Easy dinner recipes: Great Mac ‘n’ cheese ideas for Meatless Monday

Could it possibly get any better than mac ‘n’ cheese for dinner? Probably not. Which is why we’ve included not one but three mac ‘n’ cheese recipe options for your dining pleasure. You’re welcome.

Famous Dave’s mac ‘n’ cheese: A medley of original flavors make this mac ‘n’ cheese shine. It starts with four different types of cheeses, and a sauce built out with corn niblets, spicy jalapenos, fresh parsley and a touch of barbecue sauce. Top it with a crumbly bread-crumb topping and bake until its wonderful aroma is simply too much to bear. (This dish can also be assembled ahead of time and refrigerated until you’re ready to bake.)

Queen and Diva’s mac ‘n’ cheese: With no fewer than four types of cheese, mac ‘n’ cheese couldn’t get much better than this version. Extra rich and creamy, the secret ingredients include a can of mushroom soup and sour cream for tang. Assemble it ahead of time, if you’d like, then refrigerate until ready to bake.

Best-ever mac ‘n’ cheese: We ran this recipe for “really the best-ever mac ‘n’ cheese” a few years ago -- and though I don’t know whether I would agree that it’s the best ever, I love the fact that it takes just more than an hour to make, perfect if you’re thinking about what to put on the table for dinner tonight. You can find the recipe below.

BEST-EVER MAC ‘N’ CHEESE

Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes | Serves 12 to 16

Note: Use large shells such as chiocciole or conchiglie, or large elbow macaroni

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoon melted butter
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup flour
5 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
4 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese, divided
3 cups shredded Swiss Gruyere cheese
1 pound shells or elbow macaroni, cooked according to package directions in salted water
1/2 cup heavy cream

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Toss the panko bread crumbs with the melted butter on a small baking pan. Toast the bread crumbs until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2. In a large saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat until melted, then stir in the flour. Heat and stir until the mixture is smooth and bubbling, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the milk. Add the dry mustard, white and cayenne pepper, nutmeg, salt and bay leaf. Heat and stir to boiling, then reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaf.

3. Stir in 3 cups of the cheddar and all the Gruyere until melted. Pour the sauce over the cooked macaroni in a large bowl, stirring until all of the macaroni is coated. Pour the macaroni into a well-buttered 9-by-13-inch casserole. Drizzle heavy cream around the edges of the casserole. Sprinkle on the remaining 1 cup of cheddar cheese, then the toasted bread crumbs.

4. Cover the casserole with aluminum foil. Bake 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered an additional 10 minutes. Put under a preheated broiler for 5 minutes.

Each of 16 servings: 415 calories; 19 grams protein; 28 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 25 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 75 mg. cholesterol; 565 mg. sodium.

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