macaroni and cheese

I'm hosting Christmas dinner for the first time this year, and I want to serve a meal that is traditional but uncomplicated to make. To start, I'll offer my signature appetizer: shrimp. This time I'm salt-roasting them and pairing them with a lemon-pesto.

For the main course, I'm skipping the honey-baked ham and roasting a whole beef tenderloin. It's served alongside a roasted red pepper and black olive sauce. On the side? Fresh citrus and cranberry salad and a giant casserole dish of classic macaroni and cheese. Interested in these recipes? Keep reading!

"Everyone loves mac and cheese," Top Chef Master and New York chef Marcus Samuelsson tells KitchenDaily. We couldn't agree more, and his take might be the best we've seen yet — a sumptuous blend between American macaroni and the classic Italian favorite, pasta carbonara.

Marcus demonstrates that it's all about building flavors by crisping smoky bacon, blending in sharp parmigiano-reggiano, and finishing with oregano's lesser-used cousin, marjoram. This one-pot meal isn't light on the butter, cream, or cheese, but its slow-cooked flavor and creamy texture will leave you hungry for more. Head over to KitchenDaily for the demo and recipe.

Are you as big of a fan of macaroni and cheese as I am? Then you should give this simple recipe for multigrain mac and cheese a try tonight. The cheesy dish gets a rep for being time-consuming, but this nonbake version is a piece of cake to whip up.

It also earns some healthy bonus points for using whole wheat elbow pasta in lieu of the standard noodles, yet it's still packed with gooey cheese and topped with crunchy breadcrumbs. Need an excuse to indulge? October is National Pasta Month, time to celebrate! Get the recipe now.

After checking out Kraft's Macaroni and Cheese Cheddar Explosion, I learned the brand had also released a new line of mac-and-cheese dinners called Homestyle Deluxe. I was curious to give the new product line — which has a (slightly) more elaborate cooking process — an earnest try. Compared to its hassle-free counterpart, was it worth the extra effort? Keep reading to find out.

I eschew processed foods, but with a few glaring exceptions — like anything with processed cheese. (Yes, I already realize I can't reconcile sustainably raised seafood and organic, local produce with Velveeta chile con queso. And no, I have no plans to ever change that.) You should've seen the cheesy grin (no pun intended) that spread across our faces when a giant box of Kraft's latest macaroni and cheese arrived. With an active name like Cheddar Explosion, how could one not feel a blast of giddiness? We were excited to test it out, and I even used the occasion as an excuse to make the stovetop original for comparison. What were our ultimate thoughts? Find out when you keep reading.

• How amazing are these Lady Gaga cookies?— Ohnotheydidnt
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• Make the world's best bacon-less spinach salad. — The Epi-Log
• The hottest new pizza topping? Soppressata. — Slice
• San Francisco's restaurant staffs are the costliest in the country. — Grub Street SF
• The Vegas hotel where Top Chef was filmed will now host a live cooking show. — Eater
• Learn how to jazz up macaroni and cheese with Spanish peppers. — Cooking With Amy

This story was written by member jadenirvana and comes from the Savory Sights group in the YumSugar Community. I made Yum's insanely good mac 'n' cheese recipe in some ramekins my mother in law gave me for creme brulee. The little tart-size dishes made the meal extra cute, and I substituted bacon for walnuts for extra yumminess. The combo of sharp gorgonzola, crisp apples and rich bacon was so good, literally one of the most delish things I've ever tasted, and I never would have thought of it on my own. How do you do it Yum?

Have you eaten an awesome meal? Join the Savory Sights group, upload your photos and a description of the experience, and it could be featured on YumSugar! If you are new to the YumSugar Community, here's a detailed guide to posting to groups.

Looking for something orange to serve at your Halloween bash on Saturday? Why not make these adorable and delicious macaroni and cheese bites?! This mac gets its vibrant hue from cheddar and American cheeses.

The technique is like a typical macaroni and cheese recipe, but the ratio of cheese to liquid is different. There's more cheese and less milk resulting in a dense, easily-compactable pasta with thick sauce.

Although the recipe calls for five minutes of cool time, I found that these macs, which are cooked in mini muffin pans, need about ten minutes to set. If you try to get them out of the pan too early, the pasta won't hold its shape and instead of mac and cheese minis, you'll just have a mac and cheese mess. To look at the recipe, keep reading.