Mac And Cheese Just Got An Upgrade With These Delicious Recipes

Raise your hand if there are some nights you don’t really want to cook. I can’t be the only one. One thing that makes dinner easier is updating classic recipes, and one classic that has yet to be beat is mac and cheese. The only thing more comforting than a warm and creamy serving of this dish is a revamp on the classic! These are our favorite upgraded mac and cheese recipes.

Skillet Mac & Cheese Pizza Style

Thanks to Appliances Reviewed for this recipe!

Directions

1. Cook the elbow macaroni in boiling water. Add a little sauce and some olive oil and cook for 8-11 minutes. 

2. When the macaroni is done cooking, reserve one cup of pasta water. Drain the macaroni and rinse the noodles with cold water. Set aside. 

3. Preheat the oven to 500°F. 

4. Add olive oil to a skillet and put it over medium heat. 

5. Add the onion and cook for 1-2 minutes then add butter. Once the butter melts, stir in the flour to create a roux. Be careful not to burn and keep stirring the mixture. 

6. Add the milk to the skillet and let the mixture broil. 

7. Stir in the tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste. 

8. Finally add one cup of mozzarella cheese, macaroni, and half of the pepperoni slices. Mix everything together well. If the sauce is too thick, use the leftover pasta water to make it thinner. 

9. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese, one layer of pepperoni slices, and the remaining mozzarella cheese on top of the mixture.

10. Place the skillet in the oven until the cheese melts and starts to brown (about 3-5 minutes). 

11. Once the mac and cheese is cooked, leave it for 15-20 minutes to chill.

Four Cheese Truffle Mac and Cheese

Thanks to Fox and Briar for this recipe!

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a 9×12 baking dish and set aside. 

2. Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta and toss it with some olive oil to keep it from sticking. Set aside. 

3. In a large pot over medium heat, melt the four tablespoons of butter. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Sprinkle the flour over the butter and whisk together. Continue whisking for 2-3 minutes. 

4. Gradually pour the milk in while whisking. Do this slowly, to avoid lumps in the sauce. 

5. Once all the milk is added, add the paprika, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Whisk to combine. Add in the mascarpone and whisk until incorporated.

6. Start adding the grated fontina, cheddar, and parmesan a handful at a time. After adding one handful, whisk until the cheese is fully incorporated before adding more. Continue this until all the cheese has been added. Add 2 tablespoons of truffle oil and whisk until fully incorporated. 

7. Add the cooked pasta to the mixture and stir until the pasta is fully coated. 

8. Pour the noodles into the prepared baking dish and top with panko breadcrumbs. Drizzle with the remaining truffle oil and bake for about 35 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are golden.

French Onion Mac and Cheese

Thanks to Hungry Couple for this recipe!

Directions

1. Peel and thinly slice the onions. Add them to a cast iron pan along with the olive oil and one tablespoon of butter. Cook on medium low heat, stirring occasionally for 45 minutes. 

2. After 45 minutes, add in the Worcestershire sauce and continue cooking for an additional 5-10 minutes until the onions are a deep, golden brown, but not burned. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon.

3. Add the additional tablespoon of butter to the pan along with the flour. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Slowly whisk in the beef broth and milk and continue cooking and whisking until the mixture thickens. Add the thyme and 2 oz. of the Gruyere cheese. Season to taste. 

4. Preheat the oven to 400°F while you cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and stir the pasta into the cheese sauce. Fold in the caramelized onions and pour the mixture into four individual crocks. Sprinkle the remaining cheese equally on each baking dish and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and slightly browned.

Mushroom Garlic Mac and Cheese

Thanks to Life As A Strawberry for this recipe!

Directions

1. Cook the pasta in very salty water until al dente. Drain and set aside. 

2. Melt half of the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.

3. Add the garlic and mushrooms to the butter. Sauté until the mushrooms have softened and reduced in size, about 8 minutes. 

4. Add salt and pepper and stir to combine. Then add the remaining butter to the mushroom mixture and stir until melted. Add the flour to the saucepan and stir. Let the mixture cook for a minute or so until the flour has soaked up all the butter and smells slightly nutty. Finally, add the milk in a little at a time, stirring well between each addition to remove any lumps.

5. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5-8 minutes until the sauce has thickened and just barely begun to simmer. 

