egg custard that's then topped with a cheesy bread crumb topping, making this the most decadent mac and cheese you can find.
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 624kcal
Ingredients
- 16 oz elbow pasta macaroni shape
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups cream half and half
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 ½ sticks butter cubed, divided
- 16 oz Colby jack cheese cubed
- 16 oz sharp cheddar cheese grated,divided
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- ¼ cup chives freshly chopped
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the macaroni noodles and cook until al dente, or as per the package instructions.
- In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, sour cream, and cream, until the eggs are fully incorporated into the cream. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, then set aside.
- Drain and transfer the noodles to a large deep baking dish (about 8”x13”). Add 1 stick of the cubed butter, the cubed colby jack cheese, and all but 2 cups of the grated cheddar, then toss until evenly distributed throughout the noodles.
- Pour the egg mixture over the noodles and toss once more.
- Spinkle the top of the macaroni and cheese with the remaining cheddar, the breadcrumbs, and the chives. Arrange the remaining butter cubes overtop.
- Cover the baking dish with foil or oven-safe glass lid and bake at 375°F for 40 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake an additional 30 minutes, or until the top of golden and crisp, and the mac and cheese is hot and bubbling. Cool for 5 minutes before serving with an additional sprinkling of chives.
Notes
Scroll up to view a visual walkthrough of the recipe.
If you love cheese pasta, try our Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese for Adults, Camembert Mac and Cheese with Bacon and Kale, or Creamy Baked Gnocchi with Spicy Vodka Sauce.
Meal Prep: Prepare recipe steps 1 through 5, adding the macaroni and cheese to a freezer-safe container. Pull it out the day before or the morning you want to eat it and add 20-30 minutes to the cooking time while covered.
Pasta Shape Options: Other great pasta shapes for mac and cheese are cavatappi, fusilli, shells, penne, or rigatoni.
Cheese Substitutions: You need a soft cheese for melting and a flavorful cheese. Colby jack can be substituted with Monterey Jack, mozzarella, or fontina, while the sharp cheddar can be replaced with a smoked gouda or wine-soaked cheese.
Cream Substitution: Evaporated milk is very common in traditional macaroni and cheese which can be used in place of the half and half. For an even creamier version, you can use heavy cream.
Choosing Pasta: When choosing pasta in the grocery store, look for lighter-colored noodles, cream in color vs yellow. This is usually an indication that the pasta was dried slowly and evenly, resulting in a higher quality pasta vs yellow noodles.
Green Tip: Save the pasta water to clean up after cooking. The starch in the water makes an excellent detergent for washing dishes.
Nutrition
Calories: 624kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 168mg | Sodium: 638mg | Potassium: 235mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1472IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 582mg | Iron: 1mg