American · Salads & Sides

Grandma June Coffman’s Baked Mac & Cheese

Ceirra Flores

by Ceirra Flores

Local Pastures

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This recipe is close to my heart. It came from a woman I never met, but who helped shape the man I fell in love with — a reminder that food carries our stories, our memories, and our hearts to the table.


It’s everything mac & cheese should be: creamy, deeply cheesy, and comfortingly simple. Radiatori pasta soaks up a rich custard of Mill-King milk, Shirttail Creek eggs, and two kinds of Kettler’s cheddar — all baked until golden and bubbling. It’s the kind of dish that makes everyone pause for a second bite (and maybe one more after that). May it bring warmth, gratitude, and good company to your kitchen this Thanksgiving.

Tastes
Colors
Techniques
DietaryGluten-Free · Vegan · Soy-Free · Nut-Free · Allium-Free · Sesame-Free
Yield1 9x13-inch baking dish
Serves8 (1 cup)
TimeActive 20m · Inactive 45m · Total 1h 5m

Ingredients

4 cups Pasta
5 Tbsp Buttermelted, plus more for greasing baking dish
3 cups Milk
Large Eggs
½ tsp Kosher Saltplus more for salting the pasta water
Black Peppercorn, to tastecracked

Sourcing Tips

Come see us at Local Pastures to get all the ingredients listed below:

  1. My favorite kind of pasta to use for mac & cheese is the Radiatori pasta from Pasta 123! Whichever pasta you choose, make sure it has ample nooks and curves to hold the cheese.
  2. Butter and milk from Mill-King Market & Creamery.
  3. I love Kettler’s Raw Cheddar — I recommend using half white cheddar and half yellow cheddar!
  4. You could also substitute Caciotta Cheese from Lira Rossa in place of the cheddar.
  5. And of course, Shirttail Creek Farm!

Instructions

••
A: Preheat your oven to 350 °F.
B: Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside.
A: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
B: Add the pasta and cook until just al dente — about a minute shy of the package directions.
C: Drain well and set aside.
A: Grate both cheeses, setting aside 1 cup of cheddar for the topping.
A: Melt butter in a small saucepan.
B: In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, salt, and pepper.
A: Add melted butter, cheeses, and cooked pasta to the milk mixture. Stir until evenly coated.
B: Pour into the prepared baking dish and cover tightly with foil.
A: Bake 45 minutes covered, until the center is just set and the edges start to bubble.
B: Remove foil, sprinkle with the reserved cheddar, and bake another 15 minutes uncovered until golden and crusty on top.
A: Let the mac & cheese rest for at least 10 minutes before serving — it sets up beautifully and scoops like a dream.
Finished cooking?

Serving & Keeping

Serve: Hot
Make ahead: Assemble the casserole (unbaked), cover with foil, and refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temp 30 minutes before baking.
Keeps: Refrigerator: Up to 4 days, tightly covered. / Freezer: Up to 2 months, either before or after baking. Wrap in plastic and foil to prevent freezer burn. / To Reheat: Bake at 325°F until warmed through, or microwave individual portions 1–2 minutes.
Surplus Ingredients: Any leftover shredded cheese can go into omelets, breakfast tacos, or biscuits.
Serve with: A full Thanksgiving spread! Roasted turkey or honey-glazed ham, Green bean casserole or roasted Brussels sprouts, Granny Rae’s stuffing, Fresh cranberry sauce, Buttery dinner rolls, and Pecan or pumpkin pie for dessert