My favorite type of recipe is one you know so well you can improvise a little. I feel like that about squash casserole. I can't even remember how many times I've made it, but I do know I don't need a recipe because I know all the ingredients and basic quantities. I was making one last weekend and decided to use Banner Butter, an local Atlanta favorite, for some added flavor. I was hoping it would be good, and I wrote down the ingredients just in case. It was a major hit with the family, and also makes perfect leftovers, so try it this holiday season.
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Mary Mac's Tea Room's Macaroni & Cheese
For Beacham & Company's Thanksgiving this year I decided to make Mac and Cheese. That was my favorite thing my grandmother Ada made, and I loved how she would burn the noodles on top to make it extra crispy. I do not have her exact recipe, but this one from Mary Mac's Tea Room (Atlanta's most famous soul food restaurant), looked mighty close. It had fantastic flavor! I used large elbow noodles just to make it a little different, and I loved the end result. The recipe came from Mary Mac's Cookbook, which I think is fantastic!
Mary Mac's Mac and Cheese
- Serves 4-6
- Preheat oven to 350
- Active time 20 min, Total time 60 min
- From the book Mary Mac's Tea Room
- 3 large eggs
- 2 Cups evaporated milk
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1/2 pound elbow macaroni, cooked according to package directions and drained
- 2 cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- Butter an 8x8 inch baking dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until light yellow.
- Add the evaporated milk, salt, white pepper, sugar, melted butter, and hot sauce.
- Layer half the macaroni, half the milk mixture, and half of the cheese in the baking dish.
- Repeat the procedure, ending with the cheese.
- Sprinkle the paprika over the cheese.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until set.
This would be perfect for Thanksgiving, so feel free to pin these images!
Have a great day!
The Best Mexican Restaurants in Atlanta
Back in college I had a fairly severe addiction to Mexican food. When hangovers were more frequent and less crippling, responsibility nonexistent, and extra weight less likely to cling on for a lifetime, my BFF and I would spend our afternoons at La Parrilla in Athens drinking mugs of Miller Lite, snacking on a bowl of bean dip (hot cheese poured over refried beans), and browsing the latest People or Us Weekly. The servers knew our names, our orders, and our propensity to say yes to another round. They knew we wanted taco salads either with or without cheese depending on whether or not we were on Weight Watchers that day.
One day, during what you could call either the high or low point of our college career, we went to La Parilla twice. Lunch and Dinner. It was that day we realized we had an actual addiction.
I've had this post rattling around in my head for a while and been avoiding writing it because people are PASSIONATE about their Mexican food. Guaranteed someone's going to get mad about my choices, but they're mine and that's that. If you would like to voice your opinion in the comment section I encourage you to do so. ;)
I grade Mexican Restaurants on the things I enjoy: overall vibe, salsa, cheese dip, guac, margs, salsa, taco salads, tacos, and fajitas. Enjoy.
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