When selecting your pasta for macaroni and cheese, look for shapes with plenty of texture. While macaroni pasta is probably the most famous mac-to-the-cheese, it's definitely not the only noodle in the sea (noodle in the sauce?)

When discussing mac and cheese, it makes sense to start with the mac. STEP 1: CHOOSE THE RIGHT PASTA FOR YOUR MAC AND CHEESE. Use this guide as a starting point and let your creativity run wild! Have a favorite combination or technique you don't see here? Let me know in the comments!

Note: I've included my favorite pastas, cheeses, tips, and toppings here, but this is definitely not the end-all-be-all list of macaroni and cheese variations. So in this post, I've put together a macaroni and cheese masterclass that takes you through the eight components of perfect mac and cheese - from pasta shapes to sauce technique to mix-ins and bread crumbs to the kitchen equipment I swear by. And it's not just possible: it's also enjoyable, delightful, quick, easy, and, ummmm, way more delicious than that boxed stuff. For those who grew up on the ultra-Americanized boxed mac and cheese, the idea of whipping up a luscious cheese sauce from scratch can be a little intimidating.īut with the right techniques, homemade mac and cheese is totally, completely, 100% possible. It's also one of the foods I get the most questions about from friends and readers. Mac and cheese is pretty definitively one of the greatest foods of all time. If I was stranded on a desert island and could only eat one thing for the rest of my life, that thing would be macaroni and cheese.

The best rue for macaroni and cheese