Best 16 Easy Mac And Cheese Recipes

EASY TACO MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir ground beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and discard grease. Add salsa, corn, and taco seasoning. Season meat sauce with salt and pepper.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil. Stir in pasta and return to a boil. Cook pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain.
• Combine the meat sauce, pasta, Colby-Jack cheese, and green onions in a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Sprinkle Cheddar cheese on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted, about 25 minutes.

EASY MAC AND CHEESE MUFFINS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. In a small bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, olive oil and salt; set aside.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook for about 8 minutes, it should still be a little bit firm. Remove from the heat, drain and return to the pan; stir in the butter and egg until pasta is evenly coated. Reserve 1/2 cup of sharp Cheddar cheese and stir the remaining Cheddar cheese, milk and mozzarella cheese into the pasta. Spoon into the prepared muffin tin. Sprinkle the reserved cheese and the bread crumb mixture over the tops.
• Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the topping is nicely browned. Allow the muffins to cool for a few minutes before removing from the pan. This will allow the cheese to set and they will hold their muffin shape.

IMPOSSIBLY EASY MAC AND CHEESE PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray. Place uncooked macaroni in pie plate. Sprinkle with 1 3/4 cups of the cheese.
• In medium bowl, stir remaining ingredients with wire whisk or fork until blended. Pour into pie plate.
• Spray sheet of foil with cooking spray; place sprayed side down over pie plate. Bake 40 minutes. Uncover; bake 8 to 10 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Bake 1 to 2 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

EASY MAC AND CHEESE PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Place pizza crust on a baking sheet.
• Bring a small pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook cavatappi in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but firm to the bite, 10 to 11 minutes. Drain and return pasta to the pot.
• Stir 1/2 the cheese sauce and butter into the cavatappi pot over medium heat until butter is melted and pasta-cheese mixture is combined. Season with salt and pepper.
• Spread a thin layer of cheese sauce over the pizza crust. Sprinkle shredded Cheddar cheese over the cheese sauce onto the crust. Pour pasta-cheese mixture over the Cheddar cheese, and top with another 1/2 the cheese sauce.
• Bake pizza in the preheated oven until golden and bubbling, 8 to 10 minutes. Let rest for 2 minutes before slicing.

SUNNY'S EASY CHIPOTLE CHICKEN BAKED MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• For the chicken and pasta: Remove 4 to 5 chipotle peppers and a bit of adobo sauce from the can and rub it all over the chicken; measure out 2 tablespoons of the adobo sauce and set aside for later (reserve any remaining chiles and adobo sauce from the can for another use). Rest the chicken in a bowl or on a plate for 2 hours total, refrigerated first for 1 1/2 hours, then at room temperature for an additional 30 minutes.
• In a large pot, add the garlic, chicken and the chipotle peppers from the marinade. Add just enough water to cover, then bring to a boil on medium high. Once boiling, turn the heat to the lowest setting and poach the chicken until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate and rest (reserve the poaching water for cooking the pasta). Fish out the peppers and discard them; place the garlic cloves in a large bowl and smash them with the back of a spoon or your hands. Once the chicken is cool enough to touch, shred it by hand into bite-size pieces.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Use the butter or cooking spray to coat the bottom and sides of a 13-by-9-inch casserole dish.
• In the same pot used to poach the chicken, add more water to the poaching water and a nice pinch of salt and bring the pot back to a boil (watch the water; it may foam up a bit from the poaching process). Add the pasta and cook 1 minute less than the package suggests. Drain the pasta in a colander.
• For the sauce: In the large bowl with the garlic, add the heavy cream, cheese, crema, flour, pepper, scallions, eggs, reserved 2 tablespoons adobo sauce, shredded chicken and cooked pasta. Stir to combine. Pour into the prepared dish.
• For the topping: In a medium bowl, toss together the crushed chips and cheese. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the dish. Bake, uncovered, until golden brown on top, about 30 minutes.

EASY MAC AND CHEESE VEGGIE CHICKEN CASSEROLE FROM COUNTRY CROCK®

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine 3 tablespoons Country Crock® Spread, milk, rotini, chicken, vegetables and cheddar cheese in 8-inch baking dish.
• Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and remaining Spread in small bowl; sprinkle over top of casserole.
• Bake until heated through and crumbs are toasted, about 30 minutes.

EASY MAC AND CHEESE SOUP

Steps:

• Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain. Do not stir in the sauce.
• In a medium saucepan, combine broccoli, onion and water. Bring to a boil and cook until broccoli is tender. Stir in macaroni, cheese mixture from package, milk, soup and ham. Return to a boil briefly. Serve hot.

