Sweetie Pie's Taste-Alike Mac and Cheese Recipe

Robbie Montgomery has been cooking up soul food in St. Louis since 1997. If there's one dish you can't miss when you make a visit to Sweetie Pie's, her soul food spot, it's the mac and cheese. Montgomery has been whipping it up for at least 40 years, and she's been showcased on several television shows, including her own, Welcome to Sweetie Pie's on the OWN network. On an episode of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives, Montgomery talked Guy Fieri through the mac and cheese recipe, which is when we learned that sour cream and Velveeta cheese are her two secret ingredients. Want to make Sweetie Pie's mac and cheese at home? If you're not near the Sweetie Pie's St. Louis or Houston locations, you can try to re-create it your own kitchen. As far as we can tell, this is the best taste-alike recipe out there for the much-loved dish.

Sweetie Pie's Taste-Alike Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

1 lb. cooked elbow macaroni pasta
1 cup whole milk
2 x 12-oz. cans evaporated milk
3 eggs
2 sticks butter, cubed
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 lb. Colby cheese, shredded
1/2 lb. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/2 lb. sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 lb. Velveeta cheese, cubed
Salt, to taste
1 Tbsp. white pepper
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 cup mild Cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Pour pasta into a 9-by-13 inch casserole dish, and set aside.
3. Combine whole milk, evaporated milk, and eggs in a large bowl. Stir thoroughly.
4. Add butter, sour cream, Colby cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, sharp Cheddar cheese, and Velveeta cheese to the milk and egg mixture. Mix well.
5. Pour the milk, egg, and cheese mixture evenly over the pasta.
6. Sprinkle the pasta with salt, white pepper, and sugar to season. Stir or toss pasta to distribute.
7. For a cheesy top layer, sprinkle the pasta with the remaining cup of shredded Cheddar cheese.
8. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes. You'll know it's ready when the top is browned and the corners are crispy.

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Let us know if you try this recipe and if you make any substitutions or additions. We're constantly craving Sweetie Pie's macaroni and cheese, and we would love to make a visit to St. Louis or Houston for the real thing!