Pizza Mac and Cheese

This Pizza Mac and Cheese has savory pasta tossed in a creamy cheese sauce with a hint of pizza sauce, all topped with melted mozzarella and pepperoni!

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Total Time40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Calories: 477kcal

Author: Stephanie

Ingredients

Sauce

1 cup milk
½ cup half and half
¼ cup pizza sauce
½ teaspoon mustard powder
¼ teaspoon EACH: oregano, onion powder, salt, pepper

Mac & Cheese

½ pound shellbow pasta uncooked. See notes.
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 ½ cups cheddar cheese shredded
1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese whole milk/low moisture
12 slices pepperoni
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese grated
Parsley to garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Pro tip: Shred the cheese from a block. It will melt and taste much better than packaged shredded cheese.
Preheat oven to 375° F. Combine the sauce ingredients in a medium measuring cup with a spout. Measure out all remaining ingredients before beginning.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta. Bring back up to a boil and cook for 1 minute less than al dente according to package instructions. Set a timer to avoid overcooking. Drain once cooked.
While the pasta cooks, melt butter in a large pot over medium-low heat. Gradually sprinkle in the flour and use a silicone spatula to combine it with the butter. Continue to stir for 1-2 minutes.
Add the combined sauce mixture in splashes, stirring continuously. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
Gradually sprinkle in the cheddar cheese. Stir continuously until smooth and combined. Add the drained pasta and stir to combine. Remove from heat.
If your pot is not oven safe, transfer to a baking dish. Top with mozzarella, pepperoni, and Parmesan.
Bake uncovered for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Garnish with parsley and serve!

Notes

Pro Tips:

Pasta: I use shellbow pasta for this (a combination of shells/macaroni), but small or medium shells, macaroni, cavatappi, and fusilli are all great choices.
Shred the cheese from a block. Packaged shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting well into soups/sauces. Freshly shredded cheese also tastes best.
I use Cracker Barrel Sharp or Extra Sharp Yellow Cheddar, Galbani whole milk/low moisture mozzarella, and Belgioioso Parmesan.
Using American Cheese: If you prefer to use American cheese instead of cheddar cheese, 6 oz. (about 6 slices), would be perfect.
It looks like a lot of cheese sauce at first, but the pasta continues to absorb it as it stands and while it bakes.
Love Mac and Cheese? Check out all of my Mac and Cheese Recipes, including my Bacon Mac and Cheese, Chicken Mac and Cheese, and Chili Mac!

Storage

Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
These leftovers reheat pretty well. I use the 'melt' setting on my microwave or you can reheat over 50% power. A makeshift double boiler reheats creamy pastas really well too!

Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 6 servings in this recipe.

Nutrition

Recipe Source: TheCozyCook.com - For pro tips, step-by-step photos, storage information, and to save it to your account, visit https://framework-keystone.live/pizza-mac-and-cheese/%3C/strong%3E%3C/p%3E%3C/div%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cscript%3Ewindow.wprm_recipes = {"recipe-66715":{"type":"food","name":"Pizza Mac and Cheese","slug":"wprm-pizza-mac-and-cheese","image_url":"https:\/\/thecozycook.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Pizza-Mac-and-Cheese-F.jpg","rating":{"count":3,"total":15,"average":5,"type":{"comment":3,"no_comment":0,"user":0},"user":0},"ingredients":[{"uid":1,"amount":"1","unit":"cup","name":"milk","notes":"","link":{"url":"","nofollow":"default"},"converted":{"2":{"amount":"236.59","unit":"ml","unit_id":12979}},"conversion_item_snapshot":{"amount":"1","unit":"cup","timestamp":1779135443000},"unit_id":12934,"id":3650,"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"1","unit":"cup","unitParsed":"cup"},"unit-system-2":{"amount":"236.59","unit":"ml","unitParsed":"ml"}}},{"uid":2,"amount":"\u00bd","unit":"cup","name":"half and half","notes":"","link":{"url":"","nofollow":"default"},"converted":{"2":{"amount":"118.29","unit":"ml","unit_id":12979}},"conversion_item_snapshot":{"amount":"\u00bd","unit":"cup","timestamp":1779135443000},"unit_id":12934,"id":3678,"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"\u00bd","unit":"cup","unitParsed":"cup"},"unit-system-2":{"amount":"118.29","unit":"ml","unitParsed":"ml"}}},{"uid":3,"amount":"\u00bc","unit":"cup","name":"pizza sauce","notes":"","link":{"url":"","nofollow":"default"},"converted":{"2":{"amount":"61.25","unit":"g","unit_id":12941}},"conversion_item_snapshot":{"amount":"\u00bc","unit":"cup","timestamp":1779135443000},"unit_id":12934,"id":7683,"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"\u00bc","unit":"cup","unitParsed":"cup"},"unit-system-2":{"amount":"61.25","unit":"g","unitParsed":"g"}}},{"uid":4,"amount":"\u00bd","unit":"teaspoon","name":"mustard powder","notes":"","link":{"url":"","nofollow":"default"},"converted":{"2":{"amount":"0.5","unit":"teaspoon","unit_id":12938}},"conversion_item_snapshot":{"amount":"\u00bd","unit":"teaspoon","timestamp":1779135443000},"unit_id":12938,"id":6573,"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"\u00bd","unit":"teaspoon","unitParsed":"teaspoon"},"unit-system-2":{"amount":"0.5","unit":"teaspoon","unitParsed":"teaspoon"}}},{"uid":5,"amount":"\u00bc","unit":"teaspoon","name":"EACH: <\/strong>oregano, onion powder, salt, pepper","notes":"","link":{"url":"","nofollow":"default"},"converted":{"2":{"amount":"0.25","unit":"teaspoon","unit_id":12938}},"conversion_item_snapshot":{"amount":"\u00bc","unit":"teaspoon","timestamp":1779135443000},"unit_id":12938,"id":14410,"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"\u00bc","unit":"teaspoon","unitParsed":"teaspoon"},"unit-system-2":{"amount":"0.25","unit":"teaspoon","unitParsed":"teaspoon"}}},{"uid":7,"amount":"\u00bd","unit":"pound","name":"shellbow pasta","notes":"uncooked. 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