No matter which you choose when you’re putting dinner on the table, homemade macaroni and cheese or KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese, it’s going to be a hit. Often deemed the ultimate comfort food, mac and cheese is more than just another pasta recipe. Our tips and tricks give you loads of ideas for mac and cheese with mix-ins, baked in a casserole and more. At dinner (or even lunch) pair it with a side salad and maybe a fruit dessert.

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

For baked macaroni and cheese recipes, always cook the macaroni to the low end of the recommended cooking time before mixing it with the remaining ingredients and baking as directed. The macaroni will cook more as the mac and cheese bakes in the oven.
Add crunch to your baked mac and cheese casserole by mixing 1/2 cup crushed crackers with 1 Tbsp. melted butter. Sprinkle over the casserole before baking as directed.
Vary the pasta - don’t confine yourself to just macaroni! Enjoy many small pasta shapes, such as farfalle (bow-tie pasta), orecchiette (ears), small penne or small shells, in your favorite mac and cheese recipe.
If your baked mac and cheese recipe calls for covering the baking dish with foil for all, or part, of the baking time, spray the foil with cooking spray before using to cover the mac and cheese. This will help prevent the foil from sticking to the top of the baked mac and cheese.
For easy cleanup, spray the casserole dish with cooking spray before filling with the mac and cheese and baking as directed.
Bake individual macaroni and cheese casseroles by substituting small custard cups for the larger baking dish. The kids are sure to love this fun serving idea since everyone gets to enjoy their own baked mac and cheese casserole.

KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese with Mix-Ins

Check pasta for doneness about 30 seconds before the recommended time. Always use a large saucepan or pot to ensure that the pasta moves freely while boiling resulting in evenly cooked pasta.
Use KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese Dinner or VELVEETA Shells & Cheese Dinner to create a great-tasting but convenient dinner idea, such as Confetti Mac & Cheese.
Jazz up a box of KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese Dinner or VELVEETA Shells & Cheese Dinner with one of these mix-in suggestions:
- Canned or frozen corn or peas
- Drained canned diced tomatoes
- Chopped fresh parsley, basil or cilantro
- Cut-up OSCAR MAYER Hot Dogs
- Drained and flaked canned tuna
- A pinch of cayenne (ground red pepper), ground cumin, Italian seasoning or curry powder
- Drained canned black beans
- Pizza sauce and sliced pepperoni

More Ideas for Macaroni and Cheese

In the unlikely event that you have any leftover mac and cheese, refrigerate it until ready to serve. Then, moisten it with a small amount of milk before microwaving it until heated through.
Send the kids to school with their favorite mac and cheese. To keep the KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese Dinner saucy until lunchtime, make it with a little extra milk. Spoon the hot Dinner into an insulated container to keep it warm until ready to serve.
Turn leftover KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese Dinner into a delicious pasta salad. Simply add chopped onions, celery and/or green peppers and enough KRAFT Mayo Real Mayonnaise to leftover mac and cheese. Then, refrigerate until ready to serve.