57 Thanksgiving Mac and Cheese Recipes
Who doesn’t like mac and cheese casserole for holiday dinners?
Everyone has their favorite way of making it, but in case you’re in the mood to mix things up a bit this Thanksgiving, check out these mac and cheese recipes!
Related: 20 Thanksgiving Mashed Sweet Potato Recipes
Best Thanksgiving Mac and Cheese Recipes
Having these mac and cheese recipes up your sleeve is going to make Thanksgiving tastier and easy!
1. Pizza Mac and Cheese
So simple and yet so delicious! And while America didn’t technically invent pizza, we sure did innovate pizza mac & cheese!
Celebrate America this Thanksgiving with Pizza Mac & Cheese.
Just make macaroni and cheese, stir in pizza sauce, top with mozzarella and pepperoni, and bake like a pizza.
2. Lobster Macaroni and Cheese
Gourmet mac this Thanksgiving! This homemade lobster macaroni and cheese is as good as any restaurant’s.
Impress your guests with it’s rich and creamy flavor, use Maine lobster to make it extra fancy.
It has seafood so it’s healthy right?
3. Creamy Mac and Cheese
Mac and cheese is already a family favorite on most Thanksgiving tables, and this recipe will be on rotation in your house soon too!
This version has a twist with a layer of cheeses layered into the middle of the dish that adds a layer of creaminess and texture that everyone will love!
4. Vegan Mac and Cheese
This vegan mac and cheese recipe is cheesy-tasting, but is actually completely plant-based.
It’s perfect for those who want to eat more veggies the the holidays!
5. Simple Mac and Cheese
Better than opening a blue box.
This simple, homemade baked mac and cheese recipe is the only one you’ll ever need this Thanksgiving.
6. Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese
Talk about a match made in heaven!
Gorgeous mac and cheese with pulled pork takes this family favorite up a notch to superstar status in our eyes!
Adding slow-cooked pulled pork with a zingy BBQ sauce is mind-blowing.
Related: Salty Mac and Cheese? Here’s How To Fix It
7. Classic Mac and Cheese
This recipe is a real classic!
You don’t need fancy or extra special ingredients to make a creamy classic Mac and Cheese.
This recipe proves that less is more in some cases!
8. Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
You won’t even miss the pasta.
Getting veggies into kids (and even some adults) can be hard, but with this recipe for cauliflower mac and cheese you’ll find it’s a done deal.
9. Bacon Mac and Cheese
With comfort in every bite, you’ll soon become a believer in this perfect bacon and Mac Cheese combination!
With its family-friendly, rich, and creamy sauce combined with crispy bacon and breadcrumb topping, we bet you’ll never make the plain version again!
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10. Grilled Mac and Cheese Sandwich
The best grilled cheese sandwich ever. Totally the best thing since sliced bread. Serve with tomato soup for a hearty dinner.
11. Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
A quick and creamy bowl of buffalo chicken mac and cheese.
Garnish with green onions and blue cheese for extra flavor.
It’s perfect for Game Day or any day!
12. Mac and Cheese Waffle
You can make waffles out of Mac and Cheese?
Yes, you can!
This is not a waffle recipe with Mac and Cheese on the top- it’s a bona fide meal made from Mac and Cheese in a waffle maker! Mind-blowing!
13. Tuna Mac and Cheese
Adding tuna to Mac and Cheese can turn a hearty meal into an even heartier one with extra protein to boot!
14. Basic Mac and Cheese
Mac and Cheese doesn’t have to be complicated and this recipe shows that basic can be the best – which I know to be especially true with the internationally classic Mac and Cheese.
15. 20-Minute Mac and Cheese
If you like recipes that can feed the family in just over twenty minutes, then this Mac and Cheese recipe will give you speed and taste in the same dish!
Using classic Mac and Cheese ingredients, this recipe starts on the stovetop and then is poured into a baking dish to finish off and give it a crisp topping.
