🧀 Dolly Parton’s Creamy Southern Mac and Cheese
🌟 Introduction
There are few comfort foods as warm, familiar, and satisfying as a big bubbling dish of homemade macaroni and cheese. This Southern-style version associated with Dolly Parton and her sister Rachel Parton George takes that beloved classic and makes it especially rich and creamy.
What makes this recipe stand out is the combination of sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Velveeta, together with sour cream, milk, eggs, butter, and a touch of mustard powder. Rather than making a traditional flour-based cheese sauce, the ingredients are mixed together with partially cooked macaroni and baked until beautifully bubbly.
It is the kind of dish that belongs on a family dinner table, beside roasted chicken, barbecue, vegetables, or a holiday feast.
🛒 Ingredients
For the macaroni
- 2 cups elbow macaroni
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Water, for boiling
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
For the creamy cheese mixture
- 2½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2½ cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 8 ounces Velveeta, cut into small cubes
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
For the baking dish
- Butter, for greasing
🧀 Cheese Topping
Reserve approximately:
- ¼ cup shredded cheddar
- ¼ cup shredded Monterey Jack
These cheeses are sprinkled over the top before baking, creating a bubbly, golden finish.
🍽️ Equipment
You will need:
- Large pot
- Colander
- Large mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- 9 × 13-inch baking dish
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Cheese grater
👩🍳 Method
Step 1 — Prepare the oven
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Generously butter a 9 × 13-inch baking dish. Make sure the corners and sides are lightly coated so the macaroni doesn’t stick.
Step 2 — Cook the macaroni
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Add approximately 1 teaspoon of salt.
Add the elbow macaroni and cook it for 2–3 minutes less than the package instructions recommend.
The pasta should be slightly firm because it will continue cooking in the oven.
Important:
Don’t cook the macaroni until completely soft.
Don’t rinse it after draining.
Drain it thoroughly and return it to the warm pot.
Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and gently stir to prevent the noodles from sticking together.
🥛 Step 3 — Make the creamy mixture
In a large mixing bowl, add:
- Beaten eggs
- Room-temperature milk
- Sour cream
- Melted butter
- Mustard powder
Stir everything together until smooth and well combined.
The mustard powder isn’t there to make the macaroni taste strongly of mustard. Instead, it adds a subtle savory flavor that helps complement the cheese.
🧀 Step 4 — Add the cheeses
Add the cubed Velveeta.
Then add the shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack, reserving a little of each cheese for the topping.
Stir everything together.
The Velveeta helps create the particularly smooth, creamy consistency associated with this version, while the cheddar and Monterey Jack bring additional cheese flavor and meltability.
🍝 Step 5 — Add the macaroni
Add the partially cooked macaroni to the cheese mixture.
Gently fold everything together until every piece of pasta is coated.
Take your time with this step. You want the cheese mixture distributed throughout the macaroni rather than sitting only on the top.
🥘 Step 6 — Transfer to the baking dish
Pour the macaroni mixture into the buttered 9 × 13-inch baking dish.
Spread it evenly with a spoon or spatula.
Sprinkle the reserved cheddar and Monterey Jack over the entire surface.
🔥 Step 7 — Bake
Place the dish into your preheated oven.
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for approximately 20–25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, bubbling, and beginning to turn golden.
Don’t overbake it.
The goal is creamy macaroni underneath with a deliciously melted and lightly browned cheese topping.
⏰ Step 8 — Let it rest
This is an important step.
Remove the macaroni and cheese from the oven and let it rest for approximately 15–20 minutes.
The resting time allows the creamy mixture to settle and thicken slightly, making it easier to serve.
❤️ Formation of the Dish
The beauty of this macaroni and cheese comes from the way the ingredients work together.
The elbow macaroni provides the classic pasta base.
The cheddar contributes a bold, familiar cheese flavor.
The Monterey Jack gives the dish a smooth, mild, wonderfully melty character.
