Paula Deen’s Macaroni & Cheese can be baked in the oven or in the Slow Cooker! Made extra creamy with eggs, cream cheese, and 2 other cheeses!
Love Paula Deen recipes? Be sure to try her corn casserole and green bean casserole next!
Paula Deen’s Macaroni and Cheese
If you’re looking for some delicious Southern-style Macaroni and Cheese, then look no further, this is IT!
Being a Northerner, I had never actually made mac and cheese with eggs before trying this recipe, and I have to admit, I was skeptical at first. But it adds this really creamy element to the dish that my family loves.
The ingredients are simple, it’s easy to throw together, and you can make it fully on the stove top, bake it like a casserole, or even let it cook in the Crock Pot. Let’s do it.
Ingredients
- Elbow Macaroni
- Unsalted Butter- You can also use salted butter and skip the salt seasoning.
- Half and Half
- Eggs– Used for a thicker, creamier consistency.
- Sour Cream
- Cheddar Cheese– Purchase a block and grate your own at home for creamiest consistency. Heluva Good! Orange Sharp Cheddar is my preferred brand, it melts really well and tastes great.
- American Cheese– Velveeta orange packaged slices work well
- Cream Cheese
- Cayenne Pepper
- Salt/Pepper
PRO TIP: The half and half, sour cream, and cheeses should be close to room temperature prior to being added to the macaroni.
How to Make it (Baking Method)
Boil the macaroni until al dente, according to package instructions.
Combine the melted/softened butter, half and half, eggs, sour cream, half and half, and salt/pepper/cayenne. Whisk until combined. It will be a little lumpy.
Drain the macaroni and return it to the warm pot you boiled it in.
Add the cream cheese, cheddar, and American cheese. Use a silicone spatula and stir to combine.
Add the creamy egg mixture and stir to combine. (Paula Deen pours it over the top of the cheesy macaroni once it’s in the casserole dish, either way works.)
Transfer to a greased 9×13 casserole dish. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Macaroni and Cheese with Eggs
Southern-Style macaroni and cheese recipes such as this one may call for using eggs. The purpose of the eggs is to create a custard-like consistency. This method is used instead of creating a roux.
Be warned that some people love the eggs, and others aren’t a fan of the texture.
To skip the eggs and make this recipe with a roux:
- Use an extra cup of half and half. (2 cups total)
- Melt 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Add 3 Tablespoons of flour and whisk until the consistency is that of a paste.
- Slowly add 1/2 cup half and half. Whisk until combined. Gradually add the remaining 1+ 1/2 cups until combined.
- Continue to heat, whisking occasionally for about 10 minutes to allow it to thicken.
- Remove from heat, combine with remaining ingredients, add to warm macaroni and bake.
Make-Ahead Method
The following make-ahead tips apply to both the Oven and Crock Pot:
- Cook the Pasta no more than Al Dente.
- Immediately rinse the cooked pasta with cold water to halt the cooking process and rid it of extra starch.
- Combine all remaining ingredients (minus the macaroni) in a saucepan and whisk together over medium heat until well-combined and smooth. Let it cool until it’s just warm to the touch.
- Combine the cooled macaroni and sauce.
- Store in the fridge for up to two days, covered.
- Add it to a casserole dish or Crock Pot and proceed as instructed. Note that you may have to cook it a tad longer since its starting off cold.
Crock Pot Method
- Boil the macaroni for 1-2 minutes less than instructed on package.
- Combine the melted/softened butter, half and half, eggs, sour cream, half and half, and salt/pepper/cayenne. Whisk until combined. It will be a little lumpy.
- Drain the pasta and return to the warm pot you boiled it in. Combine with the cream cheese, American Cheese, and cheddar.Add the creamy egg mixture and stir to combine.
- Transfer to a lightly greased Crock Pot.
- Heat over low heat for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. Then switch to warm until ready to serve.
Pro Tips
- You can also combine 1 cup of crushed Ritz crackers + 2 TBS Butter and bake that on top for the last 10 minutes.
- If you prefer not to use all 4 eggs, you can substitute 1/4 cup half and half for every egg that you choose to leave out.
Storage
- Let the mac and cheese cool and store it in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- This recipe doesn’t freeze well as the dairy tends to separate when reheated.
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Paula Deen's Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni, *Not a pound*
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened or melted. Equal to 1/2 stick.
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 8 oz. cheddar cheese, grated
- 13 slices American cheese, cut into cubes, Velveeta packaged slices work well. (equal to 8 oz.)
- 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
Instructions
- Note: The butter, half and half, sour cream, and cheeses should be close to room temperature prior to being added to the macaroni.
Oven Baked Method:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Boil the macaroni until al dente, according to package instructions.
- Combine the melted/softened butter, half and half, eggs, sour cream, and salt/pepper/cayenne. Whisk until combined. It will be a little lumpy.
- Drain the macaroni and return it to the warm pot you boiled it in. Add the cream cheese, cheddar, and American cheese. Use a silicone spatula and stir to combine.
- Add the creamy egg mixture and stir to combine. (Paula Deen pours it over the top of the cheesy macaroni once it's in the casserole dish, I like to mix with the macaroni first.)
