Surprising toppings for macaroni and cheese-Allrecipes magazine

Two macaroni and cheese recipes:

Southwest style topped mac n cheese

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/180905/macaroni-and-cheese-with-caramelized-onions-and-bacon/

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounces) package elbow macaroni
• ¼ cup butter 
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
• 4 cups grated Asiago cheese
• 4 cups grated Vermont Cheddar cheese
• 4 slices bacon
• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 1 large onion, sliced thin
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ⅛ teaspoon brown sugar
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• ¼ cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups of milk
• ½ teaspoon ground mustard
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, add macaroni and cook for 8 minutes (noodles will still be slightly hard). Drain noodles and transfer to a large bowl with 1/4 cup of butter and toss to coat. Whisk together the sour cream, egg, and cream cheese; add to the pasta and mix well. Stir in 3 cups of grated Asiago and 3 cups of grated Cheddar cheese, reserving the remaining 2 cups of cheese for the topping.
2. Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet, and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate and chop it into small pieces.
3. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
4. Stir 2 tablespoons butter, the onion, and garlic into the bacon drippings in the pan and cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and add the brown sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes until the onions are very soft and golden brown. Mix the cooked bacon, parsley, and panko breadcrumbs into the onions, transfer mixture to a small bowl and set aside.
5. Return the skillet to the heat and melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour, and stir until the mixture becomes paste-like and light golden brown, about 5 minutes. Gradually whisk the milk into the flour mixture and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook and stir until the mixture is smooth and thickened. Stir in the ground mustard, paprika, salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Remove sauce from heat and let cool for five minutes.
6. Pour the sauce over the macaroni mixture, stirring well. Transfer to a greased 9×13 inch pan and sprinkle with the remaining 2 cups of Cheddar cheese. Top cheese with the onion breadcrumb mixture.
7. Bake in a preheated oven until bubbling, hot and golden brown on top, about 30 minutes.

Caprese style mac n cheese

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/244828/caprese-macaroni-and-cheese/

Ingredients

• PAM® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
• 1 (14.5 ounces) can Hunt’s® Diced Tomatoes, drained
• 1/3 cup refrigerated basil pesto
• 1 (16 ounces) package dry elbow macaroni, uncooked
• 4 ounces fontina cheese, shredded
• 2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
• 6 tablespoons butter, divided
• 4 cups whole milk
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 13×9-inch or shallow 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Stir together drained tomatoes and pesto in a small bowl; set aside. Combine uncooked macaroni, fontina cheese, and 1 cup mozzarella cheese in a large bowl. Place the dish in an even layer. Watch Now
2. Microwave 4 tablespoons butter in a large microwave-safe bowl on HIGH 30 seconds or until melted. Whisk in milk, flour, salt, and pepper until blended. Pour over the macaroni mixture. Spoon tomato mixture evenly over macaroni. Cover the dish with aluminum foil; bake for 40 minutes. Watch Now
3. Meanwhile, microwave the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small microwave-safe bowl on HIGH 20 seconds or until melted. Stir in bread crumbs. Top macaroni with remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese and bread crumb mixture. Bake uncovered 10 to 15 minutes more or until golden brown on top. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

You may also be interested in a Philly cheesesteak mac n cheese which can be found here: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/263797/philly-cheese-steak-pasta/