Mary Mac’s Oven Baked Macaroni and Cheese
This Mary Mac’s Oven Baked Macaroni and Cheese is the perfect holiday comfort food. This beloved Atlanta restaurant is one that I CANNOT stop thinking about the delicious flavors! It’s cheesy, rich, and creamy – and such an easy recipe – that’s made without a roux, and would be perfect for all your holiday dinners!
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Recipe at a Glance
Mary Mac’s Oven Baked Mac & Cheese
We can’t all get to Atlanta – but we CAN all make the creamiest homemade oven-baked macaroni and cheese! This is a holiday FAVORITE with nearly 300,000 page views!
Total time: 45 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Best for: Holiday, Family Dinner
🔍 COPYCAT SECRETS UNCOVERED!
Don’t miss these tips to be sure your Mac & Cheese is identical to Mary Mac’s Tea Room:
- The Secret Ingredient
- The real secret to getting the delicious texture on this macaroni and cheese is the evaporated milk. Regular milk won’t give you the same texture. If you don’t have any evaporated milk you can use:
- heavy cream (1 cup for 1 cup)
- a combo of whole milk & half and half (1/2 cup of each = 1 cup EM)
- milk with butter added to to it (3/4 cup milk + 1/4 cup butter = 1 cup EM)
- The real secret to getting the delicious texture on this macaroni and cheese is the evaporated milk. Regular milk won’t give you the same texture. If you don’t have any evaporated milk you can use:
- Create Layers
- Don’t stir the dish up. Create layers because this will give you that classic baked casserole! Noodles, milk mixture, cheese, repeat!
- Finish with Paprika
- I never would’ve thought about adding paprika to my mac & cheese but now that I’ve tried it, I’m never going back!
Mary Mac’s Mac & Cheese Recipe Ingredients
Mary Mac’s is a staple in Atlanta and their dishes are simple, home-made and delicious. No fancy ingredients here – this is what you’ll need:
- Eggs
- Evaporated Milk – this is the secret!
- Salt & White Pepper
- Granulated Sugar
- Salted Butter
- Hot Sauce
- Cooked Elbow Pasta
- Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese – you can use any variety of cheddar you like – sharp cheddar is my favorite for mac & cheese
- I suggest you forgo the pre-shredded cheese and shred your own – I swear that you won’t regret it!
- Paprika
Supplies Used
- Rotary Cheese Grater – with all the cheese that we have to grate for the recipe, I recommend getting something like this rotary grater! it’ll save you time in the long run and freshly grated cheese is always a better taste and bang for your buck!
- Baking Dish – these dishes are perfect for making any casserole that you think of, especially this copycat macaroni and cheese!
How do you make homemade mac and cheese from scratch?
This easy oven baked macaroni and cheese isn’t a huge Pinterest hit for no reason! It’s super easy to make and perfect for the holidays! (And it goes great with the Mary Macs Tomato Casserole!)
- PREHEAT oven to 350º
- COOK macaroni according to package directions.
- SPRAY baking dish with non-stick spray
- TIP: I used 7″x9″ dish – feel free to double if you’re making for a crowd!
- IN LARGE BOWL, whisk the eggs. Add evaporated milk, salt, pepper, sugar, butter and hot sauce to eggs and whisk to combine.
- SPREAD half of cooked macaroni in the baking dish
- POUR half of the milk mixture on top of the noodles
- SPREAD half of the cheese sauce mixture on top.
- REPEAT the layers of noodles, milk and cheese – ending with the cheese.
- SPRINKLE paprika over the cheese and bake at 350º for 35 minutes until set.
FAQs
- Can I make this ahead of time? Yes, assemble the dish, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to a day. You might need to add a few extra minutes to the back time because it’ll be cold.
- Can I freeze this baked mac and cheese? You can, but since this is made with an egg-based mixture rather than a roux it’ll be a little softer once it thaws.
- Why is my mac and cheese watery? Usually this means that your dish needs more time in the oven. The egg and the evaporated milk mixture needs to fully set so make sure that you don’t pull it out too early.
- How do you store and reheat leftover macaroni & cheese? Store leftovers in an airtight container (I like these glass storage ones) in the fridge for up to a week. You can also store in the freezer up to three months. Reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Mary Mac’s Tea Room Recipes
I’ve fallen in love with my cookbook and have learned so many new recipes – the #1 is Mary Mac’s Tomato Pie recipe. My personal favorite was their Chicken Fried Chicken though – it’s so delicious! And you can’t go wrong with homemade fresh creamed corn – you’ll never eat the canned again.
What goes with Oven Baked Macaroni and Cheese?
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Copycat Mary Mac’s Tea Room Oven Baked Macaroni & Cheese
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups evaporated milk
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp salted butter melted
- 1 tsp hot sauce
- 1/2 pound cooked elbow macaroni
- 2 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/4 tsp paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350
- Spray square baking dish with non-stick spray
- In large bowl, whisk the eggs.
