Crafting Mac and Cheese for the Modern Consumer

Mac and cheese provides year-round comfort across foodservice segments, and this humble comfort classic shows no signs of slowing down. Not only is the dish adaptable to current trends, it also continues to resonate with younger generations. Case in point: The iconic blue box CPG brand is catering to Gen Z’s zeal for exploratory flavors with a recent launch of jalapeño and ranch flavor varieties. This move proves that even a classic benefits from a flavorful spin—especially when TikTok is brimming with mac and cheese flavor ideas.

Restaurants can follow suit through varying approaches. Chick-fil-a demonstrates how executing simplicity and flavor callouts pay big dividends. The brand’s description of its mac and cheese highlights its blend of Parmesan, Romano and cheddar and the fact it’s baked in-house. Earl’s Beer and Cheese in New York City eschews the traditional elbow noodle and cheddar combination for herbaceous creaminess featuring goat cheese and fresh rosemary melted over giant rigatoni. Independent operations are layering in flavor to transform mac and cheese into a noteworthy side dish. Meanwhile fast casuals across the country demonstrate mac and cheese swagger through build-your-own options and a lineup of signature seasonal bowls.

No matter the path, opportunities abound as the dish’s versatility underscores its menu staying power. It can be positioned as an appetizer, handheld, side dish or entrée and coupled with just about any global taste infusion. Below are four innovative solution areas to meet consumer demands for elevating this beloved comfort food—plus a bonus tip for an instant mac and cheese upgrade.

1Explore New Formats

Implement different noodle styles precisely paired to match the viscosity of cheese sauce, offer gluten free options to patrons, place mac and cheese in new forms extending its joy across the menu, and deliver the unexpected anchored in mac and cheese familiarity.

• Transform mac and cheese into bite-size appetizers and bar snacks.
• Capitalize on the dense, creamy binding structure of mac and cheese.
• Tap into lesser-known global formats, such as Scottish or Caribbean macaroni pie.
• Upgrade breakfast/brunch with an unexpected offering like mac and cheese hash browns.

Menu Sightings

Boston Burger Company leans into comfort with appetizers of Pulled Pork Mac & Cheese Egg Rolls with BBQ Ranch; Chick Parm Mac & Cheese Egg Rolls; and Mini Mac-ancini (deep-fried mac & cheese balls).

Mac Daddy’s in Columbus, Ohio, boasts a dozen core mac and cheese burritos, such as the Loaded Baked Potato and Bacon Cheeseburger, as well as monthly specials like the Louisiana Shrimp Po’ Boy.

Mac + Cheese Kitchen in Silicon Valley’s San Jose Mineta International Airport serves Breakfast Mac + Cheese bowl and burritos, as well as Grilled Mac + Cheese Sandwiches.

Shopsin’s in New York City flips expectations with a quirky lineup stuffed pancakes, including the Do-Rag Stuffed Pancakes with hatch chile and chorizo mac and cheese, and the Chubby Stuffed Mac’N Cheese Pancakes with mac and cheddar, bacon, egg and cheese.

All-day brunch spot Mom’s Kitchen & Bar, also in New York City, taps into a similar vibe with its Mac and Cheese Pancakes, topped with hot sauce, honey and béchamel sauce.

2Mine Mainstream Favorites

Mac and cheese recipe development can tap into other menu categories and popular mainstream foods, blending adaptable indulgence with proven flavor combinations. Combine two beloved comfort foods in a Pepperoni Pizza Mac, with elbow pasta, Parmesan-mozzarella cheese sauce, a dollop of classic pizza sauce and crispy cupped pepperoni. Marry familiarity and sophistication in a French Onion Mac,

• Combine mac and cheese with another comfort food to dial up craveability. For example, elbow pasta topped with Parmesan-mozzarella cheese sauce, a dollop of classic pizza sauce and crispy cupped pepperoni yields a Pepperoni Pizza Mac.
• Elevate mac and cheese through accents of fine-dining dishes, such as a French Onion featuring a cheese sauce made of Gruyère, fontina and beef broth, mini shells, caramelized onions and a side of crostini.
• Explore what side dishes could take on a creative mac and cheese side dish spin. For example, swapping out cheese curds for mac and cheese brings a playful spin to poutine.

Menu Sightings

Cheesy Cow in Bettendorf, Iowa, puts cavatappi mac and cheese front and center with 18 menu offerings, including Jalapeño Popper Mac (pepper Jack mac sauce, pepper Jack cheese, jalapeños, cream cheese, diced bacon, drizzle of raspberry jalapeño sauce) and the Walking Taco Mac (cheddar-based mac sauce, cheddar cheese, seasoned beef, sour cream, salsa, tomatoes, onions, taco sauce, Doritos).

The Elote Mac at Homeroom in Oakland, Calif., is reminiscent of handheld street corn and features roasted sweet corn, Serrano peppers, cheddar and Monterey Jack, all topped with Cotija, Tajín, cilantro and lime.

Mr. Mac’s in Manchester, N.H., turns a favorite appetizer into a mac in its Mozzarella Stick Mac, which uses a shredded mozzarella cheese blend that is topped with more mozzarella, seasoned breadcrumbs and marinara.

