Old-Fashioned Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Two weeks after the Fourth of July and I have been at the Clarke house two more times, which is approximately the pace Tyler and I have settled into: one weekend at his family, one weekend in Prattville with me, alternating. He comes here and I cook and he sits at my kitchen table the way he does now, which is easy and permanent-feeling, and he goes home Sunday evening and calls on the drive. I go there and Debbie feeds us and Roy tells me about cars and the brothers are loud and I feel, every single time, the specific pleasure of being expected somewhere.

I have been learning Debbie's recipes. She has offered freely and without reservation and I have been receiving everything with the same attention I gave Gloria's index cards when I was fifteen and trying to understand what made her food taste the way it did. Debbie's recipes are different in specifics but the same in spirit: generous, made for groups, made with love in the pragmatic unsentimental way of people who cook for six every night of the week and mean it.

Her squash casserole is my current project. Yellow squash and onion, sauteed until soft, mixed with cream of chicken soup and sour cream and Velveeta, baked under a Ritz cracker topping until golden and bubbling. It is not a thing I would have made a year ago and it is deeply, unreservedly delicious in a way that does not require defending. I made it Saturday to bring to Sunday dinner and Debbie said: you made my squash casserole. I said I tried. She said you got it right. Tyler looked at me and grinned.

Debbie’s cooking has been teaching me something I didn’t know I needed to learn: that some recipes don’t require defending, only making. The squash casserole was my first lesson in that, and this old-fashioned baked macaroni and cheese belongs in exactly the same category — the kind of dish that feeds six without apology and tastes like someone meant it. I started making it on the alternating weekends when I’m cooking for Tyler at my place, and it has become one of those things he now expects to find, which is its own kind of compliment.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 40 minutes | Total Time: 55 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 lb elbow macaroni
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk, warmed
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
1 cup Velveeta, cubed
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup Ritz crackers, crushed (about 20 crackers)
2 tablespoons butter, melted (for topping)

Instructions

Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni according to package directions until just al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain and set aside. Do not rinse.
Make the cheese sauce. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes until the mixture is pale golden and smells nutty. Gradually pour in the warm milk, whisking continuously to prevent lumps.
Add the cheese. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring, until the sauce thickens, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Velveeta cubes and 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheddar until fully melted and smooth. Stir in sour cream, dry mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
Temper the eggs. Slowly whisk about 1/2 cup of the hot cheese sauce into the beaten eggs to temper them, then stir the egg mixture back into the saucepan. This keeps the eggs from scrambling when the casserole bakes.
Combine and transfer. Preheat oven to 350°F. Fold the drained macaroni into the cheese sauce until evenly coated. Pour into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish and spread in an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheddar over the top.
Make the cracker topping. Stir crushed Ritz crackers together with 2 tablespoons melted butter until combined. Scatter evenly over the top of the casserole. Dust with paprika.
Bake. Bake uncovered at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is deep golden and the edges are bubbling. Let rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Old-Fashioned Baked Macaroni and Cheese — The Casserole That Felt Like Being Expected