Layer it like a lasagna! Millie puts an entire layer of pure cheese in between two layers of (already cheesy) macaroni.

Drain under cool water to stop noodles from cooking any further. Boil it for too long and your baked macaroni will be mushy.

Make sure your pasta is super al dente.

Millie Peartree's baked mac & cheese is famous for a reason! Here are five major takeaways to help you nail it: Word of the dish spread like wildfire and the cooking technique was passed orally through the enslaved community, creating a staple for the African-American and southern dinner table. Hemings learned of the dish during his travels to Europe with Jefferson and produced the cheesy, savory side we all know and love. Although the dish has European roots, the version Americans are familiar with today can be attributed to James Hemings, President Thomas Jefferson's highly skilled enslaved chef. Let the mac and cheese sit for 5 minutes for the sauce set and cool slightly.Baked macaroni and cheese is a quintessential southern side dish. Turn the broiler on high and broil the mac and cheese until the cheese begins to brown all over, about 5 minutes.

Bake the mac and cheese until the cheese is melted and beginning to bubble around the edges, about 20 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 2 ounces of cheddar cheese, the mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese.

Pour the pasta and sauce into an 8-inch square baking dish with 2-inch-high sides (at this point, the pasta can be wrapped and refrigerated for up to 3 days).

Add the cooked pasta to the pot and gently fold to coat with the sauce, then season with 1 teaspoon salt.

Remove the pot from the heat and add the cheddar cheese mixture, a small handful at a time, whisking between each addition to make sure the cheese melts evenly (mix quickly enough that the mixture does not cool too rapidly, but slowly enough that the emulsion does not break).

Slowly drizzle the tempered egg back into the milk mixture, whisking vigorously until the egg is fully incorporated.

How to make mac n cheese in the oven