Baked Mac and Cheese

Scoring a good recipe for a baked macaroni & cheese can be tricky, what with family secrets and all. This version, adapted from Epicurious.com, came from Robbie Montgomery of the Sweet Pie’s soul food chain. Using eggs, evaporated milk and Velveeta keeps it creamy. Mac & cheeses made only with shredded cheddar can be grainy.

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil and add 1 teaspoon salt. Add the macaroni and cook until al dente. Drain noodles in a strainer and rinse with cold water to cool.

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 3-quart casserole dish or 13-by-9-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter.

Step 3

Combine the evaporated milk, eggs, sour cream, remaining salt, pepper and cayenne pepper in a mixing bowl and whisk to mix well.

Step 4

Pour the cooked macaroni into the prepared baking dish. Stir in the evaporated milk mixture. Dot with the remaining butter cut into cubes and stir in half the cheddar and all the colby jack. Distribute the cubes of Velveeta around the noodles. Stir it all up well while adding the milk. Pack it down into the dish and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese is melted. Place under the broiler about 5 minutes until it’s starting to brown in spots. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.