This old fashioned macaroni and cheese is made from scratch just like my grandma used to make it. It is rich and full of cheeses and is the perfect side dish for any occasion. This is a treasured recipe passed from my grandmother , to my mother and then to me.Ā This is made the old fashioned southern way and Mac & Cheese , it is pure comfort food. This dish was a must at every holiday and even made appearances at BBQ ‘s , birthday parties , or just because it was Sunday LOL.Ā If you like this recipe check out my Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes .Ā Ā
So here is the thing about this recipe , it is very versatile and things can be swapped out to your taste. You can play around with the cheeses and try different combinations , in this case I used a very basic combo. If you don’t like Velveeta you can leave it out but it does provide a nice creamy texture. Two cheeses I love to throw in there are Smoked Gouda and Sharp White cheddar. .Ā They both have a nice flavor and something special to this already wonderful dish. The most important thing is to grate your own cheese. The bag cheese has a coating on it that prevents it from melting correctly. As far as the milks you can replace the 1/2 and 1/2 with whole milk but do not skip the evaporated milk. The evaporated milk is what really gives this dish the old Fashioned feel.
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Let’s Make Old Fashioned Macaroni and Cheese
What you will need for this dish-
- 9×13 baking dish
- Cheese grater -here are two I like Hand Crank Grater and Kitchen Aid attachmentĀ
- Large Pot
- 1 stick of butter-Not margarine
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 &1/2 , Evaporated milk (don’t skip this)
- 8oz Velveeta 1 1/2 LBs shredded cheese
Boil the macaroni according to the boxes directions. I usually do 10 minutes . Cube the Velveeta and grate the the other cheese . Mix the grated cheeses in a bowl and then reserve 1 cup for the topping . Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Once the noodles are done drain them and set them aside. In the same pot on medium heat melt the butter and add milk. Stir until warm. Add the Velveeta cheese and stir until melted .
Add the hot cooked macaroni noodles .Stir in half of the grated cheese from the bowl . Once the cheese is melted remove the pot from the heat.
Beat the egg in a small bowl and temper them . Add a little of the hot mixture to the eggs and beat them . Quickly pour the eggs into the macaroni , stirring quickly
Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray. Add half of the macaroni mixture to the pan. Spread the other half of the cheese evenly over the macaroni in the dish
Add the remaining macaroni and them top it with the reserved 1 cup of cheese .
+Baked in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes .
If you like this old fashioned recipe check out these :

Old Fashioned Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 LB Elbow Macaroni
- 8 Tablespoons Butter
- 12 oz Evaporated Milk
- 1 1/2 cups 1/2 and 1/2
- 8 oz Velveeta Cheese cubed
- 8 oz Monterey Jack Cheese Hand Grated
- 8 oz Mild Cheddar Cheese Hand Grated
- 8 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese Hand Grated
- 2 LG Eggs Beaten
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper or to taste
Instructions
- Boil the macaroni according to the boxes directions. I usually do 10 minutes . Cube the Velveeta and grate the the other cheese . Mix the grated cheeses in a bowl and then reserve 1 cup for the topping . Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Once the noodles are done drain them and set them aside. In the same pot on medium heat melt the butter and add half and half, and evaporated milk . Stir until warm.
- Add the Velveeta cheese and stir until melted .
- Add the hot cooked macaroni noodles .
- Stir in half of the grated cheese from the bowl . Once the cheese is melted remove the pot from the heat.
- Beat the egg in a small bowl and temper them . Add a little of the hot mixture to the eggs and beat them . Quickly pour the eggs into the macaroni , stirring quickly,
- Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Add half of the macaroni mixture to the pan.
- Spread the other half of the cheese evenly over the macaroni in the dish
- Add the remaining macaroni and them top it with the reserved 1 cup of cheese .
- Baked in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes .
Video
Notes
- Kitchen Aid grater attachment-If you have a kitchen aidĀ
- Counter top graterĀ
I love a good old fashioned macaroni and cheese. I especially loved how many cheeses this recipe used. This is definitely a keeper.
Thanks Marta !
I am confused do I add 1 1/2 cups of half and half when I ad evaporated milk? thank you
Hi Donna , I updated step 2 . Before I said to add both milks but now it specifically says to add the 1/2 & 1/2 and evaporated milk . Thanks for pointing out the misunderstanding .
Wow! This recipe is oldies but goodies. Definitely looks absolutely delicious and yummy! We can never go wrong with Macaroni and Cheese!
I agree Amy !
I love mac and cheese! I had not tried a recipe using evaporated milk, this was really good. I will definitely make it again!
One of my favourite dinners. Simple and delicious and reminds me of home.
This mac and cheese was soooo cheesy and comforting. It was everything we love in this classic dish so I’m glad I tried this amazing recipe!
Thanks Kathryn .. I am so glad you enjoyed it.
You cannot beat the creaminess in this homemade mac and cheese. The evaporated milk is a great addition.
The evaporated milk gives that old fashioned feel !
Pasta and cheese is hard to beat. Wonder what happens if you substitute the mild Cheddar for more sharp? The Monterey cheese sounds yummy too. Thanks for sharing.
I love how creamy and cheesy this old fashioned mac and cheese is! The evaporated milk was such a great addition!
This looks so delicious, how could I resist making it for dinner?! It tastes fabulous and I will be sharing this recipe out to friends!
This brought me back to the mac n cheese my mom used to make! Nothing beats it with Velvetta, thanks!!
How much macaroni???
Hi Michael 1 LB is 1 pound . Good luck , this is a great recipe /
Silly question , but to make a half pan, would I just half everything ? Thanks !
I have never done it but I am sure it will work , most likely an 8×8 pan would work well.