The Mactory in Colorado Springs, Colo., taps into a recent trend with its elevated Birria Mac featuring the brand’s classic mac topped with birria, consomé, a three-cheddar mix and cilantro.

3Spotlight Unexpected Cheeses

Cheese is the star of any mac and cheese flavor show. Showcase aged and fresh varieties, blends or specialty cheeses for an instant upgrade. Feature a selected cheese to emphasize quality, strengthen an LTO or differentiate the mac and cheese flavor from competitors.

• Cross-utilize a shaved salad cheese blend or pizza cheese blend in a signature mac and cheese.
• Use blends with two, three or four cheeses to craft a one-of-a-kind mac and cheese flavor and texture profile.
• Add dimension, deep flavor and aromatics by leveraging aged cheeses as a crumble or shredded finishing touch.
• Use slices of fresh mozzarella cheese for a delicate melted mac and cheese topper. Use a dollop of burrata filling (stracciatella) or a flavored whipped mascarpone or ricotta cheese in the center of hot mac and cheese for a luxurious swirl and touch of natural sweetness.
• Pair specialty cheeses with mainstream flavors to create approachable lavishness. Combine creamy cow and sheep’s milk Gorgonzola varieties into a mac and cheese with chopped buffalo chicken. Or top a fontina mac and cheese with shredded Pepato cheese for flavor duality.

Menu Sightings

The Caprese Mac at BigWife’s in Richmond, V.A., is both fresh and robust: Marinated heirloom tomatoes and fresh mozzarella mac is topped with ciabatta breadcrumbs and an olive oil-herb drizzle

The Union Mac & Cheese at Clarkston Union Bar & Kitchen, in Clarkston, M.I., showcases a dynamic duo of Vermont sharp cheddar and mild Pinconning Cheese (named for the Michigan town) layered with penne rigate and a crunchy crust.

The award-winning Mac ’n Cheesetique, at Cheesetique in Alexandria, V.A., employs a blend of goat Gouda, Asiago and Cacio de Roma cheese, which is topped with truffle-infused breadcrumbs.

The Mac Bar in Boston quenches cheese cravings with the Magic Mac XL, a classic mac combining grated Parmesan, Swiss, queso fresco, and ricotta and topped with homemade Parmesan crackers.

Last year, national chain Pollo Campero bolstered its sides selection with a Mac and Cheese, featuring four cheeses and savory seasoning.

4Apply Trend-Forward Flavor

Captivate consumers through the inherent nostalgia of mac and cheese intertwined with contemporary flavorsome inclusions. Sauce drizzled over mac and cheese has become a popular flavoring system for restaurant operators.

• Take a page from barbecue joints and smoke the mac and cheese, or incorporate smoked cheese in the sauce or smoked vegetables throughout.
• Add depth of flavor through roasted, grilled or charred vegetables or fruits
• Recast mac and cheese as a topper for slow-cooked meats
• Create a seafood rendition that features a premium protein, as well as artisan cheeses and noodles
• Offer guests a selection of spices, mix-ins or sauces to customize their mac and cheese

Menu Sightings

Wood Shop BBQ in Seattle uses hickory and post oak in its stick burner smokers to create a flavor symphony like the Brisket Mac and Cheese Bowl: smoked jalapeño mac and cheese topped with meat, pickled red onions and barbecue sauce.

Tabor Tavern in Portland, Ore., serves a Mac and Cheese entrée, comprising smoked Gouda, kale, corn, chorizo and breadcrumbs.

At S’MAC in New York City, the Parisienne pushes boundaries, using mac and cheese for the outer crust, with creamy Brie, roasted figs, roasted shiitake and fresh rosemary nestled inside.

Puckett’s Restaurant in Nashville, Tenn., serves its iconic Piggy Mac in a small iron skillet filled with cherrywood-smoked pork, which is topped with white cheddar mac and cheese and biscuit crumbs.

Dajio in Ocracoke, N.C., serves inventive Southern fare, including a stylish Crab Mac that features lump crab, cavatappi pasta, housemade Gruyère sauce and manchego gratin.

The very spicy Hangover at Jus’ Mac Eatery in Houston tops scratch-made mac and cheese topped with hash browns, fried egg, pico de gallo and habanero sauce.

BONUS IDEA: TOPPERS

Need a super-easy and quick way to build a standout mac and cheese? Add an interesting topper to complement the creamy texture and bring an extra kick of flavor.

• Micro greens for tender elegance and freshness
• Sliced scallion or chopped fresh herbs for brightness
• Toasted, torn pieces of soft pretzel, crushed crackers or tortilla chips for rustic charm
• Crumbles of cornbread or buttermilk biscuit for additional comfort
• Toasted and buttered panko for an even coverage of crunch throughout
• Crushed potato chips (salt and vinegar, pickle, barbecue, spicy or plain) for thin, understated crispness
• Whole or crushed pork cracklins for additional pops of savoriness and dissolving crunch
• Crispy potato hash brown shreds for charred soft texture contrast
• Wafer-thin sourdough crostini paired on the side for dipping into the mac and cheese
• A trademark baked-in or caramelized cheese crust for a top layer of flavorful texture and high visual appeal