Classics: Make Mac & Cheese a Signature

Make Gourmet Mac and Cheese a Signature Dish

Macaroni and cheese has been around for a long, long time. Instructions for pasta and cheese casseroles were recorded as early as the 14th century in Italy! Even its first modern recipe was in the 1770 cookery book The Experienced English Housekeeper.

Yet its popularity is still growing. According to Datassential, 30.6% of all restaurant menus featured macaroni and cheese over the last ten years. And maybe even more notable: restaurants offered, on average, 2.7 different mac and cheese options.

That gives this perennial favorite lots of room for creative interpretation. Datassential even tracks variations on gourmet mac and cheese recipes. These range from cheese types (Gruyere, Fontina, cheddar) to additions (peas, bacon, truffle, lobster).

Gourmet Mac and Cheese Recipes: A Starting Place

Macaroni and cheese is one of those craveable, widely popular foods — beloved by kids and adults alike — that can be turned into a signature mac and cheese dish your customers will visit you specifically to order.

Here are ways to craft gourmet mac and cheese as a calling card:

Play with the Basics

Don’t feel tied to elbow pasta: almost any pasta shape is appropriate for mac and cheese. Try ziti, orecchiette, shells, ditalini, or even a small, delicate pasta such as orzo.

As far as cheese goes, switching up the flavor profile can create a big impact. In particular, try specialty cheeses such as goat cheese, feta, blue cheese, smoked mozzarella, pepper Jack, or a branded or locally sourced product. Or experiment with multiple cheeses, like an all-Italian mix of fontina, Parmesan, and Asiago.

Add Mix-ins

Stir in vegetables such as broccoli or cauliflower, peas, asparagus tips, spinach or Swiss chard, diced roasted vegetables, or tomatoes. (This is also a great way to sneak in some nutrition for kids!)
Go upscale with wild mushrooms, lobster or crab, or smoked chicken.
Stir in a flavor enhancement such as pesto or salsa.
Top with seasoned or buttered bread or cracker crumbs, then bake or broil to create an extra-crispy crust.
Enrich with sour cream, puréed butternut squash, or Alfredo sauce.
Create a mac-and-cheese menu or station where customers can choose their own mix-ins and additions.

Make It a Kids’ Menu Fixture

Many children love macaroni and cheese — and it’s also a protein-rich menu item that many parents can feel good about them ordering.

Pair with a side of veggie sticks and a better-for-you beverage such as juice, reduced-fat skim milk, or lemonade for a combo meal.
Use whole grain pasta and/or a whole grain crumb topping.
Accompany with a lean protein option, such as turkey hot dogs, shrimp, or grilled chicken breast or tenders.
Slip veggies into the recipe, as mentioned above, for added produce portions.
Provide mix-ins for a menu option that lets kids take charge.

Use Mac & Cheese as an Ingredient

Gourmet mac and cheese is perfect as a side dish or entrée, but it can also be used as a component in other specialties.

Top a burger or slider with mac and cheese instead of a slice of cheese.
Form prepared macaroni and cheese into balls or oval shapes, roll in crumbs, and fry for a bite-size appetizer or side.
Enclose between two slices of bread and bake or fry for a variation on the grilled cheese sandwich.
Heat with stock, shredded chicken, and a chile flavor boost for a distinctive Mexicali Mac-and-Cheese Soup.
Bake into muffin tins for Macaroni and Cheese Cupcakes.

^{Sources: Datassential, “Mac and Cheese,” March 2024.}