SOUL FOOD MACARONI AND CHEESE

SOUL FOOD MACARONI AND CHEESE image

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 lb of elbow macaroni
8 tablespoon (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Havarti or Gouda Cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Vermont Cabot Cheddar Cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Bavarian Beer Cheddar Cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack Cheese (preferably Tillamook)
2 cups half-half
1 cup (8 ounces) Velveeta, cut into small cubes
2 Large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly butter a deep 2 1/2 quart casserole. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the oil, then the elbow macaroni, and cook until the macaroni is tender, about 7 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain well. Return to the cooking pot. In a small saucepan, melt 8 tablespoons of the butter. Stir into the macaroni. In a large bowl, mix all the shredded cheeses. To the macaroni, add the half-half, 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese, the cubed Velveeta, and the eggs. Season with the salt and pepper. Transfer to the buttered casserole. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and dot with the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter Bake until it's bubbling around the edges, 35 minutes. Serve hot