21 Mac 'n Cheese Recipes

A grey bowl filled with baked mac and cheese topped with bread crumbs.

Baked Mac and Cheese with Bread Crumbs1/21

Because nothing says love like cheesy pasta magnificence. This baked mac n cheese, made with Colby and Cheddar and crisp, buttery bread crumbs, is easily one of the best we've ever had.

A dark grey rectangular baking dish half filled with four cheese macaroni and cheese and a metal spoon lifting a scoop out.

Four Cheese Macaroni and Cheese2/21

Too much of a good thing can be wonderful. Witness this macaroni and cheese with fontina, Gorgonzola, pecorino, and Parmesan.

A white dish of macaroni gratin with a fork resting inside.

Macaroni Gratin3/21

This luxe mac and cheese comes in diminutive dishes at hoity-toity Balthazar, though it creates no less comfort scooped straight from a plain old baking dish sitting in the center of the table.

A grey plate half-filled with mac and cheese canapes, with a few resting beside the plate

Mac and Cheese Canapés4/21

Fancy schmancy mac and cheese canapés? Why not? Plop these lovelies on a silver platter alongside flutes of Champagne or tuck them into a lunch box.

An oval skillet filled with mushroom macaroni and cheese with a spoon resting on top.

Mushroom Macaroni and Cheese5/21

A simple, sophisticated riff on traditional mac and cheese that's more alfredo-y than casserole-y. No complaints here.

Blue casserole of spicy macaroni and cheese with breadcrumbs on top and sliced of jalapeno peppers

Spicy Macaroni and Cheese6/21

All the comfort of classic mac and cheese plus a little kick. Actually, a lot of kick. Although we've heard not complaints.

A cast iron skillet filled with baked macaroni and cheese

Baked Macaroni and Cheese7/21

This toss-it-together-and-shove-it-in-the-oven casserole is exactly what macaroni and cheese ought to be—easy, cheesy, crumb-topped, and knee-wobblingly indulgent.

A cast-iron skillet filled with pumpkin mac and cheese

Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese8/21

This skillet full of pumpkin macaroni and cheese awesomeness ranks off the charts in its indulgence-o-rama rating.

A man with a forkful of Anaheim green chile macaroni and cheese over a bowl of the same, with strands of Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses

Green Chile Macaroni and Cheese9/21

This grown-up rendition of mac and cheese has a little more gusto in the form of mild heat. And that smattering of crushed tortilla chips, rather than bread crumbs, may be a game changer for you.

A yellow pot with 3-ingredient macaroni and cheese--elbow macaroni, cream, Cheddar cheese

3 Ingredient Macaroni and Cheese10/21

Mac and cheese honestly doesn't get any quicker, easier, or cheaper than this 3-ingredient macaroni and cheese that's done in 20 minutes. Kids, dinner!

A dish of macaroni au gratin on a white paper napkin on a white plate with a stack of plates beside it.

Macaroni Au Gratin11/21

So magnificently and outrageously incredible that folks have literally applauded it at the dinner table. Swear. Easy enough for weeknights. Elegant enough for impressing guests.

Two individual baking dishes with mac and cheese, topped with truffles

Truffled Mac and Cheese12/21

Mac and cheese goes high falutin' with a drizzle of chichi truffle oil and a few shavings of black truffle. Pricey, perhaps. But well worth it every once in a special while.

A casserole dish of baked mac and cheese with carrots.

Mac and Cheese with Carrots13/21

Simple and, yes, a little sneaky, this kid-friendly, fuss-free, casserole-like mac and cheese melds Cheddar and carrot to healthful effect.

A hand using a wooden spoon to lift a scoop of macaroni and cheese with zucchini out of a cast iron pot.

Macaroni and Cheese with Zucchini14/21

We swear no one will notice flecks of suspiciously healthy green once they're cramming their faces with this indulgently creamy stovetop classic smothered with crisp, buttery bread crumbs.

A small dish of not-from-a-box macaroni and cheese on a stack of plates with a fork resting beside it.

Not-from-a-Box Macaroni and Cheese15/21

Incomparably better than what comes out of a box, this mac n cheese is so darn good, it may even be better than what Mom used to make. Velveeta optional.

A gray plate with a pile of skillet mac and cheese piled on it

Add this simple skillet mac and cheese, with its brilliant and time-saving trick we suspect you've never heard of, to your dinner arsenal and you just might achieve superhero status with the kids. And with yourself.