Old Fashioned Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Variations

Pasta:

Use any small pasta shapes in place of elbow macaroni. I especially love cavatappi. Other options are shells, fusilli, or penne noodles.

Cheese

The sky is the limit for cheese choices for this old fashioned baked macaroni. Try different cheeses or a combination of cheeses. Try pepper jack, Colby jack, mozzarella, Havarti, gouda, or cream cheese. Get fancy with brie, goat cheese, or gruyere. Replace the cheese in the topping with Parmesan.  Use your favorite melty cheeses, but stay away from pre-grated cheese for best results.

Spice

Spice up this recipe with different seasonings. Add black pepper, cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic powder, onion powder, or a splash of hot sauce. Add seasoning to the cheese sauce before adding the cooked macaroni.

Add-ins

Here’s the fun part! Mac & Cheese is a perfect, cheesy base for so many ingredients. I love to add broccoli florets. Add the broccoli to the pasta for the last minute of cooking. Other great options are cooked and crumbled bacon, cubed ham, green peas, spinach, mushrooms, or any vegetables that you like.