Pimento cheese and crackers meets hot and melty macaroni and cheese for a comfort food side dish you’ll swoon over! Perfect for tailgates, potlucks, weeknight dinners, even holidays, Southern Pimento Mac and Cheese is THE ultimate homemade macaroni and cheese recipe!
What happens when two southern classics collide? Magic! And what could be more magical than turning old fashioned pimento cheese into a cheesy sauce and baking it with tender pasta and a buttery cracker crust until it’s all hot and bubbly? Not much.
Here at The Cottage, we’re all about some pimento cheese, as you know from our BEST Jalapeno Pimento Cheese recipe, Southern Pimento Cheese Ball, Grilled Pimento Cheese Apple & Bacon Sandwich and Pimento Cheese Hash Brown Casserole.
But we’re also serious about some good macaroni and cheese, like our Ultimate Pepper Jack Mac & Cheese, Creamy Broccoli Mac & Cheese and the ever-fabulous Seafood Mac & Cheese.
So the idea of marrying these two classics only seems like naturally ah-mazing idea! And I just know you’re going to love it as much as we do. Because, loves, it’s gooood!
What To Serve with Southern Pimento Mac & Cheese
This mac and cheese is pretty satisfying and makes a great lunch all by itself. But as a side dish for dinner, it is crazy good with Crispy Southern Fried Chicken or Crispy Ranch Chicken Tenders and a green salad. Try it with Juicy Lucy Broiler Burgers or Sloppy Joe Sliders for a hot sandwich meal. It even rocks the Thanksgiving table as an amped version of your regular mac and cheese!
Ingredients & Recipe Overview
I’ll walk through an overview of ingredients & steps in these next sections along with helpful tips!
Look for specifics at the end of the post in the recipe card.
- elbow macaroni
- sharp cheddar cheese
- cream cheese
- diced pimentos
- sour cream
- whole milk
- chicken broth
- flour
- butter
- smoked paprika
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- salt & ground black pepper
- Ritz crackers
How To Make Pimento Macaroni & Cheese
Boil Pasta. In a large pot, boil pasta in chicken broth just until al dente. Reserve broth when draining the pasta and set both aside.
Make Pimento Cheese Sauce. Place saucepan back over medium heat. Melt butter and whisk in flour until there are no lumps. Whisk in the rest of the seasonings to make a paste of sorts.
Gradually whisk the milk into the paste until the paste mixture has dissolved and is fully incorporated. Add sour cream and pieces of cream cheese. Whisk until melted.
Gradually whisk in grated cheddar cheese. Continue to whisk until completely melted and smooth. Stir in ½ cup of the reserved chicken broth and the diced pimentos (undrained).
Assemble. Fold pasta into the cheese sauce. Add macaroni and cheese to a 3 quart baking dish or 9×13 casserole dish. Top evenly with crushed crackers. Drizzle melted butter across the cracker topping and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.
Serve. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Top with fresh or dried parsley for color, if desired.
Tips For the BEST Pimento Mac & Cheese
- Don’t let the ingredient list throw you off. This is a very easy recipe to make.
- Cooking the macaroni in chicken broth instead of water infuses the pasta with loads of flavor that is necessary for creating a strong, flavorful, savory dish. It really makes that much of a difference.
- Speaking of cooking the pasta, cook it just until al dente. It will continue to cook in the cheese sauce while baking in the oven. Boil the macaroni too soft in the beginning and it will be mushy in the end.
- If you want GOOD macaroni and cheese, you HAVE to grate your own cheese. It’s a must, and my Pepper Jack Mac & Cheese recipe explains why.
Storing, Freezing, Making Ahead
Store leftover Pimento Macaroni & Cheese in the refrigerator in an air tight container for 3-5 days.
To freeze this recipe, bake and then cool completely. Cover tightly and freeze for 2-3 months. To thaw, place in the refrigerator overnight, then warm covered with foil in a 350° oven until heated all way through.
To make ahead, boil pasta, make the cheese sauce and assemble the macaroni and cheese except the topping. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator overnight. To bake, sprinkle the cracker crust evenly over the top, drizzle with butter and then bake as the recipe says.
Other Side Dish Recipes to Enjoy
Southern Pimento Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 cups elbow macaroni
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 5 tablespoons butter (divided 3 tablespoon & 2 Tbsp)
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 cups whole milk
- ½ cup sour cream
- 4 ounces cream cheese, cut into pieces
- 8 ounce block sharp cheddar cheese (about 3 cups when grated)
- 7 ounce jar of diced pimentos
- 1 ⅓ cups crushed Ritz crackers
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- In a large saucepan, boil pasta in 4 cups of chicken broth just until al dente. Reserve broth when draining pasta. Set broth and pasta aside.
- Place saucepan back over medium heat. Melt 3 tablespoons butter and whisk in flour until there are no lumps. Whisk in the rest of the seasonings to make a paste.
- Gradually whisk the milk into the sauce pan with the paste until the paste has dissolved and is fully incorporated. Add sour cream and the pieces of cream cheese. Whisk until melted.
- Gradually whisk in grated cheddar cheese. Continue to whisk until completely melted and cheese sauce is smooth. Stir in ½ cup of the reserved chicken broth and the diced pimentos (undrained). Fold in pasta and fully coat with the cheese sauce.
- Add macaroni and cheese to a 3 quart or 9×13 casserole dish. Top evenly with crushed crackers. Drizzle the rest of the butter, melted, across the cracker topping and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the cracker crust is golden brown.
- Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Top with fresh or dried parsley for color, if desired.
Notes
- Cook the pasta just until al dente. It will continue to cook in the cheese sauce while baking in the oven. Boil the macaroni too soft in the beginning and it will be mushy in the end.
- If you want GOOD macaroni and cheese, you HAVE to grate your own cheese.
- Store leftover Pimento Macaroni & Cheese in the refrigerator in an air tight container for 3-5 days.
- To freeze this recipe, bake and then cool completely. Cover tightly and freeze for 2-3 months. To thaw, place in the refrigerator overnight, then warm covered with foil in a 350° oven until heated all way through.
- To make ahead, boil pasta, make the cheese sauce and assemble the macaroni and cheese except the topping. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator overnight. To bake, sprinkle the cracker crust evenly over the top, drizzle with butter and then bake as the recipe says.
Nutrition
Excited to see how it tastes. but not sure why the flour needed to be split; can’t see where that was going to go so I put it all in there. and when you say “rest of butter” for the ritz cracker topping, what do you mean? because I don’t see where any more can be. I
must’ve missed it. but it smells amazing.