77 Best Soul Food Recipes For Black History Month Food & Facts
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Why is Southern baked mac and cheese so important to Black History Month?
Baked mac and cheese is just one of the many soul food cuisines turned American dishes. And this yummy dish has a really old history.
Like the original recipe, soul food baked mac and cheese is made with milk for a rich and creamy homemade cheese sauce and yummy Southern spices. Southern comfort food the Black folks’ way!
Soul food best recipes for Black History Month – Many people associate soul food with Southern comfort food and the South.
But soul food goes way beyond Southern cooking.
Nội Dung Chính
What makes soul food soul food?
What makes a dish authentic soul food?
‘Soul’ is the word used to describe the swag and unique style of African-American cuisine. You know. The flavor.
African American food culture
Soul foods are hearty homecooked meals which you can point out by dishes with plenty of seasoning and rich with flavor!
What do you eat in Black History Month?
You can enjoy notable recipes like collard greens, cornbread, baked macaroni and cheese, chicken and dressing, sweet potato pie, and banana pudding – just to name a few soul foods menu favorites.
These recipes are part of the authentic soul food family. Recipes passed along through generations and a legacy of African Americans. Black folks’ food!
Best Black History Month soul food recipes
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What is Black folks’ food?
Black folks’ food is a legacy of how African-Americans make soul food.
People have asked me, “Why do you call it Black folks food?”
Because these are Black folks’ recipes. And I’m so proud to share them!
I’m deliberate and intentional about giving credit to our community of talented chefs, cooks, and creators.
No more apologizing or hiding our Blackness and its beauty.
My mission is to remain standing on the right side of history. Doing my part to honor the ancestors as one of the gatekeepers protecting the legacies of African-American culture.
With my hand on the sacred urn of tradition, vowing to protect and preserve Black culture and generations of blessed soul food recipes.
And the fun part of all of this?
Every time you make and share Black folks’ food. You stand with the ancestors, too!
“I am using my platform to draw attention to Black excellence.”
— Toni Tipton-Martin (High On The Hog, Netflix history of soul food)
What’s the difference between Southern food, soul food & Black folks’ food?
Soul food often gets lost in translation and grouped in with Southern food.
While most soul food is Southern. Not all Southern food is soul food.
That’s why it’s important to distinguish when a recipe or dish is Black folks’ food – made the African-American way.
Black folks’ soul food recipes represent Black culture
A perfect example of soul food is a Black folks’ fried chicken recipe.
Chicken, especially fried chicken, is a food that’s been thrown on the doorsteps of Black people as a way to identify us.
But, of course, you know, African Americans didn’t invent the chicken, LOL! We just perfected seasoning it!
There’s no denying that chicken with a balance of seasoned tender meat on the inside and flavorful skin on the outside is a soul food specialty.
A legacy of making it this way. Recipes handed down from generation to generation. That’s Black folks’ food.
Ready to take your recipes beyond Southern?
Then start here!
You’re in the right place for the best Black folks’ food and recipes!
Black soul food recipes
These are my family’s classic soul food recipes (Black folks’ food) and African-American cuisine – and I’m so proud of these recipes!
Southern comfort food, soul food dishes seasoned with buttery-rich flavors.
Thanks to Instant Pot, most of these recipes are made to order in a fraction of the traditional time. Now easy enough for anyone to make and everyone to love!
Soul Food Recipes + Instant Pot = MAGIC!
“The entire passion that I have about this is to use food as a tool to elevate the conversation about what it means to be African-American and to cook African American food… It’s a celebration. We’re celebrating our food!”
—Toni Tipton-Martin (High On The Hog, Netflix history of soul food)
Instant Pot For Beginners
Instant Pot for beginners feeling not so hip to the lingo, terms and tips – I’m cracking the PC (pressure cooker) code w/ a glossary of terms
Check out this recipe!
How do you make soul food?
I do 97% of my cooking in my Instant Pots!
Instant Pot pressure cooking is a much healthier way to prepare traditional Southern soul food.
The shorter cooking times lend to better preservation of vitamins and minerals while intensifying each recipe’s soulful flavors and enhancing the texture and taste. Yum!