- Add evaporated milk, salt, pepper, sugar, butter and hot sauce to eggs and whisk
- Spread half of macaroni in the baking dish
- Pour half of the milk mixture on top of the noodles
- Spread half of the cheese mixture on top.
- Repeat the layers of noodles, milk and cheese – ending with the cheese.
- Sprinkle paprika over the cheese
- Bake for 35 minutes until set.
That looks fabulous!!
Would using a full box be too much for this specific recipe or do I need to double it?
If using a whole pound – double the recipe
Any chance you could put how many CUPS of uncooked macaroni? Do we cook the whole box, then pull out a half pound? Why can’t you put the number of cups rather than pounds? I have dyslexia and using such a mixture of measurements is difficult, even with a conversion chart.
half of a 16 oz box
If I make this ahead of time would it still be good if I reheat in oven? Or just make it then serve right away?
I think it’s best served right away – but you can definitely reheat – i would be sure to cover it on reheat with foil so it doesn’t dry out
1 lb of macaroni is 4 cups so half a pound would be 2 cups for this recipe.
Hi, sorry if I’m asking a silly question but do I use a box/package of noodles? What size ?
most macaroni comes in a 1 lb box – so this recipe is for 1/2 box
Did this recipe curdle? In a couple of your pictures it looks like it might have. I used to be able to make the best baked mac n cheese but now mine always curdles. Thank you.
Nope…it definitely wasn’t a “creamy” mac & cheese (i have a recipe for that for the stovetop) but it was tasty!
Can I make a day ahead… refrigerate and then bake the next day?
Yes definitely. The only thing to be aware of is that the noodles may absorb some of the liquid overnight and not be as firm.
Made this once already….yummy! Making tonight again….doubled both times….my new “go too” recipe!
Nice!!!!
If I double the recipe and cook the whole 16 oz box of macaroni, would a 9 X 13 pan work..?
Yes!
taste was good, but did not have as much sauce as the picture shows. Was a little dry. I used 8oz of cooked noodles.
Favorite Mac and cheese recipe. More flavor than most Mac and cheese. Recipe is easy to follow and tastes great!
Thanks so much – glad you loved it!
It’s a big ol five for us!!! My husband is from Atlanta, and when we discovered Mary Mac’s in ATL our lives were forever changed. We live in CO, so being able to have that AMAZING Mac at home is a game changer! This recipe is so spot on, thank you so much!!
Glad you love it!!!
This looks delicious! Do you cook covered or uncovered?
Uncovered!
Soooo good! Excellent recipe – no modifications needed. The evaporated milk is key, just like you mentioned. This will be my ‘go to’ Mac ‘n Cheese recipe!
I have been looking for my mother’s macaroni and cheese recipe. I hope this is it! I remember her using canned condensed milk. Do the edges get crunchy? My favorite part of my moms recipe!
yup! hope you like it!
This is my new go to mac and cheese recipe. We love Mary Mac’s Tea Room so this, I had to try!
I did double the recipe because I served it on Christmas. For this reason, I substituted one cup of shredded Velveeta cheese to help add some creaminess. Most recipes I have tried haven’t had the creamy consistency I wanted. Added the Velveeta was perfect. I also used sharp cheddar cheese. I love. love, love this recipe.
So glad you loved it!!!!
i am confused. what does “cheese mixture ” include?
just the cheese
Hi I can’t wait to make this tonight. I see something green sprinkled on top but I do not see it on the recipe. Is that parsley, oregano flakes, dill or what? Thank you!
Just parsley!
Do I double the eggs for a pound? Six eggs seems like a lot.
sorry for delay – but if you’re doubling recipe – then double everything
The 1st time I made it, I followed the recipe exactly and it was delicious! Today, I used the basic recipe and added a few things. I used the sharp cheddar, and added parmesan and sour cream. I also added some freshly grated nutmeg. It’s FANTASTIC!! Thanks for sharing Mary Mac’s recipe.
One of my favorite Mac n Cheese recipes. Only one egg was needed . It didn’t taste as good when I used three eggs.
Cans of evaporated milk are 12 oz., 1 1/2 cups. To avoid opening two cans for the extra 1/2 cup, can I make up the difference with 1/2 cup of plain milk?
I would sub the extra 1/2 cup with cream not milk
I’m going to make tonight I was wondering about subbing sour cream for the other 1/2 cup of evaporated milk?
I think you’re better off using milk/cream/half & half – vs sour cream – not sure the sour part will be so great – but you gotta do what you gotta do!
I am 60 ish and this taste just like my grandma’s Mac and cheese! The memories are flowing with just one bite! Thank you.
aw – i love that!!!