I have a friend who treats macaroni and cheese as its own food group, and after building this list of mac and cheese recipes I have quietly come around to her side. Almost every one of these starts the same honest way, with a butter and flour roux loosened with milk or cream until it coats a spoon, then a pile of real block cheese stirred in off the heat. What happens after that is where it gets interesting. There is a Guinness and Irish cheddar pan, a Cajun one packed with shrimp and crab, a keto version, a vegan zucchini one and a tray of jumbo shells big enough to feed a crowd. Some are twenty minute stovetop dinners. Some are proper Southern baked mac and cheese for a holiday table, and a few are frankly ridiculous, which I mean as a compliment.
1. 4-Cheese Caprese Mac and Cheese
This is the one to make in late summer when the tomatoes are better than you are. The pasta cooks right in the milk, then cream cheese, cheddar, havarti and brie go in with a little mustard powder and cayenne. The cream cheese is what creates the creamy sauce. Pesto and halved cherry tomatoes get folded through, sliced tomatoes go on top, and garlicky crushed Ritz crackers finish it under 20 minutes in a 375 degree oven. It feeds eight.
Get the full tutorial at Half Baked Harvest.
2. Guinness and Irish Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese
Two thirds of a cup of Guinness goes into the sauce with the milk and half and half, alongside dijon and cream cheese. The smart part is holding back a cup of the sharp Irish cheddar and stirring it in last, off the heat, which is what gives you the stretchy cheese pull. Garlicky toasted panko goes over the top at serving. It is a stovetop macaroni, so there is no oven time at all.
Get the full tutorial at Celebrating Sweets.
3. Easy Mac and Cheese Bites
Cold mac and cheese firms up into something you can roll, and that is the whole trick here. Shape the balls with your hands, freeze them solid so they hold, roll them in breadcrumbs and fry. Serve with ketchup, marinara, ranch or nothing at all, though a bowl of warm cheese sauce is the correct answer. They are made ahead of time and then warmed in the oven right before serving, which is exactly what you want from a party appetizer.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
4. Spiralized Zucchini Mac and Cheese
No dairy, no pasta and still worth a place on this list. The sauce is soaked cashews and Brazil nuts blended smooth with nutritional yeast, dijon, garlic, lemon, turmeric and a little apple cider vinegar. Spiralized zucchini stands in for the noodles, and a crumble of rolled oats pulsed with olive oil goes on top before a short 10 minute bake at 400 degrees. It is vegan, it is gluten free, and it does not pretend to be anything it is not.
Get the full tutorial at The Healthy Maven.
5. Creamy Brie Four Cheese Mac and Cheese
A proper baked mac and cheese built on a real roux, with white cheddar, fontina, havarti and up to six ounces of brie with the rind cut off. Mustard powder and cayenne season the sauce. The topping is a full sleeve of Ritz crackers crushed and toasted in butter and garlic for three to five minutes before any of it goes over the dish. Then it bakes until the crumbs are deep golden and the edges are bubbling.
Get the full tutorial at Half Baked Harvest.
6. Homemade Creamy Mac And Cheese
The one I would hand somebody who has only ever made the boxed kind. Two things make it: cooking the pasta two minutes shy of the package time and rinsing it cold so it does not turn to mush in the oven, and refusing to rush the roux. That sauce needs eight to ten full minutes of stirring before it will coat the back of a spoon. Aged white cheddar and sharp orange cheddar go in off the heat with chili powder and garlic powder.
Get the full tutorial at Seasons and Suppers.
7. Baked White Cheddar Mac and Cheese
Rich to the point of being a special occasion dish. A whole quart of half and half plus heavy cream and cream cheese go into the sauce, then gruyere, white cheddar and smoked cheddar, with fresh thyme, dijon, onion powder and a dash of nutmeg. Four cheeses is what gives it the depth. It bakes at 375 for 30 minutes and then has to stand for 10, which is not optional if you want it to slice rather than slump.
Get the full tutorial at Vintage Mixer.