Here, you’ll enjoy a variety of tasty soul food dinners and dessert recipes that cut down your cooking time without compromising the authenticity and mouth-watering flavors.
You can start here for contemporary soul food made with Instant Pot.
These are quick & easy recipes for a busy household – magical meals in minutes. One-pot… straight to plate!
77 best Black folks’ soul food recipes for Black History Month
“Food for the body is not enough. There must be food for the soul.”
So plan your next meal with these best Black folks’ food recipes!
What is traditional food for Black people?
These recipes! My best examples of Black folks’ soul food recipes for Black History Month.
Soul food menu list
Black Folks Soul Food Southern Deviled Eggs
Black folks’ soul food Southern deviled eggs start as hard-boiled eggs mashed. Then they’re seasoned to perfection and stuffed back into the egg whites for a delicious and flavorful snack!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Southern Potato Salad Recipe
Black folks Southern potato salad recipe is a must-have for any African American cookout, family reunion, picnic, or potluck! It’s a creamy yet tangy dressing balanced by soul food seasonings and flavors. AKA Black cookout potato salad!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Soul Food Southern Coleslaw Recipe
How do Black people make coleslaw?
With lots of flavor!
Black folks’ soul food Southern coleslaw is a classic recipe perfect for pairing with smokey BBQ meats and a great accompaniment with a pulled pork sandwich.
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Soul Food Macaroni Salad
How do you make Black macaroni salad?
Black folks soul food macaroni salad includes flavorful ingredients like sweet carrots, savory onions, and celery. Plus, mayo, mustard, and seasonings that pack a delicious punch like thyme, celery salt, and cayenne pepper for a tiny touch of sweet heat!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Southern Sweet Tea
Southern sweet tea is a delicious blend of refreshingly sweet and tangy flavors. (Mostly sweet flavors when it comes to making Black folks Southern sweet tea!)
But sweet ice tea is more than just a thirst-quenching beverage – it’s a symbol of Southern hospitality and good company, and it’s enjoyed throughout the deep South all year.
“All that sweet tea and cobbler!”
Check out this recipe!
Juneteenth Southern Hibiscus Sweet Tea
What is the official drink of Juneteenth?
Southern hibiscus sweet tea. It’s a delicious red drink, and hibiscus flowers are native to West Africa. So, hibiscus tea has been part of Black culture since the beginning!
Check out this recipe!
Southern Soul Food Pig Pickin Cake
What is a Southern soul food pig pickin cake?
It’s a homemade, moist yellow cake with whipped pineapple frosting, vanilla pudding & sweet mandarin oranges baked in. Pig pikckin is a one-of-a-kind cake as unique as its name and the official dessert of Southern pig roasts and pig pickins!
Check out this recipe!
Soul Food Apple Pie Recipe
What makes this apple pie a Black folks’ soul food specialty?
The flavor! This soul food apple pie recipe features fresh apples sweetened with brown sugar and spiced with a blend of cinnamon and nutmeg.
Seasoned to perfection, the apples are roasted and then baked in the pie to leave you reminiscing on the best Southern dinners!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Southern Soul Food Carrot Cake Recipe
Soul food carrot cake is a Southern dessert specialty enjoyed by many African-American families as a sweet holiday tradition.
Black folks tend to make a more spiced carrot cake with classic homemade cream cheese frosting.
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Southern Bread Pudding
Are you looking for an old-fashioned Southern bread pudding or a soul food African American beading pudding recipe?
Then look no further than this Black folks’ Southern bread pudding – your go-to recipe!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Soul Food Southern Smothered Chicken
What makes a delicious soul food smothered chicken recipe?
Tender, juicy chicken seasoned with soul food spices and smothered in a flavorful, creamy gravy medley. That’s Southern comfort food at its finest!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Southern Chicken Spaghetti
Soul food goes beyond Southern. It’s rich with flavor and plenty of seasoning! Southern chicken spaghetti is a wonderful example of a Southern soul food dish!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Soul Food Chicken Yock Recipe (Yock-A-Mein)
Chicken yock is a big bowl of comfort. In a warm, flavorful broth, soul food and Chinese food combine for tender chicken and noodles. This dish is also known as Old Sober, yak, yok, yock-a-mein (yaka mein), or simply Chinese yock.
