Cast Iron Mac and Cheese

A sharp green salad cuts through the richness without competing with it. Dress arugula or baby romaine with a simple red wine vinaigrette — the acid does the same job a squeeze of lemon would do on fried fish. Skip creamy dressings entirely; they'll make the meal feel heavy before you're halfway through.

For a hot vegetable side, roasted broccoli at 425°F works well. The charred edges bring a slight bitterness that balances the cheese sauce. Brussels sprouts with a little balsamic do the same job. Avoid anything buttery or cream-based on the side — the skillet already has that covered.

Beer pairs better than wine here. A cold American amber ale or a malty lager (Yuengling Traditional Lager or Samuel Adams Boston Lager) doesn't fight the cheddar the way a tannic red would. If you want wine, go with a dry Alsatian Riesling or a white Burgundy — both have the acid and body to handle the gruyere without clashing. For non-alcoholic, sparkling water with a slice of green apple works surprisingly well — the carbonation cuts grease and the apple note echoes the gruyere.

Skip additional bread at the table. The panko crust is already doing that job. If someone insists, a plain sourdough slice is fine, but garlic bread will just double down on what's already in the bowl.

To make this gluten-free, swap the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten-free blend like Bob's Red Mill or King Arthur Measure for Measure — the roux behaves nearly identically. Replace the elbow macaroni with Jovial or Barilla gluten-free elbows, and use gluten-free panko (Ian's brand holds up well under the broiler). Everything else in the recipe stays the same.

For a dairy-free version, use Miyoko's Creamery oat milk butter for the roux, full-fat oat milk in place of whole milk, and a combination of Violife cheddar-style shreds and Kite Hill cream cheese. Skip the gruyere entirely — there's no dairy-free equivalent that melts cleanly — and compensate with an extra 2 oz of the cheddar-style shreds and a splash of apple cider vinegar to sharpen the flavor. It won't be identical, but it's a functional and good mac.

For a spicier version, stir 1–2 tsp of Frank's RedHot or a half teaspoon of cayenne into the cheese sauce before folding in the pasta. Crispy crumbled bacon pressed into the panko topping before baking is a reliable addition that adds salt and texture without changing the structure. A smoked paprika and gruyere version — substitute smoked gouda for the gruyere at equal weight — gives the whole skillet a different, smokier character that works well in colder months.

To scale up for 8 servings, double every ingredient and use a 12-inch skillet or a 9x13-inch baking dish. Increase the bake time by 8–10 minutes and check for bubbling edges before pulling it out.