8. The Secret to Creamy Mac and Cheese
The secret is not an ingredient, it is the cheese you buy. Block Monterey jack and block sharp cheddar, shredded at home, melt evenly and taste fresher than the shredded kind. Past that it is a short list: macaroni, flour, butter, whole milk and a tablespoon of creole seasoning, which gets mixed all the way through. Swap the butter for bacon grease if you want it smoky. It bakes at 325 degrees.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
9. Caprese Mac and Cheese
Layered rather than stirred, which is what makes it look like something you would order. Blended canned tomatoes with a little salt and sugar go in the bottom of the dish, then half the pasta in its nutmeg and chilli flake cheese sauce, then sliced fresh tomatoes, dollops of pesto and torn mozzarella, then the rest again on top. Twenty to twenty five minutes at 400 degrees roasts the tomato slices just enough. Let it sit five minutes.
Get the full tutorial at Simply Delicious.
10. Creamy Skillet Mac and Cheese
One 10 inch skillet, medium shells boiled seven to nine minutes to al dente, and a whole 8 ounce round of brie with the rind removed melted into the sauce with white cheddar, dijon and minced thyme. Four ounces of shredded white cheddar go in off the heat, a little at a time. The topping is 10 buttered crackers crushed with more thyme, and then the whole pan goes under a high broiler for one to two minutes, no longer, until the edges of the shells catch and the sauce bubbles up around them. Let it rest five to seven minutes before you serve it.
Get the full tutorial at Spoon Fork Bacon.
11. Breakfast Mac and Cheese
Yes, breakfast. Crumbled breakfast sausage, onion, red pepper and a diced jalapeno get cooked down, then folded into cavatappi in a colby jack, pepper jack and sharp cheddar sauce. The genuinely clever bit is the topping: four beaten eggs mixed with the remaining cheese and five or six crumbled toasted biscuits, poured over the top before it bakes at 375 for 25 to 30 minutes. It sets into something between a casserole and a strata.
Get the full tutorial at Spicy Southern Kitchen.
12. Cajun Shrimp and Crab Mac and Cheese
Built like a custard rather than a roux, which is how a lot of Southern baked macaroni actually works. Whole milk and evaporated milk get whisked with paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper, tasted and adjusted, and only then do beaten eggs and four cheeses go in. Cajun shrimp cook fast, four to six minutes, and crab and basil fold through at the end. It bakes for 45 to 55 minutes, so this is a Sunday, not a Tuesday.
Get the full tutorial at Queenslee Appetit.
13. Southern Style Baked Macaroni and Cheese
The roux carries white pepper, salt and cayenne before any milk goes near it, and the cheese is simple: eight ounces of medium cheddar and eight of extra sharp, half of the sharp held back for the top. It bakes 30 minutes at 375 in a three quart dish. You can freeze it, with a caveat the maker is honest about, that dairy and the freezer do not always love each other. Bake it partway at 425, cool it completely, then wrap it and freeze.
Get the full tutorial at Basil and Bubbly.
14. Jalapeno Bacon Mac and Cheddar
Everything happens in one cast iron skillet, starting with four strips of bacon crisped and set aside. The drippings stay in the pan, butter goes in with them, then onion, two sliced jalapenos, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes before the flour. Sharp cheddar and monterey jack melt in, the bacon and pasta go back, and panko gets drizzled lightly with oil and broiled for exactly one minute. Seed the jalapenos if the crowd is mixed.
Get the full tutorial at Yes to Yolks.
15. Bacon and Black Truffle Macaroni and Cheese
The dinner party one. Penne gets tossed with a tablespoon of black truffle oil and set aside, and the sauce is smoked bacon, shallots, garlic and dried thyme with half and half and three cups of extra sharp cheddar. Fresh basil folds in at the end. It bakes in four individual ramekins for 10 to 15 minutes, and you can assemble the whole thing and refrigerate it up to three days ahead.
Get the full tutorial at What's Cooking America.