Check out this recipe!
Soul Food Southern Pasta with Italian Dressing
Soul food Southern pasta with Italian dressing and savory shrimp is a Black folks’ creative way to make a flavorful soul food pasta dish you’ve come to expect from your favorite African American cookouts and family gatherings!
Check out this recipe!
Soul Food Southern Mac And Cheese
African American grandmas and moms have been producing great pots of soul food Southern mac and cheese for years!
It just might’ve gotten lost how impactful this recipe is to the Black community.
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Soul Food Homemade Eggnog
Creamy and sweet, Black folks’ homemade eggnog has a flavor profile that resembles cinnamon, coconut, and rum. Southern comfort spice eggnog and soul food at its finest!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Hennessy & Puerto Rican Eggnog (Hennessy Coquito)
A creamy, exotic, and delectable drink awaits you!
Step up your cocktail game with this beverage that features a creamy texture and a rich flavor profile. Perfect for impressing your guests. Hennessy coquito will add soulful swag to any event or occasion!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Soul Food Red Beans And Rice
Experience the rich taste of soul food by way of a simple yet flavorful staple dish. Black folks’ soul food red beans and rice. A dish that will make your mouth water when you smell the aroma of savory seasonings and spices as the red kidney beans soak in the rich flavors of this dish!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Pork Jowl Bacon In The Air Fryer
Pork jowl or hog jowl is a Black Folks soul food staple served on New Year’s Day with black-eyed peas, cornbread & collard greens.
This recipe is a contemporary soul food recipe for pork jowl. A new twist on an old classic, cooked quicker, easier, and still to perfection in the air fryer!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Southern Soul Food Meatloaf Recipe
A Black folks’ Southern soul food meatloaf recipe is on the shortlist of official comfort foods of the South. A flavorful all-time favorite & classic meatloaf recipe!
Check out this recipe!
Southern Soul Food Corned Beef And Cabbage
Southern soul food corned beef and cabbage is pressure-cooked & enriched with intense flavor. Tender seasoned meat with buttery rich cabbage is a Southern comfort food favorite!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Southern Pecan Pie Recipe
Black folks’ Southern pecan pie recipe is an old-fashioned African American soul food classic that yields an abundance of sweet flavor with each bite.
Brown sugar is combined with a syrupy pecan filling, caramelized, and then baked.
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Soul Food Lamb Chops
Black folks’ soul food lamb chops is a rack of lamb seasoned with rosemary and slathered with olive oil to quickly air fryer cook to soul food perfection!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Chicken Salad Recipe
Are you craving the perfect chicken salad?
Black folks’ chicken salad goes beyond the mayo and chicken chunks! It’s packed with flavor and just the right amount of savory, sweet, and crunch.
Check out this recipe!
Soul Food Almond Flour Pie Crust
What’s the story of soul food and almond flour pie crust?
Almond flour has a Black folks’ history and soul food legacy.
Black cooks in the South used to bake with almond flour because they didn’t have access to traditional flour. The result was a moister, richer, and softer baked good!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Southern Soul Food Black Eyed Peas
Soul food Southern black eyed peas are intensely flavored in a thick sauce with smokey & spicy seasonings. Warm, comforting, & flavorful good luck you can eat for prosperity in the New Year!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Southern Soul Food Baked Beans
What can you add to baked beans for flavor?
The answer is in this Southern soul food baked beans recipe!
Because the main difference between delicious soul food baked beans and mediocre baked beans is the preparation and seasoning.
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Soul Food Air Fryer Southern Fried Chicken
Do air fryers work for soul food Southern fried chicken?
Yes, and you won’t believe how good and crispy chicken is when it’s air fryer Southern fried chicken! A soul food Southern fried chicken recipe is a unique, flavorful dish that Black folks created and perfected – and here’s how to cook it in an air fryer!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Southern Peach Cobbler Recipe
This soul food dessert and the darling favorite of the South is loaded with fresh, juicy peaches and topped with a light and airy cinnamon sugar crust. A cobbler so delicious, you may want to eat it all. All by yourself!
Check out this recipe!
Southern Cabbage Recipe The Soul Food Way
A Black folks’ Southern cabbage recipe is a delicious way to enjoy one of the South’s favorite side dishes that’s warm and sweet with savory soul food flavors!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Pineapple Glazed Ham
Black folks are famous for our sweet ham glaze recipes, especially with pineapple and brown sugar. So you may know this Black folks soul food recipe by other names like pineapple ham, pineapple baked ham, or pineapple and brown sugar ham.
No matter what you call it, it’s the same beautiful and delicious glazed ham recipe masterpiece!
Check out this recipe!
Southern Red Velvet Cake
Red velvet cake is considered to be soul food of the South!
A Black folks’ Southern red velvet cake is a made-from-scratch decadent red sponge cake with homemade cream cheese frosting. A cake that’s just sweet enough to be irresistible!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Creamy Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Who has the best mashed potatoes? This Black folks creamy mashed potatoes recipe is the best I’ve ever had & my family’s favorite too!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Purple Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
New twist on an old classic: Introducing Black folks purple sweet potato pie recipe!
Same but new – incredible soul food flavors with a regal purple hue!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Soul Food Collard Greens Recipe
What is a soul food collard greens recipe?
A Black folks collard greens recipe is the quintessential dish of any Southern soul food dinner.
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Southern Candied Yams
Candied yams are an old-fashioned African-American recipe. A sweet potato soul food side dish cooked to perfection in a cinnamon-brown sugar glaze.
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Baked Apple Slices
What makes this a soul food specialty? It’s gotta be the spices!
Cinnamon, brown sugar, nutmeg, and vanilla combine with fresh apples to make Black folks baked apple slices.
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Instant Pot Smoked Turkey Legs
Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. Black folks Instant Pot turkey legs are an easy alternative to a whole turkey. A welcome addition to your Southern soul food Thanksgiving menu!
Check out this recipe!
Instant Pot Southern Soul Food Low Country Shrimp Boil
African-Americans have been hosting gatherings with soul food low country shrimp boils for years. Often called a Southern shrimp boil Big Easy!
I love low country boils because they have all my favorite flavors – spicy sausage, tender shrimp, and sweet corn.
Check out this recipe!
Instant Pot Jamaican Oxtail Recipe
Instant Pot Jamaican oxtail recipe saves 4 hours with this easy pressure cooker method.
Cook your oxtail in half the time without compromise to the authentic Jamaican mouth-watering flavors!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Fresh Cranberry Sauce
Black folks fresh cranberry sauce is the soul food version of classic cranberry sauce because Southern Black folks always spice things up!
Check out this recipe!
Steve Harvey Easy Homemade BBQ Sauce
Steve Harvey shares his easy homemade BBQ sauce recipe.
This Southern BBQ sauce is perfect for slathering your favorite meats for Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, or any other holiday!
You’ll have enough leftover sauce to store in a mason jar and share!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Soul Food BBQ Ribs Recipe
Soul food BBQ ribs are a perfect crowd pleaser and an all-time favorite main dish for potlucks, tailgates, game days, or a Black BBQ cookout menu.
Check out this recipe!
Southern Soul Food BBQ Chicken Recipe
No, you don’t have to go to a restaurant when you crave Southern BBQ.
Thanks to this easy Southern soul food BBQ chicken recipe, you can bring the same deliciousness of savory BBQ flavors home to your kitchen.
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Southern Pulled BBQ Chicken
A Black folks’ Southern pulled BBQ chicken recipe is the epitome of finger-lickin’ good!
This is the ultimate in no-fail BBQ chicken recipes, whether you’re making this dish from scratch or with leftover BBQ chicken.
Check out this recipe!
Southern Soul Food Homemade Burger Recipe
What makes a Southern soul food burger?
A Southern soul food homemade burger is made with savory bell pepper & sweet onion for a thick, juicy, tender, well-seasoned ground beef patty.
Check out this recipe!
Kamala Harris Instant Pot Lemon Chicken
Kamala Harris lemon chicken recipe. Got a divided country to unite? Then you need Madam VP’s recipe to get dinner on the table in a flash!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Southern Shrimp And Grits Recipe
The secret ingredient to Black folks shrimp and grits is the Southern Creole sauce!
Typical to soul food and Black folks cooking, the seasonings make each recipe like none other.
It’s all about the spices and the special sauce.
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Homemade Cornbread
Black folks homemade cornbread does not use a box mix. Instead, cornmeal is used to make this Southern skillet cornbread recipe from scratch.
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Southern Turkey Recipe
Crispy skin and moist, juicy, flavorful meat – that’s what embodies a Black folks Southern turkey recipe!
An exceptional addition for your soul food Thanksgiving menu.
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Moscato Sangria
Black folks like sweet recipes, so it’s no wonder that we’ve signed on for this fruity and often sparkly Italian wine. And like we always do, started creating our own Black folks’ recipes – like moscato sangria!
#BlackFolksSwag
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Creamed Corn Pudding Casserole
This Southern creamed corn casserole has a sweet corn flavor with onion and garlic for a rich, savory, soul food taste. Add sour cream for a creamy melt-in-your-mouth pudding and parmesan cheese for the cornbread crust.
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Soul Food Baked Macaroni And Cheese
Soul food baked mac and cheese is made with a rich & creamy homemade cheese sauce & yummy Southern spices. Southern comfort food the Black folks way!
Check out this recipe!
Soul Food Lobster Mac And Cheese
Even with the addition of decadent lobster meat, there’s no compromise to the Southern soul food flavors customary to this meal. In other words, this is still baked macaroni and cheese made the Black folks way!
Check out this recipe!
Southern Cornbread Recipe With Corn
This cornbread recipe with corn is my go-to for a soul food Thanksgiving menu, Christmas dinner, and Sunday Southern dinners all throughout the year!
You’ll never want another dry slice of bread again!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Cornbread Dressing Recipe
Black folks cornbread dressing recipe is a Southern dish you shouldn’t miss on the soul food Thanksgiving menu. It’s easy for anyone to make!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Chicken And Dressing
Thanksgiving means Southern soul food, made by our grandmamas, mamas, and favorite aunties. A meal we’ve waited all year to eat!
One Southern dish that you shouldn’t miss this Thanksgiving is Black folks chicken and dressing.
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Southern Green Beans In The Instant Pot
Black folks, Southern green beans are not just another bland green vegetable!
And with Instant Pot, they’re ready in only 2 mins with no compromise to the irresistible Southern soul food flavors!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
Love easy Instant Pot recipes?
And who doesn’t love a soul food seasoned side dish?
Now you can have Black folks brown sugar-glazed carrots in less than five minutes with Instant Pot!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Southern Banana Pudding
How to make banana pudding the Black way
You’ll never be able to look at other banana pudding the same way once you’ve tried this soul food delicious delight – Southern banana pudding prepared the Black way!
Check out this recipe!
Easy Gumbo Recipe
Nothing’s more Louisiana than gumbo! A classic Southern dish and culinary staple in The Big Easy.
This easy gumbo recipe is Cajun cooking combined with Creole seasoning & spicy Thai flavors – served over rice and pressure cooker ready in only 15 minutes!
Check out this recipe!
Soul Food Cornish Hens
This soul food Cornish hens recipe is made the way Black folks season and prepare chicken, so it’s moist, juicy, and full of flavor!
The only thing these little birds lack is less fat and fewer calories compared to chicken!
Check out this recipe!
Southern Soul Food Tomato Watermelon Salad
Add to the menu tangy and sweet tomato watermelon salad for your next outdoor BBQ party!
Summertime is all about the refreshing flavors of juicy watermelon and tangy tomatoes.
This recipe for tomato watermelon salad with feta cheese, pickled onions, pickled peppers, and zesty cilantro is a classy Southern dish, perfect for any occasion!
Check out this recipe!
Creamed Corn Recipe In The Instant Pot
This homemade creamed corn recipe is sure to be the hit of your next get-together.
