225 reader-shared holiday recipes: Granny’s Mac and Cheese

Granny’s Mac & Cheese

Submitted by Carey Cole

Yield: 6-8 servings

“This is a very old school recipe that we still love today,” says Carey Cole, who speculates the original version of this macaroni and cheese has been in her family for about 100 years. “I grew up with this for holiday dinners, and after my grandmother passed, my mom still made it the same way. It is sentimental, traditional and ‘home’ to us. It brings us closer to my grandmother.”

16 oz. large elbow macaroni

½ stick unsalted butter, room temperature, divided

3 (8-oz.) blocks cheddar cheese, grated (use a mixture of mild and sharp)

1 cup half-and-half, room temperature

1 cup evaporated milk

½ tsp. Tony Chachere’s Cajun seasoning

Black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook pasta until al dente; drain. Pour hot pasta into a large mixing bowl. Stir in half of butter and ²⁄³ of grated cheese. Mix well.

In a separate bowl, combine half-and-half, evaporated milk and seasonings. Pour mixture over pasta, combining well.

Spray a 9 x 13-inch dish with cooking spray. Spread macaroni mixture evenly in dish, topping with remaining grated cheese. Dot remaining butter evenly across top. Cover tightly with foil sprayed with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove cover and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes until top is brown and bubbly. Let dish rest for 15 minutes before serving.

---

This article was originally published in the November 2026 issue of 225 Magazine.