Chefs have gussied it up, while home cooks have dumbed it down, but one thing always remains the same: everyone wants more. While mac and cheese recipes are a dime a dozen, you don’t really see any recipe roundups for leftover mac and cheese now do you? Didn’t think so. Whatever way you like your mac—be it creamy, cheesy, crunchy or boxed—we’ve got a bevy of ideas at the ready for you to try below.
When is National Mac and Cheese Day?
July 14th is National Mac and Cheese Day if you haven’t heard! Be sure to bookmark this massive foodie holiday in your calendar this year and break out the mac and cheese recipes to celebrate.
Best Mac and Cheese Recipes
From baked macaroni and cheese, to stovetop, no-boil and Instant Pot versions, here are some of the easiest ways to make everyone’s favorite comfort food at home. There are also plenty of ingredient add-ins for epic mac, like butternut squash, bacon, buffalo chicken—even Cheetos. Not sure you can handle that level of gluttony? Don’t worry, we included a bunch of healthified macaroni and cheese recipes, keto-friendly options and yes, skinny mac and cheese alternatives. And in case you need any more convincing about how much adults love this kid-approved dish, we’ve also thrown in some of our favorite celebrity mac and cheese recipes, ranging from Shaquille O’Neal’s Classic Macaroni and Cheese to Jessica Seinfeld’s Vegan Mac and Cheese. Grab a fork, spoon, spork or whatever apparatus you can find nearby and get ready to dig in!
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese gives the comforting dish a flavor remake, plus a dose of vitamin A, which supports eye health and immune system health. This healthy revamp of a popularly indulgent classic calls for almond milk, but you can substitute 2% milk instead. Either way, you’ll love the perfectly creamy results. Get the recipe
Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Mac ’n’ Cheese
Get the recipe
Nisa Burns’ Bacon Macaroni and Cheese
For the cheese in this easy Bacon Mac and Cheese recipe, you can use just cheddar or a mix of cheeses—whatever you like! Get the recipe
Skinny Broccoli Mac and Cheese
If eliminating mac and cheese from your diet is not an option, figure out a way to make it work. Add some greens—broccoli, in particular, because broccoli and cheese are a match made in heaven. Get the recipe
TikTok’s Mac and Cheese with Zesty, Dilly, Minty Breadcrumbs
TikTok and Instagram star Nasim Lahbichi just brought basic mac and cheese to a whole new, spring-inspired level with his recipe for Elevated Mac and Cheese with Zesty, Dilly, Minty Breadcrumbs. “This breadcrumb topping is exactly what turns your boxed macaroni and cheese from a quick snack to a meal worth serving your next date,” says Lahbichi. Get the recipe
Wolfgang Puck’s Oscars Cacio e Pepe Mac and Cheese
Peppery, cheesy Cacio e Pepe is one of the trendiest pastas around these days. And celebrity Chef Wolfgang Puck has been serving his version at the Oscars Governors Ball over the last few years. Puck always has a fancy mac and cheese on the menu at the post-awards soiree, and this year’s take ups the ante on traditional Cacio e Pepe with a trio of peppercorns for complex flavor. Get the recipe
Baked Macaroni & Cheese
Penne pasta holds the cheese sauce well and adds a tasty touch to this homey dish. Get the recipe
Shaquille O’Neal’s Macaroni and Cheese
“When I was a child, my mom would make this for me after every game,” says O’Neal. “Now that I’m older, I need to be more disciplined about what I eat. I have a lot of chicken and fish. But I do love being spoiled with macaroni. You can have it with a formal or informal dinner. Macaroni can be eaten anytime.” Get the recipe
Eric Kim’s Copycat Stouffer’s Macaroni and Cheese
New York Times recipe developer Eric Kim may have just broke the code on a classic: Stouffer’s Macaroni and Cheese. Kim grew up eating the Stouffer’s version on Thanksgiving and recently recreated the ultimate dupe with his copycat recipe. “It’s got the best of all worlds,” raves Kim. “It’s creamy, saucy comfort, with a consistency that’s slightly more set than a stovetop version.” Get the recipe
Caramelized Onion, Prosciutto and Gorgonzola Mac and Cheese
This Caramelized Onion, Prosciutto and Gorgonzola Mac and Cheese isn’t for the lactose intolerant—or anyone on a diet for that matter—but it is truly sublime and worth every bite. Get the recipe
