Southern-style Baked Mac & Cheese

Adapted from Basics with Babish

6 giant servings, 8-10 normal servings.

Ingredients:

• 1 lbs short pasta, cooked very al dente
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 12 oz mozzarella, shredded or cubed
• 12 oz cheddar, shredded
• 2 oz parmesan, shredded
• 2 eggs, scrambled

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta to al dente, or just shy of al dente.
2. Add the evaporated milk, half of the cheddar and all of the mozzarella, and stir until all of the cheese has melted.
3. Once the pasta has cooled enough to not burn, whisk in the eggs.
4. Transfer to a glass baking dish, top with the remaining cheddar and parmesan, and bake at 375 °F for 45 minutes until browned in some parts.
5. Rest for 10 minutes and serve.

I tried a few different mac & cheese recipes before settling on this on 6/4/20. It’s still not quite perfect, it can wind up a bit grainy since it doesn’t use any American cheese as an emulsifier. I don’t love the over-the-top gooey mac & cheese made with a bechamel sauce, and this is a bit closer to the mac & cheese you’d normally find at a Southern barbecue as a side dish. It also doesn’t reheat super well in a microwave, though reheating in a pot with a splash of milk would probably work alright.