TRADITIONAL SOUTHERN MACARONI AND CHEESE!

Traditional Southern Macaroni and Cheese! image

How to make Traditional Southern Macaroni and Cheese!

Provided by @MakeItYours

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

2 cups elbow macaroni or penne
1 cup half and half
2 cups milk
1/2 stick butter plus 1 Tbs.
1/4 cup flour
8 oz. Velveeta cheese ( you can use American, but nothing beats Velveeta in this)
2 eggs, beaten
about 4-6 slices Swiss cheese
2 cups cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce (may sound strange but it adds a hint of flavor)

Steps:

Boil the macaroni in salted water for the time it says on the box and drain. Some recipes say to rinse it off, I don't do this. I think it removes the flavor. Also don't under cook it because if you do the macaroni will soak up all of your sauce and you will end up with dry mac and cheese.
Put the macaroni back in the pan with 1 Tbs of butter and let it melt and coat the macaroni.
Now we make a cheese sauce which I like to do in the microwave. It is much easier to do and doesn't stick or burn. Melt 1/2 stick of butter in the microwave and then add 1/4 cup of flour to that. Blend the flour into the butter with a whisk and microwave for about 30 seconds.
Add 1 cup half and half, 2 cups milk, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce and 1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce. Whisk well and microwave for about 3 - 4 minutes. Whisk again to remove any lumps and then add 8 oz. of Velveeta cheese. Microwave for 2-3 more minutes until the cheese is melted and whisk again until smooth.
Beat 2 eggs in a bowl.
Put the macaroni in the cheese sauce and gently mix, then pour the eggs in and mix. Make sure the cheese sauce and pasta are not too hot or it will scramble your eggs. If it is still hot, you can temper your eggs by adding a little of the hot cheese sauce a spoonful at a time to the eggs and mixing to bring them up to temperature. After you mix, pour 1/2 into a 2 quart casserole dish you have sprayed well with cooking spray.
Lay about 3-4 slices of Swiss cheese on this layer and then cover with 1 cup cheddar cheese. Pour the other half over this and lay 3-4 slices of Swiss cheese over and the other 1 cup cheddar on top. Place in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 25-30 minutes or until it is bubbly and just starting to brown on top.