The ultimate family-friendly feast, macaroni and cheese is a timeless dish that can feed a crowd. Ina Garten’s dressed-up version of this classic favorite features smooth and creamy Gruyere and extra-sharp cheddar cheeses and fresh tomato slices. Best of all, this easy weeknight pick bakes for just 30 minutes.

Serve Food Network Magazine’s Roasted Root Vegetables for a side of healthy, in-season eats.

Get the recipe: Ina’s Mac and Cheese

Meatless Monday, an international movement, encourages people everywhere to cut meat one day a week for personal and planetary health. Browse more Meatless Monday recipes.

Fermented bean paste? Doesn’t exactly scream party in your mouth.

And yet we happily slurp it in that salty, savory soup doled out every time we sit down for sushi. That’s because miso really is a flavor bomb worth knowing.

So let’s start there. Miso is a broad term for pastes made from fermented cooked soybeans that are aged, sometimes for years.

Miso has origins in China, but is best known for its role in Japanese cooking, where it is used in soups, sauces, marinades, glazes and dressings.

There are many varieties of miso, which can vary widely in color and flavor intensity based on how long it is aged and which ingredients are added.

Sweet white miso, for example, is made from fermented soybeans and rice, then aged for just a few months. The result is a smooth paste with a sweet, salty, savory flavor and a light golden color.

Find out what you can make with sweet white miso »

On a recent snowy evening, the Croque Monsieur Mac and Cheese recipe from our Cheese Guide beckoned. Okay, confession time: My normal mac and cheese comes in a box with a packet of powdered cheese. But this recipe is the real deal – you make a creamy béchamel sauce, fold in two cheeses and the pasta, and then bake until it’s hot and bubbly. It’s deceptively simple and it tastes amazing!

So what the heck is a “Croque Monsieur?” I had to look it up. It’s a French ham and cheese sandwich that’s either toasted or dipped in egg and sautéed in butter. This mac and cheese is a playful twist, using the traditional Gruyere cheese and sliced ham. And, for my favorite part, a bread and egg mixture forms a savory bread-pudding-like crust over the top.

For a more calorie-conscious version of Mac and Cheese, check out Ellie’s made-over recipe, part of our Monthly Meal Makeover features. You can also find tips for slimming down this classic dish from HealthyEats.com. Or you can just do what I did: Serve the ooey-gooey full-fat version with a side salad.

- Kirsten, Web Editor

It’s hard to think of a better combo…

This Sunday, Ultimate Recipe Showdown returns — bigger and tastier than ever. Four contestants will be competing for a pretty big bowl of green — $25,000. [Plus, some serious bragging rights.]

Here’s the best part… In the first episode, they are making their signature comfort foods. I don’t know about you but that’s pretty much all I want on a long, lazy weekend like the one. It appears the challengers will be whipping up a variety of comforting cuisine, including a truly decadent mac and cheese.

Here’s the $25,000 question:
If you were battling for a big bag of money, which comfort food specialty would you serve up to win it all?