Sweetpea's legendary mac and cheese.

This landmark recipe is not one of mine own, however, I did reverse engineer it. A few years back I watched an episode of 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives' (S03E02) where Guy visited a legendary spot called 'Sweetie Pie’s'. The owner, Miss Robbie, made her famous mac-and-cheese for the show, but wouldn't give up her exact measurements. She did, however, let the cameras "look over her shoulder" while she worked. After a lot of trial and error in my kitchen, this is now my gold standard. It’s pure Southern soul food comfort. BTW, in case you didn't know: Sweetpea/Miss Robbie Montgomery was an original Ikette with the Ike & Tina Turner Revue back in the 60s. LEGENDARY MACARONI AND CHEESE Macaroni and cheese has its roots in Italy, where pasta was first paired with cheese. The dish gained popularity in the U.S. after Thomas Jefferson brought a macaroni machine from Italy in the late 18th century. It evolved into comfort food, especially with the advent of Kraft Dinner in 1937, making it an affordable, quick meal during the Great Depression. Now, it’s a beloved dish with countless variations. Here’s a highly acclaimed recipe known for its rich, creamy texture and depth of flavor. It's an authentic homage to a certain “sweet” Southern lady. Ingredients: 1 lb box elbow Macaroni (cooked) ½ lb Colby Cheese (shredded) ½ lb Monterey Jack Cheese (shredded) ½ lb sharp Cheddar Cheese (shredded) 1 lb Velveeta Cheese (cut into small chunks) ½ lb shredded American Cheese (or one 8-oz bag of ¾ shredded cheese blend) 2 Eggs (beaten) 4 tablespoons Butter (cut into very small pieces) ½ cup Sour Cream 1 cup Whole Milk 1 tablespoon Sugar ¾ tsp (4.5g) Salt 1 tsp ground White Pepper ½ tsp Ground Mustard ¼ tsp Ground Nutmeg 1 cup buttered Breadcrumbs (optional) 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Parsley (optional for garnish) Instructions: Cook Macaroni: Cook macaroni in a large pot of boiling salted water until just al dente, according to package instructions. Drain and set aside. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Mix: Mix the cooked and drained macaroni with all other ingredients (except for the buttered breadcrumbs and parsley), stirring well to ensure all pieces are coated. Pour this mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with Breadcrumbs: Melt 2 tablespoons of butter (not listed in ingredients, but useful here) and mix with breadcrumbs. Sprinkle this over the macaroni. Add a little reserved shredded cheese on top for extra gooeyness. Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and bubbly. Garnish and Serve: Let it rest for a few minutes after baking, then garnish with fresh parsley if using. Serve hot. This is from a project of mine to restore these kinds of "lost" and forgotten Mom/family/heritage dishes (which I have compiled into a collection called 'The Lost Cookbook' (*https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FPGB18X4) and I wanted to share this specific one with you all because it’s too good to keep secret. The above recipe is verbatim from my book. submitted by /u/Old_Guitar_Player [link] [comments]