Save your future self some time and prep this macaroni ahead. Let it cool! Allowing the mac and cheese time to cool will help the custard set.Use whatever noodles you have on hand or go with a fun new pasta shape. If you don’t like sharp cheese please feel free to use mild or any other cheese you like. Getting your noodles cool to the touch will also ensure that the beaten eggs don't turn into scrambled eggs when you add your custard to the noodles. Feel free to use cream, half and half, or evaporated milk for even creamier mac, depending on how rich you want your mac and cheese to be. Don't skip the eggs! Whisking together eggs and milk and pouring it over the mac & cheese will make it extra creamy, saucy, and decadent. Layer it like a lasagna! Millie puts an entire layer of pure cheese in between two layers of (already cheesy) macaroni.Drain under cool water to stop noodles from cooking any further. Boil it for too long and your baked macaroni will be mushy. Make sure your pasta is super al dente.Millie Peartree's baked mac & cheese is famous for a reason! Here are five major takeaways to help you nail it:

Word of the dish spread like wildfire and the cooking technique was passed orally through the enslaved community, creating a staple for the African-American and southern dinner table. Hemings learned of the dish during his travels to Europe with Jefferson and produced the cheesy, savory side we all know and love. Although the dish has European roots, the version Americans are familiar with today can be attributed to James Hemings, President Thomas Jefferson's highly skilled enslaved chef. Baked macaroni and cheese is a quintessential southern side dish.

Large mac and cheese noodles