The Velveeta helps create an exceptionally creamy texture.
The sour cream adds richness and a gentle tang.
The milk and eggs help bind everything together as the dish bakes.
The butter adds richness, while the small amount of mustard powder gives the cheese flavor a little extra depth.
Together, these ingredients create a hearty baked macaroni and cheese that is creamy in the middle and golden and bubbly on top.
📖 A Little History
Dolly Parton and her sister Rachel Parton George published their family-inspired cookbook Good Lookin’ Cookin’: A Year of Meals – A Lifetime of Family, Friends, and Food in 2024.
The cookbook grew from their memories of growing up around Southern home cooking and family recipes. The sisters shared several recipes publicly while promoting the book, including this macaroni and cheese.
Their version reflects a very approachable style of Southern comfort cooking: familiar ingredients, generous portions, plenty of cheese, and food designed to be shared.
Dolly and Rachel specifically explained that they included Velveeta because it helps make their macaroni and cheese especially creamy.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Serve this macaroni and cheese hot alongside:
- 🍗 Fried chicken
- 🍖 Barbecue ribs
- 🥩 Roast beef
- 🍗 Baked chicken
- 🌽 Cornbread
- 🥬 Collard greens
- 🫘 Baked beans
- 🥔 Mashed potatoes
- 🥗 Green salad
- 🥦 Roasted vegetables
For a Southern-inspired family dinner, pair it with barbecue chicken, green beans, cornbread, and a sweet dessert.
💡 Helpful Cooking Tips
1. Don’t overcook the pasta
Remember that the macaroni continues cooking inside the oven. Slightly undercooking it before baking helps prevent mushy pasta.
2. Use freshly shredded cheese
Freshly shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack generally melt more smoothly than some pre-shredded cheeses.
3. Bring the milk to room temperature
Room-temperature milk blends more easily with the other ingredients.
4. Don’t skip the resting period
The macaroni may look very loose when it first comes out of the oven. Give it time to rest.
5. Don’t overbake
Overbaking can cause the finished dish to become dry. Take it out once the cheese is melted, bubbling, and lightly golden.
🧀 Why People Love It
❤️ It’s incredibly cheesy.
❤️ It’s creamy without requiring a traditional flour-and-butter roux.
❤️ The combination of three cheeses gives it plenty of flavor.
❤️ It’s easy enough for a family dinner.
❤️ It’s perfect for holidays and gatherings.
❤️ The baked top gives it a delicious contrast to the creamy interior.
❤️ It makes wonderful leftovers.
👨👩👧👦 Perfect for Family Gatherings
This is the kind of recipe that can easily become part of a family tradition.
Put the casserole dish in the middle of the table, let everyone serve themselves, and watch the creamy cheese stretch from the spoon to the plate.
It works beautifully for Sunday dinners, Thanksgiving, Christmas, potlucks, birthdays, reunions, and cozy weekend meals.
🌟 Conclusion
Dolly Parton’s style of macaroni and cheese is a wonderful example of comforting Southern-inspired home cooking.
With tender elbow macaroni, plenty of cheddar and Monterey Jack, creamy Velveeta, sour cream, milk, eggs, butter, and a touch of mustard powder, the finished dish is rich, creamy, cheesy, and satisfying.
The secret isn’t complicated technique. It’s simply using good ingredients, avoiding overcooking the pasta, baking everything until bubbly, and giving the finished dish enough time to rest.
Make a big pan, gather your family around the table, and enjoy every warm, cheesy bite. 🧀❤️
⭐ Final Recipe at a Glance
Prep time: About 20 minutes
Bake time: About 20–25 minutes
Resting time: 15–20 minutes
Servings: 6–8
Oven: 350°F / 175°C
Dish: 9 × 13-inch baking pan
The result: Creamy, cheesy, bubbly, golden Southern-style macaroni and cheese that’s made for sharing. ❤️🧀