6 Best Macaroni and Cheese Recipes

Weeknight easy. Weekend worthy.

Looking for macaroni and cheese recipes that go beyond the everyday bake? From a classic creamy version and a family-friendly chicken dinner to crispy party snacks, a proudly South African biltong twist and two lunchbox-friendly bites, this collection has something for every occasion.

Each recipe is made even easier with the smooth, reliable flavour of LANCEWOOD® Sauce Delight® Cheese Sauce, Cheddar, Mozzarella or Cottage Cheese, standing in for a homemade roux or béchamel.

Pick your favourite, gather your ingredients, and let mac and cheese take care of dinner.

Why LANCEWOOD® Belongs in Your Mac and Cheese

LANCEWOOD® Sauce Delight® Cheese Sauce is the base for most of the recipes in this list. It replaces a homemade roux or béchamel, so there’s no need to build a sauce from flour and butter before adding cheese and milk.

LANCEWOOD® Cheddar and Mozzarella melt evenly, which helps give mac and cheese its stretch, and the wider cheese range works across ovens, air fryers, deep frying and muffin tins. That range of uses is reflected in the six recipes below.

The 6 Best Macaroni and Cheese Recipes

Each recipe below uses a LANCEWOOD® product to build the sauce, whether that’s Sauce Delight® Cheese Sauce, Cheddar, Mozzarella or Cottage Cheese. The list moves from a quick weeknight bake through to party snacks, a South African biltong twist, and two options suited to lunchboxes.

Creamy Mac & Cheese

This is the classic, everyday version of mac and cheese: macaroni folded through a rich cheese sauce, finished with a grilled breadcrumb topping. It’s a good starting point if you want a straightforward recipe you can make again and again.

What You’d Need

• 200 g macaroni
• 250 ml LANCEWOOD® Sauce Delight® Cheese Sauce
• 30 ml butter, melted
• 60 ml fresh breadcrumbs
• 60 g LANCEWOOD® Cheddar, grated
• 15 ml fresh parsley, chopped

Optional Ingredient Additions

Fried onions, mushrooms or bacon add extra flavour. Ham, salami, steamed peas, cauliflower or fried peppers work well too. Add whichever you have on hand.

How Easy It Is to Cook

Cook the macaroni and warm through the cheese sauce, then mix the two together with any extras you’re using. Sprinkle over a mix of melted butter, breadcrumbs and grated cheese, and grill for about 5 minutes until golden. The whole recipe takes about 15 minutes to cook.

Why You’d Love Creamy Mac & Cheese

• Ready in under 15 minutes.
• Easy to adapt with whatever extras you have.
• The grilled cheese topping adds good texture.

Chicken Meatball Mac & Cheese

This recipe turns mac and cheese into a full meal. Chicken sausage meatballs and cherry tomatoes are cooked through, then folded into a cheese sauce with macaroni and baked until golden. It was developed for LANCEWOOD® by Zola Nene.

What You’d Need

• 30 ml olive oil
• 250 g chicken sausage
• 250 g cherry tomatoes
• 500 ml LANCEWOOD® Sauce Delight® Cheese Sauce
• 250 ml milk
• 500 g macaroni, par-cooked
• 100 ml LANCEWOOD® Cheddar, grated

Optional Ingredient Additions

This recipe already works as a complete meal. If you want to dress it up, add extra grated cheddar on top or a handful of fresh basil before serving.

How Easy It Is to Cook

Fry the chicken sausage meatballs until golden, then cook them with the cherry tomatoes until they soften. Stir in the cheese sauce, milk and macaroni, transfer to an oven dish, top with cheddar, and bake for 30 minutes.

Why You’d Love Chicken Meatball Mac & Cheese

• Works as a full dinner on its own.
• Developed by Zola Nene for LANCEWOOD®.
• Goes well with a simple green salad.

Crumbed Mac & Cheese Balls

These mac and cheese balls are a good option for parties or as a starter. Bacon and LANCEWOOD® White Cheddar are mixed through macaroni and cheese sauce, rolled into balls, coated in crushed crisps, and deep-fried until crisp.

What You’d Need

• 5 rindless streaky bacon rashers
• 250 g elbow macaroni, cooked
• 250 ml LANCEWOOD® Sauce Delight® Cheese Sauce
• 100 g LANCEWOOD® White Cheddar
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Flour, for dusting
• 240 g lightly salted crisps (for the crumb coating)
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• Oil, for frying
• Fresh parsley and sweet chilli sauce, to serve

Optional Ingredient Additions

You can swap the bacon for chopped biltong, or add finely chopped jalapeños if you want some heat.