16. Beer and Bacon Mac and Cheese
Beer and bacon makes mac and cheese better.
Adding a few ounces of beer to the cheesy sauce adds a layer of complexity.
The alcohol will burn off completely in the cooking process so if you have kids at the table there are no problems except wondering if there will be enough for everyone.
17. Smoked Cod Mac and Cheese
Some things just go perfectly together! Adding smoked cod to your classic Cheese and Mac recipe gives flexitarians and pescatarians another dish to enjoy at the family table.
18. One Pot Mac and Cheese
Who wants to wash more dishes than they need to, even when the food is delicious? No one!
So when a simple recipe- with only one pot (and a fork) to wash up afterwards- comes along, you should try it!
19. Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
Perfect for Autumn and Thanksgiving feasts, this seasonal Mac and Cheese recipe is a perfect way to celebrate the colder times of the year!
It’s rich, savory, and colorful and makes a great festive side dish or weekday main as the weather cools down a bit.
The sage and butter breadcrumbs make the best topping with the velvety golden pumpkin in the sauce.
20. Greens Mac and Cheese
Can Mac and Cheese be healthy?
With this recipe, it sure is! It’s a great one for fussy kids who don’t like veggies on their plate, with the vibrant green color not only being fun but nutritious as well.
This Mac and Cheese recipe uses whole meal pasta shapes to add fiber, and the sauce has spinach blended into it giving it color and nutrients!!
21. 3-Ingredient Mac and Cheese
Keeping things simple is great on weeknights when everyone is hungry- or when all you want to do on the weekends is chill and eat Mac and Cheese!
This is a stovetop recipe that is ready in just over fifteen minutes and truly can be made with three simple ingredients. Pasta, milk, and cheese!
22. Southern Mac and Cheese
Macaroni and cheese is a quintessential southern dish. It is made super cheesy and creamy. Mac and cheese always steals the show.
23. Truffled Gnocchi Mac and Cheese
Macaroni and cheese gnocchi are drizzled with a simple white cheddar and white truffle sauce to add a touch of class to mac and cheese.
24. Old Fashioned Macaroni and Cheese
Ooey-gooey old fashioned mac and cheese for Thanksgiving dinner!
There’s nothing better than classic mac and cheese.
25. American Mac and Cheese
This fool-proof, all-American baked mac and cheese recipe is the only one you need.
26. Crockpot Mac and Cheese
Crockpots have more fun. Slow and steady wins the mac and cheese race.
27. Skillet Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese
Whoever thought of this combination of ingredients should be knighted, or made a Saint… or something! It’s a clash of iconic comfort foods, and I’m so here for it.
28. Fried Mac and Cheese Bites
The ultimate party food. Once you go cheese bites, you never go back.
29. Microwave Mac and Cheese
With just over five minutes between deciding you want Mac and Cheese to dipping your fork into the first mouthful, this microwave Mac and Cheese is easy enough, no matter your level of cooking.
If you want your Cheese and Mac tasty but FAST, then this microwave recipe is just what you are looking for!
30. Christmas Mac and Cheese
Christmas leftovers and Mac and Cheese have got to be the perfect combination for post-Christmas meals!
Whether you have a crowd to please still or just a night at home on the couch between Christmas and New Year – this is the recipe for you!
Your family will demand this creamy Velveeta mac and cheese over and over again- a true quick and easy Thanksgiving dinner hack for Mac and Cheese connoisseurs like yourself!
31. John Legend’s Mac and Cheese
Mac and Cheese is such a staple on everyone’s table, and so it’s nice to have a variety of recipes on hand for when you want to try something a bit different (or maybe impress someone new).
32. Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese
Mac and Cheese has cult status in America, get to know how to cook this dish in its vegan form.
33. Bread Bowl Mac and Cheese
The ultimate comfort food? Imagine Mac and Cheese in a bread bowl.
