21 Rich Recipes for Homemade Macaroni and Cheese (2024)

Creamy, cheesy, and piping hot, macaroni and cheese is a nostalgic classic for a reason — and when you need something hearty, the best mac and cheese recipe among these options can become your go-to. Some of our favorites include Raclette-Gruyère Mac and Cheese with Pickled Shallots, Southern-Style Mac 'n' Cheese, and Buttermilk Macaroni and Cheese with Baby Kale. If you prefer pasta shells, prepare Baked Shells with Gremolata Breadcrumbs. No matter which mac 'n' cheese recipe you choose, you're only a few steps away from a cozy, wonderful meal.

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Raclette-Gruyère Mac and Cheese with Pickled Shallots

21 Rich Recipes for Homemade Macaroni and Cheese (1)

Inspired by älplermagronen, Alpine farmers' macaroni, this Swiss twist on a Thanksgiving classic gets rich flavor from Gruyère and a lush creaminess from Raclette. Traditional versions of this dish are served with applesauce; as a nod to that flavor play, we've added some shallots that are quickly pickled in apple cider vinegar to balance the cheesy richness.

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Baked Shells with Gremolata Breadcrumbs

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Macaroni and cheese is always a crowd-pleaser. This version features a combination of fontina for optimal gooey texture and cheddar for its tangy flavor, and a crispy mix of toasted panko, parsley, lemon, and garlic that cuts through the richness of the ultra-creamy baked shells.

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Southern-Style Mac 'n' Cheese

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Three different kinds of cheese — extra-sharp cheddar, Colby-Jack, and cream cheese — go into this creamy, savory macaroni and cheese recipe, which also gets layers of flavor from fresh bay leaves and dry mustard. Southern-style mac 'n' cheese is typically made with a milk-and-egg base rather than a roux. Here, the milk component is an infused milk-and-cream mixture reserved from cooking the noodles (which adds even more richness to the dish).

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Lobster Mac and Cheese

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This decadent macaroni and cheese has it all: a generous amount of lobster meat and a rich, three-cheese sauce made with fontina, Gruyère, and mascarpone, mixed with pasta and baked under a crunchy topping of panko and Parmesan.

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Mac and Corn Cheese

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Inspired by Stouffer's and Korean restaurant corn cheese, Eric Kim's mac and cheese is enlivened with snappy kernels of sweet corn, pungent onion, and fruity jalapeño.

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Macaroni and Cheese with Buttery Crumbs

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Small chunks of cheddar and Colby cheeses throughout give this classic dish a perfect hit of flavor and a fabulous gooey texture.

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Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese

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This three-cheese version of the American comfort classic gets a nice kick from a generous pinch of cayenne, while buttery breadcrumbs give it a great crunch.

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Okra Mac and Cheese with Andouille Sausage

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This baked mac and cheese is loaded with andouille sausage, okra, Creole seasoning, and white cheddar and Gruyère cheeses.

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Kentucky Hot Brown Macaroni and Cheese

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We took the essential components of a Hot Brown — roast turkey, tomato, bacon, and Mornay sauce — and combined them for an untraditional macaroni and cheese with the soul of the original.

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Pernil Mac and Cheese

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At their Durham, North Carolina, restaurant Boricua Soul, Serena and Toriano Fredericks serve this garlicky pernil — a Puerto Rican–style roast pork shoulder — on top of a rich and creamy mac and cheese.

Macaroni and Cheese with Buttery Crumbs

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Small chunks of cheddar and Colby cheeses throughout give this macaroni and cheese a perfect hit of flavor and a fabulous gooey texture.

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Macaroni and Three Cheeses

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White cheddar, gorgonzola, and Parmesan make this deluxe breadcrumb-topped mac and cheese sing.

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Classic Macaroni and Cheese with Potato Chip Crumble

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Potato chips add a decadent crunch to Kate Winslow's classic macaroni and cheese.

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Auntie Monica's Seafood Mac and Cheese

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Loaded with fresh shrimp, crab, and lobster and layered with a rich mixture of cheeses, this macaroni and cheese gets an extra boost of spice from liquid shrimp-and-crab boil. The boil seasoning lends its long-cooked flavor to the casserole without overcooking the delicate seafood.

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Buttermilk Macaroni and Cheese with Baby Kale

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A quick sauté renders baby kale leaves perfectly tender, allowing them to almost melt into the buttermilk-enriched béchamel in chef and cookbook author Alexander Smalls' version of mac and cheese. For a smooth sauce, make sure all of the dairy is at room temperature.

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Grant's Mac and Cheese

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Chef Grant Achatz of Chicago's Alinea uses a white sauce, elbow macaroni, and cheddar cheese, just like the rest of us. His personal touch: a tablespoon of paprika (to enhance the color of the sauce) and lots of smoky, crisp bacon bits.

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Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon and Blue Cheese

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A few snipped chives make a lovely garnish for this mac and cheese with wedge salad vibes.

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Andouille Mac & Cheese

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Chef Paul Nanni grinds and smokes his own andouille sausage for super-generous portions of this Cajun-inspired macaroni and cheese, but you can swap in pre-made sausage when making it at home.

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Three-Cheese Mac and Cheese

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Goat cheese, sharp white cheddar, and Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus sour cream and egg yolks, make this recipe from chef Ben Vaughn of Restaurant Grace in Memphis especially rich.

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Pickled Pepper Macaroni and Cheese

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Crispy panko breadcrumbs add crunch to this rich and cheesy pasta casserole, studded with sweet and spicy pickled peppers.

