Southern Baked Macaroni & Cheese!!

heavy cream

🥗Healthier: Greek yogurt

💰Cheaper: milk + cornstarch

Greek yogurt reduces calories while maintaining creaminess

cheddar cheese

🥗Healthier: reduced-fat cheddar

💰Cheaper: processed cheese

Reduced-fat cheddar lowers calories without sacrificing flavor.

monterey jack cheese

🥗Healthier: part-skim mozzarella

💰Cheaper: cheddar cheese

Part-skim mozzarella is lower in fat while still melting well.

butter

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Olive oil provides healthy fats while margarine is often cheaper.

Get your pot of water boiling and salt it for the pasta.

Add 1 pound of elbow macaroni noodles to the boiling water and cook until al dente; do not overcook.

While the pasta is cooking, shred or cube the various cheeses: sharp cheddar, sharp white cheddar, colby jack, medium cheddar, mozzarella, Velveeta, and cream cheese.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it to a baking dish with about 3 tablespoons of butter; mix to combine.

In the same pot used for pasta, melt 1 stick of Kerrygold butter over medium to medium-low heat.

Add 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour to the melted butter and mix for 1-2 minutes to cook off the raw flour taste.

Slowly add 1 1/2 cups of whole milk and 1/2 cup of half and half to the roux, mixing well to avoid lumps; cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until thickened.

Add all the shredded cheeses, including the Velveeta and cream cheese, to the sauce and mix until melted.

Stir in 8 ounces of sour cream, 2 1/2 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk, and the seasonings (1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 tablespoon seasonal salt, and 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning) into the cheese sauce; mix well.

Whisk together 2 large eggs in a separate bowl and then mix them into the pasta until fully combined.

Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and mix until everything is well coated.

Top the macaroni with additional cheese (up to 8 ounces) and any remaining butter if desired.

Smooth out the mixture in the baking dish and prepare to bake.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens