Southern Macaroni and Cheese Pie

cooking spray

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

½ cup butter

2 (12 ounce) cans evaporated milk

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

3 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1 pinch paprika, or to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Spray a 9x13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a boil. Stir in the macaroni and return to a boil. Cook pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until it has cooked through but is still slightly firm, about 8 minutes; drain.

Slowly melt butter in a large pot over low heat. Stir in evaporated milk and black pepper; cook until heated through.

Whisk eggs in a bowl until smooth; whisk about 1/2 cup of the evaporated milk mixture into the eggs, 1 tablespoon at a time, until thoroughly incorporated. Whisk the egg mixture back into the saucepan with evaporated milk mixture. Continue to heat gently, whisking constantly, until the evaporated milk mixture almost comes to a simmer and the sauce thickens.

Gently mix salt and cooked macaroni into the sauce and stir to combine.

Spoon 1/4 of the macaroni mixture in a layer into the bottom of the prepared casserole dish and top with 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese. Repeat layers three more times; top last cheese layer with paprika to taste.

Bake in the preheated oven until casserole is bubbling, about 20 minutes.