Homemade Macaroni and Cheese Recipes

Crispy bacon, extra-creamy cheese sauce, pears sauteed in brown sugar and butter. It took our Test Kitchen three tries to get all the pieces right for this fall comfort food. Oh man, was it worth it.

Here's a real crowd-pleaser: a creamy mac and cheese recipe using three kinds of cheese. It's from the former Army and Lou's restaurant in Chicago.

Pair Mexican flavors with pasta for this comfort-food casserole that includes sausage, salsa and Monterey Jack cheese.

Canned pumpkin and chopped walnuts up the flavor, texture and nutritional value of the cheesy staple.

The combo of butternut squash, rigatoni, bacon and smoked cheese makes for a delicious twist on traditional mac and cheese.

We gave homey mac and cheese a refresh. The saucepan sauce is made without a flour thickener, so it's lighter-tasting than baked versions. And adding veggies and chicken makes it a well-rounded meal.

Swiss, cheddar and Parmesan give this casserole a big punch of cheesy flavor. 

You don't have to cross the Atlantic for this gourmet meal. Simple add-ins like kalamata olives and feta cheese give mac and cheese a pop of Greek flavor.

Homemade sauce coats the noodles and veggies in cheesy delight. Red pepper flakes add just enough kick.

In case two kinds of cheese and a pound of sausage aren't enough to transform a pot of mac and cheese, chipotle pepper will do the trick.

Combine two all-American classics to make this innovative casserole-like dish. Just like a cheeseburger, the ingredients are added in layers.

Mexican-blend cheese, salsa, ground beef, chili peppers…no this isn't just another taco recipe. The fiesta-themed ingredients turn mac and cheese into a surprising crowd-pleaser.

Garlic, basil, pine nuts and shrimp amp up the flavor in this twist on macaroni and cheese.

An easy cheese sauce seasons the pasta, deli chicken and fresh broccoli in this quick dinner.

Fresh lobster (frozen works, too) and truffle oil take mac and cheese from traditional to extravagant.

Take 15 minutes to prep this mac, then let it sit in your slow cooker for a few hours. You'll come back to an extra-creamy, extra-cheesy homemade meal.