What’s the best thing about this recipe other than the Southern soul food flavors?
The taste is fresh and vibrant because it’s made easily from scratch!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Southern Tea Cake Recipe
What are Black folks tea cakes?
An African American Southern dessert, Black folks tea cake is a sweet little biscuit. Light, airy, and sometimes compared to soda bread or pound cake. Tea cakes are a traditional African American treat that dates back to the 1600s.
Check out this recipe!
Black folks’ soul food history
Today there is a long, colorful, and flavorful history of Black folks’ food – a soul food history and legacy that continues beyond slavery and the Emancipation Proclamation in the 1860s.
Soul food began as Black folks “making something from nothing” with the leftover scraps we were given. Today, soul food has new meanings and multiple identities within the Black community.
Meals made to stretch for impoverished families are now celebratory food, comfort food, and often times culinary delicacies and expensive cuisine!
We now recognize these Black folks’ dishes as soul food!
Black history month food facts FAQs
Why is it called soul food?
In the 1960s, the word “soul” was commonly used to describe African-American culture. The same way young folks identify Black culture today as “swag!”
Thankfully, the word ‘soul’ organically came first. Or else we’d be eating “swag food” today!
Who invented soul food?
The term “soul food” may have first been used in the 1960s during the civil rights movement.
In 1962, Sylvia Woods opened her iconic soul food restaurant Sylvia’s, in Harlem, NY. Sylvia is known by many people today as “the queen of soul food.”
What Is Soul Food?
What is soul food and where did it come from? Soul food is African American food combined with the soulful essence of West African traditions.
Check out this recipe!
What does soul food symbolize?
First We Feast describes soul food as a term that “brilliantly captures the humanity and heroic effort of African-Americans to overcome centuries of oppression and create a cuisine.”
“Cooking with love provides food for the soul.”
African American food culture history
“We nourished a nation through our cooking and baked our traditions in the cuisines that would define America.”
—Stephen Satterfield (High On The Hog, Netflix history of soul food)
The Best Black People Food & Recipes
What is traditional food for Black people? These recipes! My best examples of Black people food & recipes easy enough for anyone to make & everyone to love!
Check out this recipe!
Poet and civil rights activist Amiri Baraka calls on Black people to embrace the slang terms introduced by Black people for soul foods.
He impresses that keeping the original name will make people easily remember these delicious dishes. Ultimately preserving the history of African-American food as an integral part of America’s history.
“When you understand your history and understand where you come from, that understanding gives you purpose. And the purpose to carry on their (Black ancestors’) story I think is such a huge honor.”
—Jerrelle Guy (High On The Hog, Netflix history of soul food)
More African American soul food recipes to love:
The Best Soul Food Recipes
A curated list of soul food recipes, their rich history, & their distinctive flavor profile. A taste that has shaped American food culture.
Check out this recipe!
The Best Soul Food Sides
Soul food sides are comfort food & tradition to the table & don’t have to be difficult to make. These are easy for anyone to make & everyone to love!
Check out this recipe!
Soul Food Cookbook
How can you get started making soul food at home? With this collection of soul food cookbook recipes! A legacy of African American cooking.
Check out this recipe!
The Best Juneteenth Menu Ideas & Recipes
Soul food favorite Juneteenth menu ideas from the main dish to the sides & even dessert. Red food and drink & what food to serve on Juneteenth
Check out this recipe!
The Best Black BBQ Menu Ideas
A Black BBQ menu is a fantastic collection of recipes featuring mouth-watering soul foods like sticky sweet BBQ chicken, ribs, brisket, or pulled pork.
Check out this recipe!
The Best Soul Food Instant Pot Recipes
Want fast comfort food that goes beyond Southern? The secret to quick & easy home cooked meals are these best soul food Instant Pot recipes!
Check out this recipe!
Check out the ultimate guide in soul food recipes:
Best Soul Food Recipes For Black History Month Food & Facts | Black Folks Soul Food Baked Macaroni And Cheese
Why is Southern baked mac and cheese so important to Black History Month?
Baked mac and cheese is just one of the many soul food cuisines turned American dishes. And this yummy dish has a really old history.
