Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Where I grew up the standard macaroni and cheese was creamy, like the stuff that comes in a box. But my mom always made the custard version. Some places I've lived that was the usual kind and the creamy one was the oddity. Wherever you live, this is delicious! Make it plain or try one of the variations.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 1  lb macaroni
• 1  lb colby cheese, sliced (also known as Longhorn or Longhorn Colby)
• 3  cups milk
• 6  eggs
•  salt
•  fresh ground black pepper

Directions

1. Cook macaroni according to package directions but stop a minute or two short of fully cooked. Drain and rinse.
2. Grease or butter an 8x12 or 13x9 baking pan. (A half batch can be made in a 9 inch square pan).
3. Spread 1/3 of the macaroni in the pan. Top with 1/3 of the cheese slices. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Repeat twice, alternating the directions the slices run so as to fill all the gaps.
5. Beat eggs into the milk.
6. Pour into the casserole dish. You want this custard to come within about 1/2 inch of the top of the pan. The shape and size of the dish may require more or less -- just keep the proportion of 2 eggs per cup of milk.
7. Bake at 350°F for 60-90 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean of custard (it might be a bit cheesy).
8. Tip -- this is apt to overflow a little if you got the custard too far up to the top. Best to bake it on the upper rack with a baking sheet on the rack below to catch any drips.
9. Variations -- Add things like leftover cooked chicken or turkey, leftover ham, cooked broccoli, VERY well-drained frozen spinach, peas, ?.
10. You can also vary the cheese used. I've had it with cheddar, American, Swiss (extra good with ham and broccoli), and mozzarella.
11. You can also try adding different herbs. IMO, nothing wakes up bland food like a dash of sherry or a pinch of celery seed. A bit of garlic, thyme, or Italian seasoning can be good depending on the cheese used.