All macaroni and cheese is good macaroni and cheese, but these DailyExpertNews Cooking recipes are especially fine — and broad, whether they’re spicy or creamy, soft or crunchy, meat-studded or dairy-free. The picks below feature some of the best interpretations, both classic and clever.
Stouffer’s macaroni and cheese is the most exemplary version of the dish, according to Eric Kim. After testing a number of techniques and proportions, he finally came up with his nostalgic, creamy, Velveeta-y take.
For many Southerners, this Millie Peartree recipe, adapted by Kiera Wright-Ruiz, is as classic as it gets. The milk and egg base gives the pasta an extra rich, custard-like texture, especially in the melted center (perhaps the best part).
Recipe: Southern Macaroni and Cheese
You know what you can add to any dish to make it even more delicious? Fried cubes Spam. Trust Von Diaz, whose version of macaroni and cheese combines her upbringing in both Puerto Rico and the South. The base is simple, with a flour and milk slurry for thickness rather than a roux. But “during difficult times,” she suggests, “a box of instant mac and cheese and a can of spam will also yield delicious results.”
Recipe: Spam Macaroni and Cheese
For anyone who has ever fallen in love with chilli, this new Vallery Lomas recipe is a no-brainer. The addition of cream cheese, sliced allspice, jalapeños, and bell peppers to an otherwise straightforward take is just as awesome as it sounds.
Recipe: Allspice Mac and Cheese
Julia Moskin’s recipe is one of the most beloved DailyExpertNews Cooking recipes of all time, with more than 12,400 five-star ratings (at the time of writing) and over a thousand raving comments. The secret ingredient? Cottage cheese.
Recipe: Creamy Macaroni and Cheese
Luxury! Sam Sifton took Julia Moskin’s classic creamy macaroni and cheese recipe above and made it extra special with tender chunks of lobster meat. Commentators called it “fantastic,” “really delicious,” and “fantastic,” and they’re all right.
Recipe: Lobster Mac and Cheese
So much comfort can be found in this hearty crispy top casserole, heavily flavored with savory herbs and Scotch bonnet pepper. Lesley Enston’s version of this Trini holiday staple makes excellent leftovers, so don’t cook this recipe just for big functions — make it for yourself and enjoy it for a few days.
Alexa Weibel’s vegan version is as perfect as a dairy-free macaroni and cheese can get, thanks to three sources of creaminess: mixed raw cashews, nut milks, and umami-rich nutritional yeast.
Recipe: Vegan Mac and Cheese
Leave it to Ali Slagle, a weeknight dinner wizard, to create a mash-up that will have you saying, “French onion soup and macaroni and cheese really do go together!” The little Gruyère toasts on top really bring it home.
Recipe: Macaroni and cheese with French onion
Here’s another recipe for the dairy-free sauce: Jocelyn Ramirez’s creamy (and creamless) sauce features potatoes and carrots for starch and sweetness, and charred chiles for plenty of smoke and spice. Again, nutritional yeast adds a distinctly cheesy flavor that seals the deal.
Recipe: Vegan Poblano Macaroni and Cheese
In Ali Slagle’s 25-minute recipe, the pasta cooks in the milk, along with chopped broccoli, and cheese is stirred in at the end. It almost seems too easy to be tasty, but it is — and you’re getting equal parts pasta and veggies.
Recipe: One-pan Broccoli Mac and Cheese