Like the original recipe, soul food baked mac and cheese is made with milk for a rich and creamy homemade cheese sauce and yummy Southern spices. Southern comfort food the Black folks’ way!
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Prep Time:
35
minutes
Bake Time:
25
minutes
Total Time:
1
hour
Servings:
6
Calories:
522
kcal
Cook Mode
Prevent your screen from going dark
Equipment
- Instant Pot pressure cooker
-
Instant Pot Omni Plus oven
Ingredients
-
4
tablespoons
unsalted butter
divided – 1 tablespoon & 3 tablespoons
-
2
tablespoons
flour
-
¼
cup
heavy cream
-
1
cup
sharp cheddar cheese
shredded
-
1
cup
Colby-jack cheese
shredded
-
½
teaspoon
salt
-
½
teaspoon
black pepper
-
½
tablespoon
garlic powder
-
½
teaspoon
onion powder
-
1
teaspoon
mustard
dried
-
1
teaspoon
paprika
-
3
cups
water
-
4 ¼
cups
milk
divided – 1 ¼ cups & 3 cups
-
8
oz.
macaroni noodles
uncooked
Instructions
-
Turn the Instant Pot on the sauté setting for 25 minutes (although you may not need this entire amount of time).
-
Fill the Instant Pot stainless steel inner pot with 3 cups of milk, 3 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of butter.
Pro tip: For baked mac and cheese the Black way, use milk to coat the macaroni and give it a smooth, silky texture. Perfect for layering on cheese!
-
Once the liquid begins to simmer, add the macaroni and cook according to the package directions, stirring occasionally to make sure the macaroni does not clump & stick.
-
Drain the macaroni and set it aside.
-
Add the 3 tablespoons of butter to the empty inner pot and turn it back on the sauté setting.
-
When the butter is melted, add the flour, 1 ¼ cups of milk, and seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, dried mustard and paprika) and whisk until smooth.
-
Change the Instant Pot cook setting from sauté to slow cook for 1-hour (although you will not need this entire amount of time).
-
While the cook setting changes from sauté to slow cook, allow the ingredients to simmer for about 3 minutes until the mixture thickens slightly.
-
Stir in the cheeses (reserve some for topping when baking).
-
Close the Instant Pot with the lid and let slow cook for 5-10 minutes until the cheeses are blended.
-
Open the lid to add the cooked pasta and the heavy cream to the inner pot, stirring the mixture to blend evenly.
-
Transfer the pasta mixture into an 8-inch cast iron skillet or baking pan.
-
Top with the remaining shredded cheese.
-
Bake in the Instant Pot Omni Plus oven at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Or bake in the conventional oven for 25 minutes or until mac and cheese is golden and bubbly.
-
Optionally, garnish with a sprinkle of dry thyme or 4-5 fresh thyme sprigs.
-
Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Calories:
522
kcal
|
Carbohydrates:
40
g
|
Protein:
21
g
|
Fat:
31
g
|
Saturated Fat:
19
g
|
Polyunsaturated Fat:
1
g
|
Monounsaturated Fat:
8
g
|
Trans Fat:
1
g
|
Cholesterol:
92
mg
|
Sodium:
541
mg
|
Potassium:
386
mg
|
Fiber:
1
g
|
Sugar:
10
g
|
Vitamin A:
1094
IU
|
Vitamin C:
1
mg
|
Calcium:
505
mg
|
Iron:
1
mg
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Nutrition Facts
Best Soul Food Recipes For Black History Month Food & Facts | Black Folks Soul Food Baked Macaroni And Cheese
Amount per Serving
Calories
522
% Daily Value*
Fat
31
g
48
%
Saturated Fat
19
g
119
%
Trans Fat
1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
8
g
Cholesterol
92
mg
31
%
Sodium
541
mg
24
%
Potassium
386
mg
11
%
Carbohydrates
40
g
13
%
Fiber
1
g
4
%
Sugar
10
g
11
%
Protein
21
g
42
%
Vitamin A
1094
IU
22
%
Vitamin C
1
mg
1
%
Calcium
505
mg
51
%
Iron
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
