There’s no better comfort food than the American classic: Mac and Cheese! Macaroni and cheese has been around for centuries. The first modern recipe for mac and cheese was included in at 1770 cookbook! With 250 years to refine the concept, there are countless variations on the combination of cheese sauce and macaroni. Here we’ve collected a few of our very favorite mac and cheese recipes! There’s everything from a classic straight-forward take with cheddar cheese to more unique recipes with pesto, smoked gouda cheese, and even squash! Let’s get cooking.
And now…the best mac and cheese recipes!
Best noodles for mac and cheese
As you can see from these mac and cheese recipes…macaroni and cheese doesn’t need to use macaroni! There are all sorts of unique noodle shapes to use in mac and cheese recipes. In fact: we prefer it with everything from shells to gigli. The main guideline? Use a short-cut pasta, not long noodles. Here are our favorite types of short pasta for mac and cheese, in order of preference:
Conchiglie (shells): what we used hereCavatappi: cork-screw shapesOrecchiette: ear shapesGigli (Campanelle): lily shapesPenne: long thin tubes with diagonal endsGemelli: twisted tube shapesRigatoni: long thicker tubes
More great pasta recipes
Love pasta? Here are all the best pasta recipes to try: No reviews
10 Pasta Recipes Everyone Will Love All our favorites, in one place! 12 Best Vegan Pasta Recipes Want plant based? Here are all the best vegan pastas. Baked Rigatoni Pasta This cozy baked pasta is hearty and satisfying for eaters of all kinds. Creamy White Sauce Pasta This pasta uses an amazing basic cream sauce that everyone will love!Creamy Shrimp Pasta or Scallop Pasta Combine shellfish with Parmesan, lemon and long noodles for a tasty dinner.
