Better Homes And Gardens Macaroni And Cheese

Cajun Macaroni and Cheese

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Kay E. Clarke; Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey

Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate and gather with friends and family. But it's also a time to let your best recipe have a moment in the limelight. Whether that's a towering cake, classic pie, or one of these appetizers, what's true is that nothing is complete without some variation of the beloved macaroni and cheese. Ubiquitous across the South in soul-food joints, meat-and-threes, and Mom's kitchen, mac and cheese is a surefire, guaranteed crowd pleaser. It's darn hard to resist pasta covered in oodles of creamy cheese, and we've got 28 Thanksgiving macaroni and cheese recipes to prove it. If you're indecisive, we offer our Best-Ever Macaroni and Cheese since it can't steer you wrong. The adventurous (or vegan) may try their hand at Tabitha Brown's version and the wistful, Dad's Mac and Cheese. What can we say? There are options, and you may need to enlist the relatives to make one of each.

Herbed Breadcrumb-Topped Macaroni and Cheese

Roasted Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese

Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Herbed Breadcrumb-Topped Macaroni and Cheese

Crunchy, buttery panko meets sharp white and yellow Cheddar cheeses, plus a sprinkling of fresh sage, thyme, and rosemary for a delicately perfumed and incredibly delicious twist on this classic dish.

Caramelized Onion Macaroni and Cheese

Caramelized Onion Mac and Cheese

Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Caramelized Onion Macaroni and Cheese

Caramelized onions are one of the golden tickets to anything delicious in the kitchen. Enter this Caramelized Onion Macaroni and Cheese. Layers of macaroni, onions, and cheese fill up a 13-by-9-inch baking dish before hitting the oven—topped with breadcrumbs, of course.

Best-Ever Macaroni and Cheese

Best-Ever Mac and Cheese

Credit: VICTOR PROTASIO; PROP STYLING: GINNY BRANCH STELLING; FOOD STYLING: EMILY NABORS HALL

Recipe: Best-Ever Macaroni and Cheese

With overly generous amounts of white and yellow Cheddar, plenty of cream, and a little cayenne and nutmeg, this mac and cheese might be our best-ever recipe. Take one bite, and you'll be convinced, too.

Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Credit: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Food Styling: Angella Sellers and Vanessa McNiel Rocchio; Prop Styling: Melanie J. Clarke and Sissy Lamerton

Recipe: Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese

You're three steps away from this beloved classic. Broiling will get you the highly-coveted crispy cheese exterior.

Roasted Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese

Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Roasted Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese

It's our classic mac and cheese with the addition of garlic-roasted broccoli. Even the vegetable skeptics will be convinced. There's very little cheese cannot fix.

Roasted Tomato Macaroni and Cheese

Credit: Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Roasted Tomato Macaroni and Cheese

Four cheeses plus roasted, herbed tomatoes? Yes, please.

Navi Kitchen Tikka Masala Macaroni and Cheese

Credit: Greg Dupree, Food Styling: Mary Claire Britton, Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner

Recipe: Navi Kitchen Tikka Masala Macaroni and Cheese

If you're a fan of Indian food, and in particular chicken tikka masala, you'll want to try this Tikka Masala Macaroni and Cheese from chef Preeti Mistry.

Cajun Mac and Cheese

Cajun Macaroni and Cheese

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Kay E. Clarke; Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey

Recipe: Cajun Mac and Cheese

Throw in a pound of andouille sausage, some bell pepper, and Cajun seasoning for a fun twist on your standard mac and cheese. Sit back and collect compliments when you show up to Thanksgiving dinner with this in your casserole dish.

Skillet Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

Credit: Antonis Achilleos

Recipe: Skillet Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

The addition of cauliflower lightens an otherwise heavy (but very beloved) Thanksgiving dish. Throw in that dash of hot sauce and call it an evening.