16. Giant Mac and Cheese with Jumbo Shells
Jumbo shells instead of elbows, and the whole point is the ratio. Every shell holds a proper spoonful of sauce, so you get cheese in the middle of the bite rather than just around the outside. Boil them nine minutes only. Smoked sausage, white onion and red bell pepper cook down first, then a roux with whole milk and heavy cream, five cups of shredded medium cheddar, parmesan and smoked paprika. It looks like a party and feeds like one.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
17. Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
Boiling raw chicken breasts feels wrong and it is completely right here. Fifteen to twenty minutes in salted water, then pulled apart with two forks into threads fine enough to spread through small pasta instead of sitting on it in chunks. The sauce is cheddar with a third of a cup of crumbled blue cheese and a quarter cup of Frank’s, half of it on the chicken and half in the sauce. Breadcrumbs, 25 minutes, green onions.
Get the full tutorial at Port and Fin.
18. Lobster Mac and Cheese
Restaurant lobster mac without the restaurant bill, partly because the maker is honest that she uses langostino rather than true lobster and it works. Ditalini, a gruyere and cheddar sauce with a quarter teaspoon of nutmeg, twelve ounces of cooked lobster meat, and a topping of three quarters of a cup each of panko and parmesan with a teaspoon of garlic herb spices or thyme. Divided between six ramekins it bakes for 15 minutes at 400 degrees, or until the top is golden brown.
Get the full tutorial at Self Proclaimed Foodie.
19. Crab Mac and Cheese
Tomato paste in a cheese sauce sounds odd until you taste what it does with crab. It goes in with the flour, then chicken broth reduced by half, then four cups of heavy cream with paprika, cayenne, Creole seasoning and two bay leaves simmered until the cream coats a spoon. Blocks of Monterey Jack and Fontina go in by the handful. A pound of crab, penne, panko, 25 minutes at 350 and a full 10 minute rest.
Get the full tutorial at Dine and Dish.
20. Five Cheese Mac and Cheese
No roux at all, which makes this the easiest thing on the list. Butter cubes go in the bottom of a 9×13, then half the cooked macaroni, half of five cups of mixed shredded cheese, the rest of the pasta, the rest of the cheese, and three tablespoons of milk drizzled over the whole thing. Bake at 400, open the oven at 10 minutes and stir it once, then give it another 20 until the top browns.
Get the full tutorial at Nutmeg Nanny.
21. One-Pot Chili Mac n Cheese
Thirty minutes, one pot and ten servings, which is the combination that gets a recipe put on repeat. Ground beef browns for five to seven minutes and gets drained, then chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, cumin and mustard powder go in with beef broth, water and a big can of diced tomatoes with green chiles. The uncooked macaroni cooks right in it, covered, for eight to ten minutes. Cream cheese, milk, lime juice and sharp cheddar finish it.
Get the full tutorial at Sugar and Soul.
22. Jack Daniel's Bacon Mac and Cheese
Twelve ounces of hickory smoked peppered bacon, and only two tablespoons of the drippings kept. Wipe the grease off the side of the skillet while you are at it, because the maker warns it can cause flame ups. Half a cup of bourbon and half a cup of chicken broth go in with smoked paprika, New Mexico chili powder, chili pepper paste and Worcestershire, and simmer three minutes before the milk. Sharp cheddar, smoked provolone and asiago melt in. About 22 minutes, start to finish.
Get the full tutorial at The Slow Roasted Italian.
23. Curried Cauliflower & Greens Mac and Cheese
Cauliflower gets roasted first with olive oil, curry powder and salt for 25 minutes so it is browned and a little crisp before it ever meets the sauce. Shallots and a minced Fresno chile go into butter, then flour with the rest of the curry powder, then 2% milk whisked in a quarter cup at a time. Cheddar and fontina melt in with baby spinach or kale. Fifteen minutes in the oven, then toasted breadcrumbs for a final five.
Get the full tutorial at The Wimpy Vegetarian.
