New Old Fashioned Mac & Cheese, my favorite macaroni and cheese recipe. More flavor than the quick box stuff and is worth the trouble.

New Old-Fashioned Mac & Cheese is SO flavorful.
New old-fashioned mac & cheese is so comforting.
Macaroni & Cheese has always been a comfort food in our family, even though many of us now know we are allergic to cheese. I sure wish I could eat it! Because it's so popular, it's one of my "go to" recipes to take to friends when they need support. And it is celebrated on National Mac & Cheese Day, July 14.
This New Old-Fashioned Mac & Cheese, which is a Moosewood Restaurant recipe, contains three different cheeses, milk, and that crowd-pleaser, pasta. Kids love it. Adults love it. This recipe is the best mac & cheese recipe you're ever gonna find. Really. It's that good. Everyone who eats it raves about it.

Tasty stuff: New Old-Fashioned Mac & Cheese
When our daughter Roni got married, Don made this delicious New Old-Fashioned Mac & Cheese (for 80 people!) to supplement the caterer's food. He did a fabulous job, too. What a guy! Add a Green Bean Tomato Salad as a side dish to prevent you from eating too much of this amazing comfort food.
What You Need
I used my food processor, knives, cheese grater, measuring cups and spoons, pans, and a baking dish. What would you use? I think this recipe originally came from the Moosewood New Classics Cookbook, one of my favorites!
New Classic Mac & Cheese Recipe

New Old-Fashioned Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups 1% cottage cheese
- 1½ cups 2% milk
- 2 cups grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried mustard
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 small onion grated
- ½ pound elbow macaroni cooked
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup bread crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F degrees.
- Spray a 9" baking dish with baking spray (Pam is a good one).
- In a blender or a food processor, grate the onion (fine).
- Add the cheeses, milk and spices and puree until smooth.
- In a large bowl, combine this pureed mixture with the macaroni.
- Pour into the greased baking dish.
- In a separate bowl, mix the remaining Parmesan cheese and the bread crumbs.
- Sprinkle bread crumb mixture over the top of the macaroni.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until the top is brown and the center is firm.
Recipe Nutrition Information
This recipe is NF, SF, V*
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.

New Old-Fashioned Mac & Cheese Nutrition Label. Each serving is about 1 cup.
Nourish Your Body & Soul
I encourage you to care of yourself by eating satisfying, nourishing food that is good for your body and makes you feel healthy. Protect your spirit by living authentically, moving your body, and taking time to replenish and rest. I think you might also like these recipes & posts from Recipe Idea Shop:
- Vegan Mac & Cheese
- Gluten-Free Pasta Niçoise Salad
- French Barley Salad
- Barley Apple Walnut Salad
- Brown Rice Salad with Cranberries and Nuts
- Barley Risotto
- White Bean and Barley Stew
- Chicken Squash and Barley Casserole
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Three cheeses make this Mac & Cheese amazing.

Mac & Cheese, my favorite macaroni and cheese recipe.
*Allergen Key
GF = Gluten free | DF = Dairy free | NF = Nut free | SF = Soy free | EF = Egg free | CF = Corn free | V = Vegetarian | VG = Vegan
Note: If you have serious allergies or sensitivities, to be considered free of these allergens, you need to use products specifically marked "gluten free," etc. There can be cross-contamination in facilities.
This post was first published on Recipe Idea Shop August 30, 2017 and updated June 18, 2021.
Elizabeth Cottrell
Love the pictures, Lois -- both of the mac & cheese and of you with your cup of coffee. The comments box is showing up here, so I'm just letting you know that I'm saving this recipe to use the next time I need to take some "comfort food" to someone. Thank you.
I'm also adding the "www" to my URL to see if the keeps you from getting messages about a broken link.
Lois
Thank you, Elizabeth. You are really going to love the mac and cheese.