🇺🇸 Southern Baked Mac and Cheese

Southern baked mac and cheese is a Sunday-dinner staple. It uses a real cheese sauce made with a roux, not just melted cheese. The result is creamy underneath with a golden, crunchy topping.

Ingredients

• 500 g Macaroni
• 4 tbsp Butter
• 4 tbsp Flour
• 3 cups Milk, warmed
• 2 tsp Mustard Powder
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
• Salt and Pepper
• 300 g Sharp Cheddar, grated
• 150 g Gruyère or Mozzarella, grated
• 1/2 cup Breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp Butter, melted

Method

1. Cook macaroni 2 min less than package directions. Drain.
2. Melt butter, whisk in flour, and cook 2 min.
3. Gradually whisk in warm milk until smooth and thick.
4. Season with mustard, paprika, garlic, salt, and pepper.
5. Off heat, stir in most of the cheese until melted.
6. Fold in macaroni and pour into a baking dish.
7. Top with remaining cheese and breadcrumbs mixed with melted butter.
8. Bake at 180°C for 25–30 min until golden and bubbling.

History

Macaroni and cheese has been made in America since the colonial era — Thomas Jefferson served a version at Monticello after encountering it in France and Italy. But the Southern baked version is a distinct evolution, developed in African American communities in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It became a Sunday-dinner staple, served alongside fried chicken, collard greens, and cornbread, and it is now one of the most contested dishes in American cooking — everyone claims their grandmother’s version is the only correct one. The version with a roux-based cheese sauce and a breadcrumb topping is widely considered the gold standard.

The science

A roux-based cheese sauce is what separates baked mac and cheese from a bowl of pasta with melted cheese on top. The roux — flour cooked in butter — thickens the milk into a béchamel, which then becomes a smooth, stable cheese sauce. Without the roux, the cheese would split and turn oily when heated. The choice of cheeses matters too: sharp cheddar brings flavour, while a melting cheese like gruyère or mozzarella brings the stretch. Adding the cheese off the heat prevents it from breaking, and the breadcrumb topping provides a textural contrast that a plain cheese crust cannot match.

Substitutions

Sharp cheddar is the classic, but you can mix in gruyère, comté, or a smoked cheese for depth. For a gluten-free version, use cornstarch instead of flour in the roux and gluten-free breadcrumbs on top. For a spicier version, add a teaspoon of mustard powder, a pinch of cayenne, or a few dashes of hot sauce to the cheese sauce. The milk can be swapped for a plant-based alternative, though the sauce will be slightly less rich.

Chef's tip

Warm milk prevents lumps. Sharp cheddar gives flavour, mozzarella gives stretch.

Drink pairing

Fried chicken, collard greens, and sweet tea. The bitterness of the greens and the sweetness of the tea both balance the richness of the cheese sauce.