Paula Deen's Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

I have a go-to recipe for mac & cheese, but I was watching Food Network one day during my maternity leave and saw Paula Deen make a crockpot mac & cheese that sounded easy and good. Unfortunately it wasn't really a crockpot meal since you had to stir the darn thing every once in awhile (not easy to do when your crockpot is at home and you're at work). Still wanting to try it, I made the sauce on the stovetop, added the cooked macaroni and my buttered breadcrumbs and baked it at 350 until the crumbs were toasty (recipe below).


It was bubbly, creamy and delicious, with a nice crunch from the toasted breadcrumbs:


I hate to admit it, but one of the reasons I think this recipe is so good is the cheddar soup. SP absolutely loved this version. In fact, we were fighting over the leftovers. Delicious and a little bit easier then my go-to method.

Creamy Macaroni and Cheese
Modified from Paula Deen

8oz uncooked elbow macaroni
6 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces (divided use)
2 1/2 cups (about 10 ounces) grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3-4 slices white bread, torn into pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a casserole dish. Boil the macaroni in a 2 quart saucepan in plenty of water until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain.

In a medium saucepan, mix 4 tablespoons butter and cheese. Stir constantly until the cheese melts. Add sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard and pepper and stir well. Then add drained macaroni and stir again. Pour into buttered casserole dish.

Add bread to food processor and pulse until you have coarse crumbs. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter and add to bread crumbs. Pulse to incorporate. Spread crumbs over the top of the mac & cheese and bake 30 minutes or until crumbs are toasted and the edges are bubbling.