Healthy Macaroni Recipes

Poblanos add a kick of heat to this chili mac recipe. If that's not your thing, swap in green bell peppers to tone down the heat in this easy pasta dish, which mashes up mac and cheese and chili into a seriously satisfying skillet dinner.

An old-school classic gets a boost of nutrition and flavor from garlicky spinach and tomatoes in this healthy mac and cheese recipe.

When you're craving jalapeño poppers and mac & cheese and you want to eat with your hands, these easy cheesy bites--which are baked in a mini muffin tin--are just the ticket. Serve them as part of a family-friendly dinner or put out a platter for a casual party. A crispy breadcrumb topping provides a wonderful contrast to the creamy mac & cheese, while the optional fresh parsley and pickled jalapeño garnishes add a nice color contrast and bright flavor.

Mac and cheese no longer has to be off the menu if you don't do dairy. A blend of hearty cauliflower, butternut squash, cashews and nutritional yeast gives this vegan macaroni and cheese the gooey, cheesy texture and flavor of traditional mac, without a bit of dairy!

This pasta salad looks like the classic picnic side, but in one bite you'll know it's special. It holds all the incredible flavors of deviled eggs and is creamy too, thanks to mashed avocado and hard-boiled eggs. For the best texture, don't make this more than a few hours before you plan to eat it.

This layered macaroni main dish is reminiscent of lasagna. Cooked macaroni is mixed with egg and shredded carrots and cooked like pancakes in a skillet. The pancakes are then stacked with alternating layers of a mushroom-spinach mixture, cheese, and seasoned tomatoes and baked to perfection.

A winter classic, this crock pot version of minestrone is heavy on the vegetables and light on the pasta, keeping carbs in check while providing plenty of flavor.

Homemade turkey meatballs are the star of this hearty soup. Full of spinach, macaroni and carrots and topped with grated Parmesan, this recipe takes just about an hour from start to finish.

A package of frozen pureed winter squash adds sweetness and good nutrition--namely vitamin A, potassium and fiber--to this soup version of a family favorite, mac and cheese. It also lends its orange color to the soup, making it seem cheesier without actually adding more cheese. Feel free to swap in your favorite shape of medium-size pasta for the elbow macaroni. Using convenience items like the frozen squash means that this healthy kid-friendly dinner takes just 30 minutes to prep.

To lighten up this macaroni salad recipe, we use a blend of light mayonnaise and fat-free yogurt. It's full of unexpected veggies--snap peas, broccoli florets, and roasted red peppers--and if you opt to add hard cooked eggs, you'll get an extra boost of protein!

This one-dish meal is a combination of two favorites--hamburgers and macaroni and cheese. Add in some broccoli and carrots and a creamy cheese sauce and you've got a meal the whole family will appreciate.

In this recipe we've taken basic macaroni and cheese to a whole new level. Charred broccoli and onions are added to cooked elbow pasta, mixed together in a mustardy cheese sauce and cooked on a sheet-pan in the oven. Simple to make, and not much to clean up!

This creamy crowd-pleasing pasta salad features the tantalizing flavors of Buffalo chicken with a healthy dose of vegetables. Bring it to your next potluck or picnic, or whip it up for game day.

Traditional macaroni and cheese is transformed by adding mushrooms, spinach, and tomato sauce. And it's ready in just 20 minutes!

Give classic pasta salad a fresher, more flavorful spin. This fast pasta dish calls for avocado to replace some of the mayonnaise, which makes it extra creamy. Whole-wheat elbow macaroni and fresh vegetables lighten up this healthy pasta salad that you'll be making all summer long.

Two favorite dishes are combined in one meal! Delicious chili and comforting mac and cheese take under 30 minutes to prepare, and then finish off in the slow-cooker.

The more cheese the merrier in this baked macaroni recipe, which also features butternut squash and whole-grain pasta.

American goulash, also known as old-fashioned goulash, is the perfect economical family meal. The pasta cooks right in the sauce, so this satisfying dish can cook in just one pot.

Fiber-rich sweet potato is used as the base for the cheese sauce in this healthy, homemade macaroni and cheese recipe. The bright orange color tricks your eyes into thinking this healthy macaroni and cheese recipe is loaded with cheese, but there's actually only about half as much cheese as compared to a traditional recipe.

Not only is this ultra-creamy version of mac-and-cheese nearly as fast as the boxed variety, but your family will be able to pronounce every ingredient. If they aren't broccoli fans, substitute a frozen vegetable of your choice.