Black Folks Baked Mac and Cheese | What Makes Soul Food Mac Different?

Black folks’ baked mac and cheese is a soul food classic. Creamy, custard-style, and baked until golden on top. In this episode of The Soul Food Pod, host Shaunda Necole shares the story behind her most beloved Southern baked macaroni and cheese recipe.

How do you make Southern baked mac and cheese the Black way?

On this episode of The Soul Food Pod, host Shaunda Necole sits down with her best friend Teresa Pooler to tell the story of their early cooking days, when they were young adults on a mission to find the ultimate recipe for soul food baked mac and cheese.

From cookouts to church dinners to potlucks, Shaunda and Teresa share the hilarious journey that led them to rate and compare every pan of mac and cheese they could get their hands on. Along the way, they discovered what truly makes Black folks’ baked mac and cheese different: soulful seasoning, a creamy custard-style base, and baking it until the top turns beautifully golden.

In this episode, you’ll also hear the rich culinary history behind the dish, including the legacy of James Hemings, the African American chef credited with introducing macaroni and cheese to American cuisine.

Whether you’re cooking for Sunday dinner, a holiday gathering, or the next family cookout, this episode shares the stories, traditions, and techniques behind one of the most beloved dishes in soul food culture.

Southern baked mac and cheese — the Black way — is made from scratch using elbow macaroni boiled in milk, a homemade roux, soulful seasonings like garlic, onion, paprika, and mustard powder, and a blend of cheeses such as sharp cheddar and Colby Jack.

The dish is baked until creamy in the center and golden around the edges. The kind of mac and cheese that slices beautifully and always disappears first at the table.

• The story behind Shaunda and Teresa’s mission to find the ultimate mac and cheese recipe
• Tips for building flavor with the right cheeses and soul food seasonings
• Why baked mac and cheese is a cornerstone of soul food cooking
• The history of macaroni pie and Chef James Hemings
• The cultural importance of mac and cheese in African American food traditions
• What to serve with baked soul food mac and cheese

🥄 Cook this recipe:
Black folks’ soul food baked macaroni and cheese recipe
https://thesoulfoodpot.com/baked-mac-and-cheese/

Episode recap and show notes
https://thesoulfoodpot.com/thesoulfoodpod-ep-9-southern-mac-and-cheese/

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