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Leek Mac and Cheese

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Cooks usually reserve dark, tough leek greens for stock. Here, F&W's Grace Parisi sautés them until they're soft and supple, then folds them into a luscious macaroni and cheese made with nutty Manchego.

21 Rich Recipes for Homemade Macaroni and Cheese (2024)

FAQs

What to add to macaroni and cheese to make it taste better? ›

8 Ways to Elevate Your Macaroni and Cheese Dinners
  1. Add extra cheese to your dish.
  2. Mix in some hot sauce and chicken to make buffalo chicken mac n' cheese.
  3. Add in vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and spinach.
  4. Sprinkle some bacon bits or breadcrumbs on the top of your dish.
  5. Add spices and fresh herbs to your dish.
May 21, 2022

How does Gordon Ramsay make the best mac and cheese? ›

Gordon Ramsay's mac and cheese is a simplified recipe. Just boil pasta in milk and then, add butter, cheese, salt, and pepper to it. Merge all the elements and Gordon Ramsay's mac and cheese will be ready in no time.

Why add sour cream to mac and cheese? ›

The trick to making the perfect French onion boxed mac and cheese is to swap out the milk and butter for sour cream. It has the same velvety richness as butter but with a pleasant tang. Plus, while it gets the same job done as the milk, it's a hundred times creamier, making the end result impossibly luscious.

Why does my homemade mac and cheese taste bland? ›

Try adding a little more salt first, because that might fix it. If the problem was the cheese you use doesn't have much flavor, then try adding some other flavors, such has mustard or hot sauce. The next time you make it, try to find some more strongly flavor cheese, or adding more cheese.

How do you intensify cheese flavor? ›

Yeast extract improves the overall flavor and intensifies the Old cheese flavor. Yeast extract, containing natural flavored nucleotides, polypeptides, amino acids, organic acids, etc., is used in a wide range of foods as a natural flavor enhancer.

Why is my homemade mac and cheese not creamy? ›

Pro Tip: Don't use pre-shredded cheese. Many store-bought shredded cheese brands coat their cheese with an anti-caking agent than can make sauces grainy and less creamy. While it requires a bit of an arm workout, grating your own yields the best texture.

Can I use sour cream instead of milk for mac and cheese? ›

I think sour cream is a great substitute! However, it may change the flavor just slightly. For sour cream, mix it in just like I outlined in the cream cheese example, but with far less or no extra liquid. Sour cream is slightly sour (duh), so this may impact the final flavor a bit.

What are the 3 best cheeses for mac and cheese? ›

What Is the Best Cheese for Mac and Cheese? Sharp cheddar is the overwhelming popular choice, but for extra-creamy results, we think medium cheddar is even better. Other delicious options include Gruyère, smoked Gouda, and Monterey Jack.

What's in Bob Evans mac and cheese? ›

Cooked Enriched Pasta (Water, Elbow Macaroni [Semolina (Wheat), Niacin, Iron (Ferrous Sulfate), Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid]), Milk, Water, Pasteurized Process Cheese Spread (American Cheese [Pasteurized Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzymes], Water, Whey, Sodium Phosphate, Contains Less than 2% of ...

What makes mac n cheese so good? ›

Great mac n' cheese needs one or more cheeses that melt well, and one or more cheeses that bring the flavor. The best melters include monterey jack, fontina, baby swiss, asiago, provolone, mozzarella, and alpine-style.

How do you fix bad taste in mac and cheese? ›

20 Easy Ways To Make Boxed Mac And Cheese Even Better
  1. Add Cream Cheese.
  2. Replace The Milk.
  3. Upgrade The Cheese.
  4. Give It A Cheffy Twist.
  5. Turn It Into A Main Dish With Meat.
  6. Mix In New Flavors To Create Magic.
Feb 9, 2024

What can I add to mac and cheese for more flavor? ›

Here are a few of my favorite ways to upgrade boxed mac and cheese in three ingredients or fewer:
  1. Broccoli + Shredded Chicken. ...
  2. Bacon + Peas + Egg. ...
  3. Garlic + Pickled Jalapeños. ...
  4. Mushrooms + Thyme + Grated Gruyère. ...
  5. Pesto + Sun-Dried Tomatoes. ...
  6. Kimchi + Bacon + Chopped Scallions. ...
  7. Cherry Tomatoes + Basil + Mozzarella.

Is Velveeta real cheese? ›

Though Velveeta is no longer an FDA-defined genuine cheese, it does have some similarities, namely pasteurized milk and cheese culture.

What seasonings enhance cheese flavor? ›

Herb and Cheese Pairings
  • American cheese tastes wonderful with dill, thyme, basil, or oregano. ...
  • Bleu cheese finds its perfect pair with acidic herbs like chervil or sorrel. ...
  • Brie is great with Chives, Basil, Parsley, and Tarragon.

How do you spruce up instant mac and cheese? ›

It's very easy to adapt. We like to ad cream cheese and/or sour cream, a little spicy brown mustard, and whatever cheese we have on hand. Sometimes we ad ground beef, ground turkey, sliced ot dogs or bacon, but its the rits topping on the top that makes it sooo good.

What makes mac and cheese taste so good? ›

Spices: A little garlic powder and onion powder goes a long way in making this the best easy mac and cheese ever! Definitely don't skimp on these. You could also add a bit of paprika, black pepper, or even a splash of hot sauce if you want to amp up the flavor even more.

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