Recipes Dinner Pasta and Noodle Dishes Mac and Cheese If You Are Trusted to Bring the Macaroni and Cheese, You Have to Nail It — and We Have 21 Recipes to Help Keep it creamy and classic with multiple cheeses, or add some cheffed-up touches with pickled shallots, lobster, andouille, or some clever crunch. By Food & Wine Editors Food & Wine Editors This is collaborative content from Food & Wine's team of experts, including staff, recipe developers, chefs, and contributors. Many of our galleries curate recipes or guides from a variety of sources which we credit throughout the content and at each link. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 26, 2024 Close Photo: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Creamy, cheesy, and piping hot, macaroni and cheese is a classic for a reason, and when you need something hearty, the best mac and cheese recipes 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. 01 of 21 Raclette-Gruyère Mac and Cheese with Pickled Shallots Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Inspired by älplermagronen, Alpine farmers' macaroni, the F&W Test Kitchen's 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. Get the Recipe 02 of 21 Baked Shells with Gremolata Breadcrumbs Photo by Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Prissy Lee Macaroni and cheese is always a crowd pleaser. F&W culinary director at large Justin Chapple's 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 play perfectly with the richness of the ultra-creamy baked shells. Get the Recipe 03 of 21 Southern-Style Mac 'n' Cheese Photo by Noah Fecks / Food Styling by Drew Aichele / Prop Styling by Ethan Lunkenheimer 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 often 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, adding even more richness to the dish. Get the Recipe 04 of 21 Lobster Mac and Cheese Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Christina Daley 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. Get the Recipe 05 of 21 Mac and Corn Cheese Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christine Keely Inspired by Stouffer's and Korean restaurant corn cheese, cookbook author Eric Kim's mac and cheese is enlivened with snappy kernels of sweet corn, pungent onion, and fruity jalapeño. Get the Recipe 06 of 21 Macaroni and Cheese with Buttery Crumbs Jennifer Causey Small chunks of cheddar and Colby cheeses throughout give this classic dish a perfect hit of flavor and a fabulous gooey texture. Get the Recipe 07 of 21 Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese Abby Hocking / Food & Wine This three-cheese version gets a a pop of heat from a generous pinch of cayenne, while buttery breadcrumbs give it a great crunch. Bonus: You can set it and forget it in the slow cooker for a few hours. Get the Recipe 08 of 21 Okra Mac and Cheese with Andouille Sausage Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell Chef and TV host Kevin Belton's baked mac and cheese is loaded with andouille sausage, okra, Creole seasoning, and white cheddar and Gruyère cheeses. Get the Recipe 09 of 21 Kentucky Hot Brown Macaroni and Cheese Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen The F&W Test Kitchen took the essential components of a Kentucky Hot Brown — roast turkey, tomato, bacon, and Mornay sauce — and combined them for an creative macaroni and cheese with the soul of the original. Get the Recipe 10 of 21 Pernil Mac and Cheese Lauren Vied Allen 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. Get the Recipe 11 of 21 Macaroni and Cheese with Buttery Crumbs © Matthew Armendariz Small chunks of cheddar and Colby cheeses throughout give this macaroni and cheese a perfect hit of flavor and a fabulous gooey texture. Get the Recipe 12 of 21 Macaroni and Three Cheeses © Quentin Bacon White cheddar, gorgonzola, and Parmesan make chef David Walzog's deluxe breadcrumb-topped mac and cheese sing. Get the Recipe 13 of 21 Classic Macaroni and Cheese with Potato Chip Crumble © Kate Winslow Potato chips add a clever crunch to recipe developer Kate Winslow's tangy, gooey, mustard-amped macaroni and cheese. Get the Recipe 14 of 21 Auntie Monica's Seafood Mac and Cheese Stacy Howell Loaded with fresh shrimp, crab, and lobster and layered with a rich mixture of cheeses, this macaroni and cheese from chef Kia Damon's aunt Monica Williams (a retired drill sergeant) 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. Get the Recipe 15 of 21 Buttermilk Macaroni and Cheese with Baby Kale Kelly Marshall 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. Get the Recipe 16 of 21 Grant Achatz's Mac and Cheese © John Kernick 2002 F&W Best New 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. Get the Recipe 17 of 21 Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon and Blue Cheese © Kate Winslow A few snipped chives make a lovely garnish for Kate Winslow's mac and cheese with wedge salad vibes. Get the Recipe 18 of 21 Andouille Mac & Cheese © Cedric Angeles 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. Get the Recipe 19 of 21 Three-Cheese Mac and Cheese Photo © Justin Fox Burks Goat cheese, sharp white cheddar, Parmigiano Reggiano, sour cream, and egg yolks, make this skillet-baked recipe from chef and TV host Ben Vaughn a standout. Get the Recipe 20 of 21 Pickled Pepper Macaroni and Cheese Con Poulos Crispy panko breadcrumbs add crunch to Justin Chapple and Laura Rege's rich and cheesy pasta casserole, studded with sweet and spicy pickled peppers. Get the Recipe 21 of 21 Leek Mac and Cheese Cooks usually reserve dark, tough leek greens for stock. Here, F&W Test Kitchen veteran Grace Parisi sautés them until they're soft and supple, then folds them into a luscious macaroni and cheese made with nutty Manchego. 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