SOUTHERN STYLE BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE RECIPES

Steps:

• Butter or spray a large baking dish or casserole pan with non-stick cooking spray; set aside. For the full recipe you'll need a large pan or Dutch oven that will hold 8 quarts; for a half pan use a 4 quart dish.
• Boil noodles, rinse, drain and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Shred the cheddar and jack cheeses, stir together and set aside. Meanwhile, pour the milk into a large saucepan and warm over medium low heat.
• Cut the Velveeta into chunks, add to the saucepan and cook over medium low heat until all of the cheese has melted, stirring often. Add additional milk if needed to thin. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Crack the eggs into a separate bowl and lightly whisk. Scoop out some of the hot cheese sauce and slowly add that to the eggs to temper them, continuously whisking as you add the liquid to the eggs. Once well combined, add the eggs to the cheese sauce and quickly whisk together until well mixed. Tempering prevents the eggs from scrambling in the hot cheese sauce.
• Add half of the elbow noodles to the baking pan and season lightly with salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning. Slice thin layers of butter and spread them around on top of the noodles.
• Sprinkle 1/2 of the cheddar/jack cheese combo over the noodles. Ladle 1/2 of the Velveeta cheese sauce over that. Repeat the layers of noodles, seasoning, butter, cheddar/jack cheese, and Velveeta sauce.
• Bake at 375 degrees F, uncovered for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly browned on top.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook according to package directions until a little under al dente, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a colander and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk milk and eggs. Add cooked macaroni, 2 cups extra-sharp Cheddar, melted butter, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and stir until well combined.
• Add half the macaroni mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish in an even layer. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups Colby Jack evenly on top. Spread the remaining macaroni mixture on top in an even layer. Cover with aluminum foil, transfer to the middle rack of the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
• Remove from oven. Carefully remove and discard the aluminum foil. Top the macaroni mixture with the remaining 2 cups Cheddar and 1/2 cup Colby Jack. Broil on top rack until cheese is browned in spots, 3 to 5 minutes. (The broiled cheese can go from golden to burnt fairly quickly, so keep a close eye on it.)
• Remove from oven and let cool until the macaroni and cheese is fully set, 10 to 15 minutes. (The mixture may first appear jiggly, but it will firm up as it cools.) Serve warm.