6. Remove the sauce from the heat. Add the gruyere and goat cheese. Stir until the cheese has melted. 

7. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss to combine. Taste it and add salt and pepper if necessary. Serve and enjoy!

Gluten Free Mac and Cheese with Zucchini Noodles

Thanks to Food Faith Fitness for this recipe!

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add in the zucchini noodles, breaking any really long noodles up as you add them to the pot. Cook until tender, about 2-3 minutes. 

2. Pour the noodles into a colander and drain. Place the pot back onto the stove and reduce the heat to medium-low. 

3. Shake the water from the zucchini noodles then transfer them to a kitchen towel. Place another kitchen towel under and squeeze the top of the zucchini noodles, trying to get as much water out as you can. Transfer the zucchini noodles onto a layer of paper towels. Place another layer of paper towels on top and squeeze out any additional water. Repeat once more with more paper towels.

4. Transfer the noodles back to the pot on a medium-low heat and stir in the cheese a few handfuls at a time. Add more cheese once the previous has melted. 

5. Once all the cheese is added and melted, stir in the Greek yogurt until well combined. 

6. Finally, stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, and a pinch of pepper. 

7. Garnish with fresh basil and enjoy!

One Pot 4 Cheese Caprese Mac and Cheese

Thanks to Half Baked Harvest for this recipe!

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. 

2. In a large pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and the pasta to the water. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes. Don’t drain the water. Stir in the milk, cream cheese, mustard, cayenne, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook the mixture until the cream cheese has melted and the pasta is al dente — about 4-5 minutes. 

3. Add the cheddar, Havarti, brie, and 3 tablespoons of butter into the pot. Stir until melted and creamy. Remove from the heat and stir in the pesto and cherry tomatoes. 

4. Transfer the mixture to a prepared baking dish. Top with the mozzarella and lay on the tomato slices. Season with salt and pepper. 

5. In a medium bowl, stir together the crackers, 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. 

6. Eat and enjoy!

Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

Thanks to Love & Lemons for this recipe!

Directions

1. For the cheese, place the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold water by about 1 inch. Add a few pinches of salt and bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until fork-tender. About 8-12 minutes. 

2. Drain and transfer to a high-speed blender with the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth. 

3. For the mac and cheese: blend the additional garlic clove, salt, smoked paprika, and cayenne to the cheese sauce. 

4. Preheat the oven broiler. 

5. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and boil the cauliflower florets for 5 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the cheese sauce to coat the cauliflower. 

6. Transfer the mixture to an 8×8 inch baking dish and top with the bread crumbs. 

7. Broil for 2 minutes, or until the topping is lightly browned. 

8. Remove from the oven and serve with parmesan!

Fried Mac and Cheese

Thanks to Spicy Southern Kitchen for this recipe!

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, whisk together 1 cup of milk and 2 tablespoons of flour. Place over medium-low heat. Add in cheeses, butter, ¼ teaspoon of salt, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Stir until the cheese melts. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes. 

2. Set aside 2 tablespoons of sauce to drizzle over the fried balls. 

3. Add the cooked macaroni to the rest of the cheese sauce, stirring well. Taste and add more seasoning and salt if desired. 

4. Pour the mixture into a greased 8×8 inch pan and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour. 

5. Use a small ice cream scoop to form balls. You might need to use your hands to continue to shape them. Place the balls (about 16) in a baking pan lined with wax paper and freeze for about 2 hours. 

6. Whisk together the egg and one cup of milk and a bowl. 

7. Pour one cup of flour into another bowl. 

8. In a third bowl, combine the bread crumbs and 1 teaspoon of salt. 

9. One at a time, coat the ball in flour, dip it into the egg mixture, coat with bread crumbs, then back to the egg mixture, and once more to the bread crumbs. Let the balls sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes while you heat up the oil. 

10. Heat the oil to 350°F. Fry 4-5 balls at a time for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. 

11. Drain the balls on paper towels. 

12. Heat the 2 tablespoons of cheese sauce that was set aside. Place it into a plastic bag and drizzle over the balls. 

13. Serve warm with pizza sauce!

Is your mouth watering? We’re so excited to try these new recipes! Which one are you trying first? Comment below!

For More Pasta Recipes, Check Out These:

Dinner Is Suddenly So Easy With These One Pot Pasta Recipes

This One Pan Fettuccine Carbonara Recipe Tastes Like Italy