Macaroni au Gratin

Macaroni Au Gratin

Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Macaroni au Gratin

If you love macaroni and cheese and potatoes au gratin, consider this your ticket to the best of both worlds. It's essentially a gratin but swap the potatoes for pasta and add plenty of sharp New York Cheddar cheese.

Baked Mac and Cheese with Bacon

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Baked Mac and Cheese with Bacon

You had us at bacon. A lot of it, please.

Lobster Mac and Cheese

Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Rachael Burrow; Recipe: Darcy Lenz

Recipe: Lobster Mac and Cheese

Beautiful, briny lobster chunks peek between layers of gooey cheese and tender noodles. Oh, and did we mention the Gruyère?

Sheet Pan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Sheet Pan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

It wouldn't quite be fall nor Thanksgiving without some sort of gourd, so we present this Sheet Pan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese. It's a two-for-one and mighty delicious at that.

Macaroni Pie

Credit: Antonis Achilleos

Recipe: Macaroni Pie

It's a bird…it's a plane…it's Macaroni Pie. Flakey, buttery, (pre-made!) pie crust is filled to the brim with creamy macaroni and cheese that still manages to hold it all together in a neat slice of pie.

Macaroni Pudding

Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck; Food Styling: Erin Merhar

Recipe: Macaroni Pudding

Creamy consistency, all the cheese, and a crispy browned top. Yes, please. Save us a scoop. All the scoops.

Dad's Mac and Cheese

Lazarus Lynch Dad's Mac and Cheese

Credit: Anisha Sisodia

Recipe: Dad's Mac and Cheese

It's not really family gathering unless you've made a treasured family recipe. Lazarus Lynch shares his father's mac and cheese that was always sure to run out.

Green Chile Mac and Cheese

Green Chile Mac-and-Cheese

Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Green Chile Mac and Cheese

If you like to keep things simple and you like a lot of spice, you need to try this Green Chile Mac and Cheese. Whip up your favorite mac and cheese recipe before stirring in a whole can of chopped and drained green chiles.

Sweetie Pie's Taste-Alike Mac and Cheese

Macaroni and Cheese

Credit: LauriPatterson/Getty Images

Recipe: Sweetie Pie's Taste-Alike Mac and Cheese

Robbie Montgomery shares her signature recipe—one she's been making for over 40 years at her restaurant, Sweetie Pie's. Now you can have it on your Thanksgiving table. The secret ingredients? Sour cream and a whole lot of Velveeta.

Skillet Mac and Cheese with Crispy Breadcrumbs

Skillet Mac and Cheese with Breadcrumbs

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Skillet Mac and Cheese with Crispy Breadcrumbs

Super decadent mac and cheese gets a sprinkling of breadcrumbs for texture and contrast. Thanks to the cast-iron skillet, you've got a (basically) one-pot pasta operation.

Uncle Jack's Mac and Cheese

Uncle Jack's Mac-and-Cheese

Credit: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Uncle Jack's Mac and Cheese

Even if you don't know who Uncle Jack is, you can't debate that he knew his mac and cheese. This cafeteria-style recipe will have everyone asking for seconds. There may even be a (polite) fight over the last piece.

Southern Pimiento Mac and Cheese

Credit: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Southern Pimiento Mac and Cheese

The South's signature cheese gets the royal treatment in our Southern Pimiento Mac and Cheese Recipe. It'll be the talk of the town until next Thanksgiving.

Tabitha Brown's Vegan Mac and Cheese

Credit: Greg DuPree, Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Recipe: Tabitha Brown's Vegan Mac and Cheese

The World's Favorite Mom has the mac and cheese recipe for the vegans in the Thanksgiving crowd who are swimming in turkey and gravy. With the help of some dairy-free cheese and butternut squash, even the die-hard mac and cheese fans will be on board.

One-Pot Fresh Corn Mac and Cheese

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Recipe: One-Pot Fresh Corn Mac and Cheese

This one-pot pasta gets a fresh, sweet spin with the addition of some corn and scallions.

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