EASY MEXICAN MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• SPRAY crockpot with cooking spray.
• DUMP pasta, then all other ingredients (except garnishes) in your crockpot.
• COOK ON HIGH for at least 45 minutes without disturbing; from that point on, stir every half hour or so, checking to see if the pasta is done (based on the reviews it can take anywhere between 45 minutes and two hours). When your pasta is cooked, proceed to Step #4.
• SERVE -- topped generously with green onions and crushed tortilla chips! Be sure to turn off the crockpot or switch to the warm setting, so the pasta doesn't get mushy.

EASY CAPRESE MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Prepare the Horizon mac and cheese according to the package directions.
• Stir in the tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, and basil. Serve immediately.

EASY QUINOA MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to and spray an 8-inch-square baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
• Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until hot. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 1 minute or until onion is tender. Add quinoa and cook, stirring, until golden brown and toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 2 1/2 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until water has been absorbed, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Whisk eggs and milk together in a large bowl. Stir quinoa into egg mixture, and whisk in 1/2 cup of the cheese. Spread in the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake for 30 minutes. Garnish with chopped tomato and green onion, if desired. Serve immediately.

EASY CHEESY MAC AND CHEESE (WITH OPTIONAL CRUNCHY TOPPING)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, 8 minutes. Drain.
• Transfer cooked macaroni to a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Add 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, Alfredo sauce, and mustard; mix thoroughly until macaroni is evenly coated. Mix in remaining 2 cups cheese and drained tomatoes and green chiles. Top with bread crumbs.
• Bake until bubbly and cheese is melted, about 30 minutes.

EASY PUMPKIN MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in whole wheat flour until combined. Stir in soy milk, pumpkin puree, and Cheddar cheese.
• Drain pasta and mix into the sauce. Cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.

IMPOSSIBLY EASY MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• 1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 10-inch pie plate or casserole dish with cooking spray. Place uncooked macaroni in pie plate. Mix shredded cheeses. Spread 2 1/2 cups cheese on top of macaroni.
• 2. In medium bowl, stir remaining ingredients (except remaining 1/2 cup cheese) with wire whisk or fork until blended. Pour into pie plate on top of macaroni.
• 3. Spray sheet of foil with cooking spray; place sprayed side down over pie plate. Bake 40 minutes. Uncover; bake 8 to 10 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake 2 to 4 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

EASY WEEKNIGHT MAC AND CHEESE 4 WAYS

Steps:

• Cook elbow macaroni according to package directions, about 8 minutes.
• While macaroni is cooking, melt butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Whisk in Almond Breeze almondmilk and stock and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. Stir in mustard, onion powder, and garlic salt.
• Add cheese a little at a time, cooking and stirring until melted before adding more. Season with pepper. Drain macaroni well and stir in. Cook for 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
• For Sausage and Pepper topping: Cook sausage and onion in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until sausage is browned and onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in bell pepper and thyme; cook and stir for 2 minutes more to soften peppers. Serve over hot Weeknight Mac and Cheese.
• For Riced Veggie and Bacon topping: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add bacon and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in riced veggies; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes to soften. Season with garlic salt. Serve over hot Weeknight Mac and Cheese.
• For Pepperoni and Veggie Pizza topping: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and pepperoni and cook until both are lightly browned, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Stir in bell pepper; cook and stir for 2 minutes to soften. Stir in olives, if desired. Spoon over hot Weeknight Mac and Cheese.

IMPOSSIBLY FAST AND EASY MAC AND CHEESE PIE

Steps:

• 1. PIE: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 9 inch pie plate. Place uncooked macaroni in pie plate. Sprinkle 1 3/4 cup shredded cheese evenly over macaroni. In a mixing bowl stir together all remaining pie ingredients. Mix until well blended. Carefully pour this over ingredients already in pie plate. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center of the pie comes out clean.
• 2. FOR TOPPING PIE AT END OF BAKING: Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese and bake for 2-3 minutes more to melt cheese. Let sit outside oven for 5 minutes before cutting. NOTE: If you are using this recipe for adults you may wish to add 1/4 teaspoon of dried red pepper flakes. You can also crush some seasoned croutons and sprinkle over the cheese for final couple of minutes of baking- when you add the cheese and melt it. Or you can garnish the baked pie with paprika or fresh parsley.

QUICK AND EASY MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• 1. Heat a large frying pan and add the milk, butter and cheese. Cook macaroni as directed. Lift out of the water with a slated spoon and add to the milk and cheese. Lower heat and toss until all of the cheese is incorporated with the macaroni.