Healthy Macaroni Recipes

Find healthy, delicious macaroni recipes including mac & cheese and macaroni salad. Healthier recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Most Popular

American Goulash

Rating: 4.5 stars 30
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.
By Carolyn Casner

Sloppy Joe Casserole

Rating: 3 stars 7
Like sloppy Joes? Then you'll love this sloppy Joe casserole recipe. This kid-friendly dinner has the classic sloppy Joe flavors kids love, while parents will like all the veggies that are packed in to make it a healthy meal.
By Robin Bashinsky

Slow-Cooker Vegetable Minestrone Soup

Rating: 5 stars 4
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.
By Laura Walsh

Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese

Rating: 2.5 stars 12
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.
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By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Skillet Chili Mac

Rating: 4 stars 4
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.
By Stacy Fraser

Pasta e Ceci (Pasta & Chickpea Soup)

Rating: 4.5 stars 2
This thick soup is full of ceci (Italian for chickpeas), tomatoes, fresh rosemary and pasta. Convenient pantry items makes it the perfect solution for harried weeknights. To make this soup vegetarian simply swap reduced-sodium vegetable broth for the beef broth.
By G. Franco Romagnoli

Macaroni Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing

Rating: 5 stars 2
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.
By Carolyn Casner

Cheesy Chipotle-Cauliflower Mac

Rating: 5 stars 2
You'll barely notice the cauliflower in this comforting skillet pasta--it's pureed and mixed into the creamy cheese sauce.
By Lauren Grant

Monticello's Macaroni

Rating: 5 stars 1
This is the macaroni and cheese recipe that would have been made in the kitchens at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. Jefferson first became familiar the creamy, cheesy baked dish of macaroni from his time in Paris and it was enslaved cooks, James Hemings, Peter Hemings, Edith Hern Fossett and Frances Gillette Hern, who prepared this favorite dish over the years. The popularization of this iconic American dish can be traced to Black cooks, like Peter Fossett (the freed son of Edith Hern Fossett), Rufus Estes and Freda De Knight, who helped spread the dish throughout the United States. Learn more about Macaroni and Cheese at Monticello.
By Leni Sorensen

Chicken Macaroni Salad

This crowd-pleasing chicken macaroni salad is chock-full of crisp fresh veggies. Mayo and Greek yogurt meld together to create a smooth and creamy dressing. The peas add a pop of sweetness and balance to this easy salad that's perfect for barbecues and potlucks.
By Laura Kanya

Ensalada de Coditos Dominicana (Dominican Macaroni Salad)

A colorful and hearty summer salad, ensalada de coditos can be customized with ingredients like peas, tuna or ham. This vegetarian version features raw vegetables for added flavor and crunch, and makes for the perfect side to your main dish.
By Wendy Lopez

Mac & Cheese for One

Making mac and cheese for one person is easy, and it requires just one pot! The key to success is making sure all of your ingredients are prepped and ready before you begin, as everything moves pretty quickly. Also, be sure to use a delicious sharp Cheddar for this recipe so that your mac and cheese delivers all of that delicious cheesy flavor.
By Sara Haas, RDN
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Inspiration and Ideas

10 Baked Mac & Cheese Recipes That Feel Like a Warm Hug from Grandma
These lighter takes on baked macaroni and cheese will leave you feeling all warm and cozy.
13 Easy No-Bake Mac & Cheese Recipes That Feel Like a Warm Hug
Whether it's a side or a main dish, each of these yummy macaroni and cheese recipes is ready to serve in 30 minutes or less, so you can get dinner on the table in a pinch.
Skillet Broccoli-Cheddar Mac & Cheese
Rating: 3 stars 1

Broccoli—just like pasta—makes a tasty pairing with sharp Cheddar. Here, we've combined all three ingredients in a homey casserole that's baked in a cast-iron skillet. Replacing some of the pasta in the dish with vegetables makes it more nutritious and helps you cut down on carbs.