If you want to save money yet still serve your family a hearty and filling dinner, macaroni and cheese rates among the top choices. It's simple to make and very inexpensive. And it's comforting, warming, and everybody loves it. You can use your favorite combination of cheeses to create your own masterpiece. One tip: don't use preshredded cheeses. They are usually coated with a type of starch, which inhibits smooth melting.And you want the smoothest sauce ever!

1. Bacon and Bleu Mac and Cheese

What's better than mac and cheese? How about bacon? And blue cheese for some real flavor? This fabulous recipe is intense; only for bacon and blue cheese lovers.More »

2. Meatball Mac and Cheese

Adding tender meatballs to mac and cheese elevates the recipe to another level. This is true comfort food.More »

3. Pierogie Mac and Cheese

Alfredo sauce melted with cheese is the super speedy secret way to make the perfect rich sauce for mac and cheese. You can use that mixture with any pasta - but why not try pierogies? Yum.More »

4. Smoky Mac and Cheese

Smoked cheeses and smoked paprika make this easy recipe dreamy. The color, texture, and flavor is just perfect.More »

5. Crockpot Mac and Cheese

I've fiddled with this recipe; it turns out that reducing the amount of macaroni makes a creamier dish. Watch this as it's cooking the first time. Then, once you know how your crockpot cooks it, write down the time and use that. This rich and thick mac and cheese is classic.More »

6. Dressed Up Mac and Cheese

This simple recipe, from my book Everything Meals on a Budget, is an excellent and fast way to dress up a box of mac and cheese. It is a recipe I made a lot when I was first married; it's very inexpensive and perfect for a strict budget. And it's delicious!More »

7. Indulgent Mac and Cheese

With all these cheeses, heavy cream, and lots of flavor, this special recipe for macaroni and cheese is my favorite. Sometimes I make it without the crisp bread crumb topping, just to have nothing but creamy sauce and tender macaroni. Yum.More »

8. Mac and Cheese Torte

You just can't beat this recipe for entertaining. A luscious mac and cheese is baked with veggies into an elegant torte. It's beautiful and delicious!More »

9. Southwest Mac and Cheese

Olives and jalapeno peppers turn this mac and cheese recipe into a fiesta. You could also add some cooked sausage and red pepper flakes for a more hearty treat.More »

10. Carbonara Mac and Cheese

Carbonara is a mixture of cream, eggs, and bacon mixed with pasta. In this fabulous recipe, I combine carbonara with mac and cheese! It's scrumptious.More »