I have been making mac & cheese recipes for many years. I have two kids in their teens, and we have been through many recipes in the past decade. We have made everything from boxed mac & cheese to homemade, learning how to make a good roux years ago. However, we discovered this great recipe about a year ago and it is now our new go-to recipe!

Check out the recipe here: John Legend’s Macaroni and Cheese

We have our own slightly different version. After making the original version a few times, we made a few small changes, like including less egg and less seasoning.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 3 cups (3/4 pound) dry elbow macaroni
  • 2 (12-ounce) cans evaporated milk
  • 1/3 cup whole milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 cups (1 pound) sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • 2 cups (1/2 pound) Monterey Jack cheese, grated
  • 2 teaspoons salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.

Cook the macaroni according to the directions, but I like to make sure it is al dente, since it will be cooking for a while in the oven after.

While the pasta is cooking, mix the evaporated milk, whole milk, and eggs, then add in the salt and pepper. I mix these right in a large 4 cup measuring cup to make it easy to pour later.

When the pasta is done, drain and toss with the butter.

Combine cheddar and Jack cheeses in a container. We usually grate the cheese into a plastic tub so we can mix it easily without making a mess.

My tip for cheese: I find that blocks of a good quality cheese like Cabot cheddar are way better than pre-shredded cheeses and cheaper cheese. The pre-shredded cheeses have a lot of anti-caking agents in them, and cheaper cheeses tend to be very greasy. Even my 11-year-old can tell the difference when I have made mac & cheese with cheap cheese. These Cabot cheese blocks come in a variety of sizes so I buy the 1lb block for this recipe. We like regular Vermont Sharp, which is our favorite as far as specific sharpness. For the Monterey Jack, I do buy the pre-shredded.

Image source: https://www.cabotcheese.coop/product/sharp-cheddar-cheese/

Prepare your 9×13-inch baking pan. The original recipe suggests that you butter your pan, but I have not had issues with the mac & cheese sticking to it.

Spread 1/3 of the cooked macaron in the pan, cover with 1/3 of the cheese.

Repeat 2 more times with the remaining macaroni and cheeses.

Pour the milk/egg/pepper/salt mix evenly over the contents of the pan.

Bake 40-45 minutes uncovered, then let stand for 10-15 minutes.

Check out our other vegetarian recipes on the blog!

Marysa

About the Author: Marysa

Busy blogger and mom of two girls! We love traveling and the great outdoors, and are always looking for our next adventure!