34. Ground Beef Chili Mac and Cheese
With its easy swaps and tweaks (like ground turkey and bacon), you can personalize this easy recipe to suit even the fussiest palate in your home and have your family begging for you to make it again!
35. TikTok Mac and Cheese
TikTok has done it again. Imagine baked Mac and Cheese with all the leftover cheese from your cheeseboard, baked to perfection for a comforting Thanksgiving dinner.
36. Cajun Mac and Cheese
37. Rihanna’s Mac and Cheese
Rihanna’s mac and cheese is a perfect meal. This recipe could become your new go-to!
38. Caramelized Onion Apple Mac And Cheese
Once you’ve tried this onion apple mac and cheese recipe, you may never go back to the plain version again!
39. Spicy Jalapeno Mac and Cheese
The addition of jalapeno adds to a spicy holiday theme and gives you a full meal in one baking dish. An added bonus!
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40. Masala Mac and Cheese
You may not be a gourmet cook. In fact, you may not be much of a cook at all, but if you love Indian food and mac n’ cheese, then you’re gonna love this recipe!
41. Truffle Mac and Cheese
Soo classy! The truffles add a layer of taste and creates the ultimate-tasting comfort food.
42. Green Chile Mac and Cheese
Having a green chile Mac and Cheese recipe up your sleeve is going to make things better when life is feeling rough.
43. Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
The secret to the rich and creamy recipe is in the blue cheese, buffalo sauce, and seasonings.
44. Smoky Chipotle Bacon Mac and Cheese
Never tried chipotle Mac and Cheese? This recipe will open a whole new world of smoky bacon goodness for you!
45. Gnocchi Mac and Cheese
I bet you’ll be eating this one out of the baking tray before it gets to the table!
46. An Irishman’s Mac and Cheese
Ready in minutes, it’s serious Irish comfort food for rainy days, bad days, and good days, it’s perfect as a regular on the family menu!
47. One Pot Mexican Mac and Cheese
It’s a one-pot recipe- because we all like eating more than we like doing dishes and will take less than 30 minutes to get it on the plate.
48. Asparagus White Cheddar Mac and Cheese
It’s an easily put-together recipe made from ingredients that you probably have at home already.
49. Creamy Brie Four Cheese Mac and Cheese
If gooey goodness is what your mind and body need – this is the Cheese and Mac recipe for you!
50. Baked Mac and Cheese with Sage Breadcrumbs
Quick, easy, and tasty and on the table in twenty minutes? Check!
51. Macaroni Au Gratin
This recipe will make sure that your cheese-to-pasta ratio is perfect and the top is crisp and crunchy!
52. Garlic Parmesan Mac And Cheese
With many variations suggested, you can get quite creative with this garlic-y and cheese-y recipe tonight!
53. Cheddar and Gruyere Mac and Cheese with Polish Kielbasa
If you haven’t tried sausage in Mac and Cheese before, THIS is the recipe to start your journey with!
54. Tuna Mac and Cheese
I bet you could feed this tuna mac and cheese to your kids who won’t mind the peas, and will likely ask for more!
55. Baked Mac and Cheese
This mac and cheese recipe couldn’t be more classic.
This baked Mac and Cheese recipe is everything you’ve dreamed about in a Mac and Cheese Thanksgiving dinner.
It’s cheesy and creamy, with lots of sauce and a crunchy buttery top!
This recipe has everything you want in a baked Cheese and Mac: Rich, cheesy, and crunchy!
56. Stovetop Mac and Cheese
This stovetop mac and cheese recipe is so much tastier than the blue box.
Add a few veggies on the side and you have the perfect Thanksgiving side!
With simple ingredients you are very likely to have in the pantry and easy-to-follow instructions, this Mac and Cheese recipe will sit well with purists with its simple cheese sauce and noodle combination!
57. Greek Yogurt Macaroni and Cheese
I’d make a double batch of this healthy Greek yogurt mac and cheese this Thanksgiving. You’re welcome!