24. Keto Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Cauliflower, not pasta, which is the whole point of this one. A head of florets simmers covered for eight to ten minutes in butter or bacon fat, water, heavy cream, salt, garlic powder and a little yellow mustard until tender. If the liquid looks thin, reduce it. Two thirds of twelve ounces of grated cheddar gets stirred in until melted, the rest goes over the top with black pepper, and two to three minutes under the broiler finishes it. Serve it immediately, while the cheese is still stretching.
Get the full tutorial at My Natural Family.
25. One Pot Spinach Mac and Cheese
Everything goes in one covered pot: onion and garlic softened in butter, then the dry macaroni, monterey jack, cheddar, feta, five ounces of baby spinach, a cup of vegetable broth and a cup of milk all at once. Fifteen minutes on low, stirring every few minutes so nothing sticks, and it is done. Use tongs to pull the spinach apart because it clumps. Add another half cup of liquid if the pot looks dry.
Get the full tutorial at Crunch Time Kitchen.
26. Flamin' Cheetos Mac and Cheese
A cup of coarsely crushed Flamin’ Hot Cheetos tossed with a tablespoon of melted butter, scattered over a cayenne spiked sharp cheddar and pepper jack sauce, and baked for 15 to 20 minutes at 350. Crush them coarsely rather than to dust. Underneath it is a straightforward butter and flour roux loosened with milk, so if you have ever made a stovetop macaroni, you already know the method for this one.
Get the full tutorial at Spicy Southern Kitchen.
27. Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese
The roux is built in bacon fat instead of butter, about three tablespoons of it, and the diced jalapeno softens in that fat until it is fragrant. Cream cheese and white cheddar give you the popper flavor. Half the jalapeno gets sliced thin and saved for the top with panko before it bakes at 400. Cavatappi is what the maker uses, and elbow macaroni also works.
Get the full tutorial at Life as a Strawberry.
28. Homemade Mac and Cheese Bites
Baked in mini muffin tins instead of fried, and one beaten egg stirred into the pasta is what holds them together. Half a pound of elbows, a simple roux with sharp cheddar and cream cheese, a pinch more cheese on each one, and 15 minutes at 400 until the edges go golden and crisp. Let them cool five minutes before you try to lift them out, or you will have thirty six piles of macaroni. Makes thirty six.
Get the full tutorial at Chef in Training.
29. Hatch Chile Mac and Cheese
Five roasted Hatch chiles, seeded and finely chopped, stirred through a cavatappi mac made with sharp cheddar and smoked gouda. Hatch chiles are seasonal and regional, so the maker gives you the out: poblano or Anaheim work if you cannot get them. Butter and plain breadcrumbs go over the reserved cheese on top, then it bakes at 400 in a 9×13 dish until the crumbs brown.
Get the full tutorial at Brown Eyed Baker.
30. Apple Bacon Mac and Cheese
Apple in mac and cheese gives a fresh, juicy contrast to the rich creamy sauce, plus a hint of sweetness. Half a pound of bacon renders first, the sweet onion and a firm crisp apple such as Braeburn saute in the drippings for three minutes each, then everything comes out while the roux goes in. Chicken broth thins the sauce before the milk, gouda and cheddar arrive. It is stovetop only, no baking, and it serves five.
Get the full tutorial at The Wanderlust Kitchen.
31. Gnocchi Mac and Cheese
Swap the macaroni for gnocchi and you have a completely different dish with the same 30 minutes of work. Boil them only until they float, then drain them in a colander and drizzle with a little olive oil. The sauce is fontina, gruyere and parmigiano reggiano with grated garlic. It goes under the broiler with panko until the tops go golden, and parsley and cracked black pepper finish it. Four servings, one small saucepan.
Get the full tutorial at Ciao Florentina.
32. Italian Mac and Cheese
Twenty five minutes, stovetop, no oven, and it ends up somewhere between mac and cheese and a very good buttered pasta. Sharp cheddar and grated parmesan, a quarter teaspoon of garlic powder, and four large basil leaves cut straight into the sauce with kitchen scissors at the end. Paprika on top for serving. Grate the parmesan in a blender a few chunks at a time if you do not want to stand there with a box grater.
Get the full tutorial at Cooking with Mamma C.