- Transfer to a greased 9x13 casserole dish. Bake for 40-45 minutes.
- Let it stand for 10 minutes prior to serving.
Crock Pot Method:
- Cook the macaroni for 1-2 minutes less than instructed on package so the macaroni doesn't become mushy.
- Combine the melted/softened butter, half and half, eggs, sour cream, half and half, and salt/pepper/cayenne. Whisk until combined. It will be a little lumpy.
- Drain the macaroni and return it to the warm pot you boiled it in. Add the cream cheese, cheddar, and American cheese. Use a silicone spatula and stir to combine.
- Add the creamy egg mixture and stir to combine.
- Transfer to a lightly greased Crock Pot. Heat on low for 2-3 hours hours, then switch to warm, and serve! Stir occasionally as it cooks if you're able.
Notes
Make-Ahead Method For Baked OR Crock Pot Mac and Cheese:
- Cook the Pasta no more than Al Dente.
- Immediately rinse the cooked pasta with cold water to halt the cooking process and rid it of extra starch.
- Combine all remaining ingredients in a saucepan and whisk together over medium heat until well-combined and smooth. Let it cool until it's just warm to the touch.
- Combine the cooled macaroni and sauce.
Store in the fridge for up to two days, covered.
Using Eggs in Macaroni and Cheese
Southern-Style macaroni and cheese recipes such as this one typically call for using eggs. The purpose of the eggs is to create a custard-like consistency. This method is used instead of creating a roux. Be warned that some people love the eggs, and others aren't a fan of the texture. To skip the eggs and make this recipe with a roux:- Use an additional cup of half and half to make 2 cups total.
- Melt 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Add 3 Tablespoons of flour and whisk until the consistency is that of a paste.
- Slowly add 1/2 cup half and half. Whisk until combined. Gradually add the remaining 1+ 1/2 cups until combined.
- Continue to heat, whisking occasionally for about 10 minutes to allow it to thicken.
- Remove from heat, combine with remaining ingredients, add to warm macaroni and bake.
You can also combine 1 cup of crushed Ritz crackers + 2 TBS Butter and bake that on top for the last 10 minutes
If you don't have unsalted butter, you can use salted butter and skip the salting step.
Nutrition
Recipe Source: PaulaDeen
What about using margarine instead of butter?
Hi Alexis! I haven’t tried it before but I think you should be okay!
Delicious
So happy you enjoyed it Debbie! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review! -Stephanie
Made the crock pot version, tastes great!
YAAAYYY!! You made my day!! I’m so happy that you enjoyed it!!
This is the best mac & cheese recipe I have tried. I tweeked it a little (added 2 more cheeses and some crabmeat). Thank you!!
Hey Linda! I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, adding different cheeses sounds so good! I’m curious which cheeses you added! Crab meat definitely takes it up a notch too! Thanks so much for sharing how it came out, I love hearing that!! -Stephanie
Being a newbie I’m confused. After cooking the elbow macaroni, do you just mix everything together or do you heat and whisk certain ingredients together then add? I’m doing the crock pot version. Just licking the spoon after mixing -it tastes good so far.Thanks
You can mix everything together once the macaroni is cooked! 🙌🏻
How many does this serve?
Hey Erin! This makes 8 servings. I’m going to work on make some updates to the recipe card so that this is easier to see, the number is hiding in the top left of the recipe card at the moment. 🙂 -Stephanie
This is delicious, thanks for this recipe.
Hey Duane! I’m so happy to hear that, YAY! Thank you so much for taking the time to rate and leave a comment, I really appreciate it! -Stephanie
When are you supposed to add the 4 eggs?
Hi Diane, those get added when everything else does. You boil the macaroni and stir in all remaining ingredients.
Hi – I noticed that this recipe calls for 2 cups of dry elbow noodles when all other recipes call for 4 cups with generally the same proportions of the other ingredients. Is the 2 cups in this recipe correct and if I wanted to use the 4 cups or the 16 ounce box would I need to double the proportions of the other ingredients in this recipe? Thanks!
Hi Wesley, 2 cups of uncooked macaroni (as is indicated in this recipe), equals about 4 cups cooked and I think that’s where you may be getting confused. Use 2 cups dry in this recipe, cook it, and proceed as outlined 🙂
2 cups uncooked macaronis is incorrect! It should be 4 cups or a 1 lb package. 2 cups macaroni is not enough for all of this cheese sauce and doesn’t fill 1 inch of a small 9” x 7” baking pan! I cooked 2 more cups of macaroni and added it.
Hi Linda, here is the original source at PaulaDeen.com where you can verify that it indicates to use 2 cups of uncooked macaroni.
This is listed as 8 servings as a main dish. Do you think doubling the recipe is enough for 25 people as a side for Thanksgiving? It looks delicious!
Hi Katy, I would definitely triple it for 25 people! This is a great one for a crowd though! Enjoy!! -Stephanie
What about the cubed velvets cheese? The fake cheese slices freak me out so I’d like an alternative 😂
I’m going to double for a party- any other tweaks I should make outside of just straight doubling? I think I’d just cook an entire box and I’d be good on noodles…
You can absolutely substitute Velveeta cheese cubes! You got this! 🙌🏻