Many Northern macaroni-and-cheese recipes use a béchamel sauce to coat tender elbow noodles, but the only time most Southerners put flour in a skillet is to make gravy—certainly not for a white sauce for macaroni. Our recipes are often simple combinations of pasta, eggs, butter, milk, and cheese. My Aunt Lee often prepares this dish. When I asked her about her recipe, she replied, “I just mix it all up in the dish until it looks right.” I had to coax a little more instruction out of her to share it with you here.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4 to 6

　　1 tablespoon unsalted butter

　　2 cups elbow macaroni

　　2 cups whole milk

　　2 large eggs, lightly beaten

　　8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes (about 2 cups)

　　Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter an ovenproof casserole dish.

　　

Step 2

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until tender (a little more than al dente), about 12 minutes. Drain well in a colander.

　　

Step 3

In a large bowl, combine the drained macaroni, milk, eggs, and cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the prepared dish.

　　

Step 4

Bake until golden brown and bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes, or longer if you like a dark, chewy, cheesy topping. Transfer to a rack to cool slightly before serving.

　　From Bon Appétit, Y’all: Recipes and Stories From Three Generations of Southern Cooking, © 2008 by Virginia Willis. Reprinted by permission of Ten Speed Press. Buy the full book from Amazon or Abe Books.