Guy Fieri’s Bacon Mac ’n’ Cheese Burgers
“Is this a cheeseburger? Is it mac and cheese? It’s an award-winning Burger Bash champion!” says beloved Food Network star Guy Fieri of this over-the-top creation adapted from his cookbook, Guy Fieri Family Food. Get the recipe
Mac and Cheese Frittata
Comfort food favorite macaroni and cheese gets a grown-up upgrade in this Mac ’n’ Cheese Frittata adapted from A Flash in the Pan by John Whaite, the season 3 winner of The Great British Bake Off. Get the recipe
Baked Rigatoni Mac with Onions and Parmesan
This dish is reminiscent of a traditional macaroni-and-cheese recipe, but swaps butter and béchamel sauce for onions and parm in a genius move. Get the recipe
Ham and Macaroni au Gratin
Ham, peas, macaroni…this trio is loved by many, especially when baked into a savory mac and cheese moment. Seconds and thirds encouraged. Get the recipe
Cottage Pie Macaroni and Cheese
Cottage pie (also called Shepherd’s Pie), is a St. Patrick’s Day comfort food favorite of sautéed ground beef and vegetables topped with mashed potatoes. PARADE Chef Jon Ashton takes this cozy dish to the next level by substituting macaroni and cheese. Get the recipe
High on the Hog Macaroni and Cheese
High on the Hog: How African Cuisine Transformed America is one of the latest Netflix documentaries series centered around food plus culture and episode 3 discusses the background behind one of the most popular American meals: macaroni and cheese and the making of this dish. Get the recipe
Gluten-Free Mac and Cheese
Pasta, pizza, pretzels—if you’re following a gluten-free diet, you’re avoiding these foods. But you don’t have to, thanks to blogger Shauna James Ahern and chef Daniel Ahern. The couple’s third cookbook, Gluten-Free Girl American Classics Reinvented, serves up gluten-free versions of beloved favorites, such as this fast, from-scratch recipe that’s great for weeknight dinners. Get the recipe
Pub Mac and Cheese (with Beer!)
Macaroni and cheese is one of those dishes we never seem to grow out of—or tire of. From the blue box we still make for our kids, to the family favorite version that has been passed down for generations, we can never have too many recipes for it. But just when you think you’ve seen (and tasted) every version of there is, one ingredient comes along and changes everything: beer! Get the recipe
Lobster Mac and Cheese
Lobster mac is probably the most decadent of all the macaroni and cheeses (right up there with truffled mac), so who better to give us a few pointers on how pull off a Newport, RI restaurant version at home, than OceanCliff Hotel’s executive chef Peter Hand? “Our lobster mac and cheese is based off of an old family recipe from our owner,” explains Hand. “It’s one of his favorites and has been a staple on the OceanCliff menu for years.” Get the recipe
Creamy Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese
Get the recipe Baked Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese This indulgent baked pasta marries two beloved dishes in one skillet. Buffalo Chicken Mac ‘N’ Cheese is from the popular I Am Baker blog by Amanda Rettke and we scored her best tip. For flawlessly creamy sauce, be sure to take the pan off the heat before stirring in the cheeses, says Rettke. Get the recipe
Pull-Apart Macaroni and Cheese
In the words of Michelle Williams (the food blogger and Instagram star behind Coffee And Champagne), “Mac and cheese stuffed mac and cheese. SO BOSS!” And we have to agree. Have you ever seen a more indulgent pasta dish? We have not. Get the recipe
Cozy Mac & Cheese
Penne pasta holds the cheese sauce well and adds a sophisticated touch to this homey dish. Get the recipe
Wolfgang Puck’s Baked Macaroni and Cheese
“I find it so interesting how macaroni and cheese, a favorite childhood comfort food, has become one of the most popular dishes on upscale menus offering home-style cooking,” says celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck. “But it makes sense, too. After all, just about everybody loves good pasta dishes and appreciates fine cheeses. So there is absolutely no reason why combining the two shouldn’t result in fine cuisine!” Get the recipe
Three-Cheese Pumpkin Chipotle Mac ‘n’ Cheese
