Macaroni and cheese is the ultimate comfort food. Synonymous with soul food, it's part of the South’s culinary story. Creamy, rich, ooey-gooey, super cheesy, with those crispy browned cheese edges—no one can resist cooked mac 'n' cheese. Exceptional mac 'n' cheese makes noises after it leaves the oven, as if the ancestors are speaking to us through the squeaks and crackles of cooking.
This dish is far more than a simple side. In Southern households, for the most part, being the designated maker of macaroni and cheese is the pinnacle—the highest culinary accolade. There are rules of engagement and a distinct hierarchy when it comes to this dish. Who makes it, how it's made, and who's allowed to bring it to a gathering involves negotiation, tradition, and an understanding. Not just anybody is allowed to make mac 'n' cheese. If you're invited to someone's house, especially for a holiday, you can't just show up toting that casserole pan. You have to be assigned. You have to be appointed. You have to be anointed. When somebody can make mac 'n' cheese, you can't replace them or bring your own version. These truths may bring about discord in some households, but one fact remains: Macaroni and cheese is the most significant dish on the table.
Forget the rudimentary stuff sold in a box or a microwavable packet. Real mac 'n' cheese is always made from scratch and usually involves multiple kinds of cheese, secret touches (eggs, bay leaves or evaporated milk may be involved), and debates over toppings. Typically it's always baked. It's always a side dish, but it's the side dish of honor, present at every important occasion. In Southern families, you associate macaroni and cheese with collard greens, black-eyed peas, fried chicken, and potato salad—all celebration foods. If there's a cookout, somebody is making mac 'n' cheese. For Easter, there's the resurrection of Jesus served alongside mac 'n' cheese. Baptisms, funerals, baby showers, and graduations are not complete without it. And at Thanksgiving—the ultimate marathon of culinary expression and appreciation—macaroni and cheese is more important than the turkey.
Apple pie gets put atop the pedestal of American cuisine, but it's really macaroni and cheese that should hold that lofty perch. It's omnipresent on the kid's menu at restaurants and people are always trying to improve on it with luxe additions like truffles, bacon, or lobster for "grown up" mac 'n' cheese but little do they know, it's already older than your grandmother's grandmother. And in the South, one point is non-debatable: no one's macaroni and cheese is better than your grandmother's.
Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese
INGREDIENTS
- 8 oz girelle pasta
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 6 oz smoked gouda cheese shredded, rind removed
- 3 slices deluxe American cheese
- 1 tsp salt or more to taste
INGREDIENTS
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Boil water in a small/medium pot and cook macaroni pasta based on package instructions. When done drain water from pasta.
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Bring a medium/large pot to medium heat. Add butter and flour, then add heavy cream, milk and salt. Use a whisk to stir continuously to remove the grainy texture formed by the flour.
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Once it comes to a boil, turn off heat and add shredded gouda cheese and American cheese. Stir to incorporate cheese into sauce until cheese dissolves. If cheese sauce is too thick, add a tablespoon or two of milk and stir to thin it out.
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Taste, and add more salt if needed.
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Fold drained pasta into cheese sauce. Serve and enjoy!