How Easy It Is to Cook

Mix the cooked macaroni with the cheese sauce, bacon and cheddar, then chill the mixture for at least 4 hours so it firms up. Roll into balls, freeze briefly, then coat in beaten egg and crushed crisps before frying at 180°C for about 4 minutes.

Why You’d Love Crumbed Mac & Cheese Balls

• Good for sharing at parties or gatherings.
• The crushed-crisp coating gives them a different texture to a normal crumb.
• Can be made ahead and frozen before frying.
• Total cooking time is about 30 minutes.

Air Fryer Biltong Mac & Cheese

Some people add bacon to their mac and cheese. This recipe uses biltong instead, for a South African take on the dish. LANCEWOOD® Cheddar and Mozzarella are melted into a spiced cheese sauce with sliced biltong, topped with a breadcrumb crust, and cooked in the air fryer.

What You’d Need

• 250 g macaroni
• 1 beef stock cube
• 250 ml LANCEWOOD® Sauce Delight® Cheese Sauce
• 400 g canned evaporated milk
• A pinch of nutmeg
• 7.5 ml hot English mustard
• 250 ml LANCEWOOD® Cheddar, grated
• 250 ml LANCEWOOD® Medium Fat Mozzarella, grated
• 150 g biltong, sliced (plus extra for serving)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 125 ml breadcrumbs
• 45 ml melted butter
• 45 ml chives, chopped

Optional Ingredient Additions

Droëwors works as a substitute for biltong if you want a smokier flavour. A little extra mustard adds more bite.

How Easy It Is to Cook

Cook the macaroni in beef stock, then stir it through a cheese sauce made with evaporated milk, mustard, nutmeg, cheddar, mozzarella and biltong. Top with a butter and breadcrumb mixture and air fry at 180°C for 12–14 minutes, or bake in the oven at 180°C for 25–30 minutes.

Why You’d Love Air Fryer Biltong Mac & Cheese

• Uses biltong instead of bacon, for a different flavour.
• The air fryer method is quicker than the oven, though an oven method is included too.
• Works well with coleslaw and air-fried broccoli.
• This lovely dish takes about 15 minutes to cook.

Loaded Mac Cheese Muffins

These mac and cheese muffins are baked in a muffin tin, which makes them easy to portion for lunchboxes. The mix combines macaroni with LANCEWOOD® Cheese and Chives Cottage Cheese, egg and a breadcrumb topping.

What You’d Need

• 250 g elbow macaroni
• 250 g LANCEWOOD® Medium Fat Smooth Cheese and Chives Cottage Cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 180 ml milk
• 250 ml dried breadcrumbs, seasoned
• 30 ml corn flour
• 500 ml LANCEWOOD® Cheddar, grated

Optional Ingredient Additions

Add a can of tuna, fried peppers or mushrooms, salami, spring onions, peppadews or corn to the mixture before baking.

How Easy It Is to Cook

Beat the cottage cheese, eggs and milk together and mix through the cooked macaroni. Fold in the breadcrumb and corn flour mixture along with most of the cheddar, plus any extras, then spoon into a muffin pan. Top with the remaining cheese and bake for 30 minutes.

Why You’d Love Loaded Mac Cheese Muffins

• Portioned for lunchboxes.
• Keeps well in the fridge or freezer.
• Easy to customise with different fillings.
• This delicious dish takes about 30 minutes to prepare.

Mac Cheese Bites

This is the simplest recipe on the list. Macaroni is mixed through cheese sauce, egg and parsley, pressed into a muffin tin, topped with cheese, and baked.

What You’d Need

• 300 g macaroni, cooked al dente
• 250 ml LANCEWOOD® Sauce Delight® Cheese Sauce
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 30 ml fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 egg, beaten
• 150 g LANCEWOOD® White Cheddar, grated

Optional Ingredient Additions

For a richer bite, beat 125 g LANCEWOOD® Spring Onion and Chives Cream Cheese into the sauce before mixing.

How Easy It Is to Cook

Mix the cheese sauce, seasoning, parsley and egg together, then stir through the macaroni. Spoon the mix into a muffin pan, press down lightly, top with grated cheese, and bake for 15–20 minutes.

Why You’d Love Mac Cheese Bites

• Fewer ingredients than the other recipes here.
• Ready in under 20 minutes.
• Works as a snack, side, or lunchbox filler.
• Great for parties.

Final Thoughts

These six recipes cover most of what people look for in mac and cheese: a classic baked macaroni and cheese, a full dinner, party snacks, a South African twist, and two lunchbox-friendly options. Each one uses a LANCEWOOD® product to build the sauce, so the result is consistent no matter which method you use.

Have a look through the full LANCEWOOD® recipe range for more ideas.

Frequently Asked Questions