If it’s fall you all know what that means… Everybody’s pumpkin-ing the heck out of everything. This mac and cheese is cheesy, creamy and a little pumpkiny—exactly how it should be. Get the recipe
Best Homemade Macaroni and Cheese
There’s no dish more indicative of classic American comfort food than macaroni and cheese. Noodles and melted cheese come together in the simplest, but most delicious of ways, and whether you’re a child or an adult, it’s pretty hard to resist a bowl of Chef Jon Ashton’s homemade mac and cheese. Get the recipe
Best Stovetop Mac ’n’ Cheese
If you’re a true mac and cheese lover, you don’t discriminate! Chances are, you love it any way you can get it—boiled, baked or out of the box—but if you’re trying to avoid turning on the oven, this stovetop version is the perfect summer comfort food. Get the recipe
Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon
Top off plain macaroni and cheese with a sprinkle of crumbled bacon and chopped scallions to really amp up the decadent flavor factor. Get the recipe
Jessica Seinfeld’s Vegan Mac and Cheese
A gooey, indulgent vegan mac and cheese that truly satisfies everyone at the table is a bit of holy grail when it comes to plant-based cuisine. This recipe, from the cookbook Vegan, at Times by Jessica Seinfeld (yep, Jerry’s wife) has cracked the code. Get the recipe
Jason Biggs’ Mac and Cheese Pie
Granddaddy of pie and father of two, Jason Biggs, came up with his own savory pie recipe in honor of the Super Bowl. “I’ve become somewhat of a pie connoisseur over the years," says Biggs. “And for this year’s Big Game, I’m making a mac and cheese pie with a surprise twist.” Get the recipe
One-Skillet 20-Minute Mac and Cheese with Broccoli
This cheese lover’s Mac and Cheese with Broccoli is cooked in butter and milk, then it’s loaded with oodles of cheddar and broccoli. You could even add leftover chicken if you’re looking for a meaty dish. The best part? This incredible one-skillet meal goes from prep to plate in just 20 minutes. Get the recipe
Florida-Style Lobster Mac ’n’ Cheese
Of all the shellfish pasta options out there, lobster mac has to be tops. Even if you’re “not a lobster person,” this mac and cheese will hit you on a different level. Get the recipe Copycat Cracker Barrel Restaurant Mac and Cheese If you’ve ever tried Cracker Barrel’s macaroni and cheese, you probably wanted to recreate it at home. Elbow macaroni is mixed with a creamy homemade cheese sauce, then baked just long enough to get some of those crispy edges that make Cracker Barrel’s version so beloved. And we have the secret recipe. Get the recipe
No-Boil Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Besides not having to boil a pot of water, the other thing you will love about this foolproof mac and cheese recipe is the short ingredient list. It’s perfect for newlyweds, college kids or anyone just starting to cook—looking for a shortcut recipe. Get the recipe
Anne Burrell’s Killer Mac and Cheese with Bacon
If there’s one thing Anne Burrell, host of Food Network’s Worst Cooks in America hates, it’s bad mac and cheese. “Great mac and cheese should be creamy and tangy and luscious,” says Burrell. “This recipe is what mac and cheese should be—and it’s got bacon!” Get the recipe
Sweet & Salty Mac and Cheese
To keep family favorites from being boring, Jocelyn Ruggiero, a Madison, Connecticut, writer and mom of two elementary school children, turns to easy twists—like honey, which adds sweetness and flavor to savory dishes. See who can guess the secret ingredient in this gooey main-dish mac. Get the recipe
Everything Bagel Mac ’n’ Cheese
What’s better than savory everything bagels and creamy mac and cheese? Both! At least, that’s according to popular food blogger Dan Whalen. “The cream cheese sauce makes this a perfect flavor mash-up,” Whalen says in his cookbook The Comfort Food Mash-Up Cookbook. Get the recipe
Tracy Morgan’s “You’re the Greatest” Mac and Cheese
Nothing says “I love you” like great mac and cheese—at least, according to comedian Tracy Morgan’s character Tray Barker, author of The Last O.G. Cookbook. Get the recipe
Copycat Panera Macaroni and Cheese
If you’re a fan of Panera, then surely you’ve sampled Panera’s macaroni and cheese, which is addictive to say the least. Can’t get to a chain near you? This copycat recipe is just as good as the real deal! Get the recipe
