Let us set a scene for you. It’s been a long day. Maybe you’ve had a horrible day at work or school, maybe you had a fight with your significant other, maybe nothing seems to be going right for you and all you want is some comfort food. Insert the universal comfort food: macaroni and cheese. Mac and cheese is simple, cheap, easy to make, and it’s one of those recipes that can take on so many different forms. But what variation of mac and cheese is the best? Lucky for you, we compiled a list of multiple ways to cook macaroni and cheese for you to try out. Ready to ditch the boxed mac and cheese for irresistibly creamy, and cheesy homemade recipes?  

 Baked Mac and Cheese  

Outrageously cheesy, ultra-creamy, and topped with crunchy Panko-Parmesan crumbs are the key words for this easy to make recipe. This recipe was found from Mom on a Timeout and only takes about 30 minutes to cook. It can serve approximately 12 people. Here is the recipe for Baked Mac and Cheese:  

Ingredients  

• 16 oz elbow macaroni  
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil  
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter  
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour  

• 3 cups whole milk  
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream  
• 4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded  
• 2 cups Gruyere cheese, shredded  
• ½ cup parmesan cheese, shredded 

• 4 tbsp butter, melted 
• 1 ½ cups panko crumbs ¼ tsp smoked paprika (or regular paprika) 
• Salt and pepper to taste  

Directions  

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a large 3–4-quart baking dish and set aside. Combine shredded cheese in a large bowl and set aside.  

• Cook the pasta until soft. Drizzle pasta with pasta with olive oil and stir to coat pasta. Set aside to cool while preparing cheese sauce.  
• Melt butter in a deep saucepan, dutch oven, or stock pot. Whisk in flour over medium heat and continue whisking for about 1 minute until bubbly and golden.  
• Gradually whisk in the milk and heavy whipping cream until nice and smooth. Continue whisking until you see bubbles on the surface and then continue whisking for another 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper.  
• Add 2 cups of shredded cheese and whisk until smooth. Add another 2 cups of shredded cheese and continue whisking until creamy and smooth. Sauce should be thick and creamy.  
• Stir in the cooled pasta until pasta is fully coated with the cheese sauce.  

• Pour ½ of the mac and cheese into the prepared baking dish. Top with the remaining 2 cups of shredded cheese and then add in the remaining mac and cheese.  
• In a small bowl, combine panko crumbs, parmesan cheese, melted butter and paprika. Sprinkle over the top and bake for about 30 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown. Ready to serve!  

Stovetop Mac and Cheese  

This is a recipe from The Stay at Home Chef that is made with 9 ingredients and is ready in 15 minutes on the stovetop… talk about convenient! It can serve approximately 6 people. This easy recipe will leave you wanting more and more, so why don’t we get started? Here is a recipe for Stovetop Mac and Cheese:  

Ingredients 

• 1 pound elbow noodles  
• ½ cup salted butter  
• ½ cup all-purpose flour  
• 1 ½ teaspoon onion powder  

• 1 ½ teaspoon ground mustard  
• 1 teaspoon salt  
• ½ teaspoon white pepper  
• 3 cups milk (whole, 2%, or 1%)  
• 8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese  

Directions  

• Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Stir in the noodles; cook until al dente (still firm when bitten) and drain well.  
• In another large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, onion powder, and mustard powder and cook for 1-2 minutes.  
• Pour in milk and whisk until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 3-5 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken. Turn off heat and whisk in the cheese until melted.  
• Pour cooked pasta into the cheese sauce and stir well to combine. Serve immediately!  

4 Cheese Caprese Mac and Cheese 

This 4 Cheese Caprese Mac and Cheese will make you feel like you’re taking a bite of summer! This recipe was found from Half Baked Harvest. It’s exciting, different, and most importantly delicious! This meal is perfect for summer nights, but equally great for transitioning into fall. Here is a recipe for 4 Cheese Caprese Mac and Cheese:  

Ingredients  

• 6 tablespoons salted butter  

• 1-2 cloves garlic, grated  
• 1 cup crushed Ritz crackers  
• 1 pound pasta of your choice  
• 2 ounces cream cheese, cubed  
• 2 cups milk  

• 1 cup sharp white cheddar cheese  
• 1 cup shredded Havarti or fontina cheese  
• 4-6 ounces Brie, rind removed and chopped  
• ¼ cup basil pesto 
• ¼ teaspoon mustard powder  

• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper  
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved  
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese  
• 1-2 regular tomatoes, sliced  
• Fresh basil, for serving  

• Salt and pepper to taste 

Directions  

• Preheat oven to375 degrees. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.  
• In a large pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon salt and the pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 8 minutes. Do not drain the water.  
• Stir in the milk, cream cheese, mustard, cayenne, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until the cream cheese has melted, and the pasta is al dente, for about 4-5 minutes.  

• Add the cheddar, Havarti, brie, and 3 tablespoons of butter. Stir until melted creamy. Remove from heat and stir in the pesto and cherry tomatoes.  
• Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with mozzarella and lay on the sliced tomato slices. Season with salt and pepper.  
• In a medium bowl, stir together the crackers, the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, and the garlic. Sprinkle the crumbs evenly over the mac and cheese.  
• Bake until the sauce is bubbling, and the crumbs are golden, about 20 minutes. All that is left is to eat and enjoy! P.S. this recipe pairs great with wine!   

Gluten Free Mac and Cheese with Zucchini Noodles  

When it comes to comfort food, especially mac and cheese, we know that it’s not the healthiest of foods to consume… but it’s just so darn good! However, thanks to Food Faith and Fitness we have a healthy, but delicious gluten free mac and cheese recipe for you that is light, healthy, low carb and protein packed, and only 250 calories! It’s the perfect healthy comfort food that’ll have your ooey-gooey cheesy levels on OVERDRIVE. Here is a recipe for Gluten Free Mac and Cheese with Zucchini Noodles:  

Ingredients:  

• One box of zucchini noodles  
• 1 ½ cups grated mozzarella cheese  

• ¾ cups parmesan cheese, grated  
• ½ cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt  
• ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes with Italian herbs  
• 1 tsp garlic salt  
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning  

• Salt and pepper to taste  
• Fresh basil, for garnish  

Directions:  

• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add in zucchini noodles and cook just until tender, about 2-3 minutes.  
• Pour the noodles into a colander, making sure to get all the water out of the pot. Place the pot back onto the stove and reduce heat to medium-low. Shake out the water from the zucchini noodles and then transfer them to a kitchen towel. Place another towel under (so you have a double-layer of towels) and squeeze out as much of the water as you can. Repeat this process twice.  

• Transfer the noodles back to the pot on medium-low heat and stir in the cheese, a few handfuls at a time. Add more cheese one the previous addition is melted. DISCLAIMER: it might be a little “globby”, but that’s normal and the Greek yogurt helps smooth it out.  
• Once all the cheese is added and melted, stir in the Greek yogurt until well combined. Then, stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, and a pinch of pepper.  
• Garnish with fresh basil and devour IMMEDIATELY.  

We hope these homemade mac and cheese recipes inspire and satisfy your comfort food cravings! Give us a shout at [email protected] for any further suggestions or questions that you may have!  

Happy cooking, friends!