Walt Disney World’s Best Mac and Cheese
With over 30 locations on Walt Disney World property ladling out servings of the cheesiest pasta dish known to man, it’s impossible to know which has the best cheese sauce/pasta combo. After racing during Marathon Weekend (with a week-long vacation to follow), my body wanted carbs!
I spent 7 days sampling the mac and cheese from different eateries and can confidently tell you that these are the best bowls of cheesy delight Disney World has to offer!
Liberty Tree Tavern
I chose Liberty Tree Tavern as my post-race celebration spot for one reason: the Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake. I planned on eating lightly during the meal to save room for my favorite decadence, that is until the mac and cheese was served! For macaroni and cheese lovers, I can best equate this to elevated Kraft.
The cheese sauce is thicker than the boxed kind, but the runny consistency brought me right back to my childhood. This mac and cheese made the list because it doesn’t try to be fancy. There aren’t any breadcrumb toppings, no eclectic cheese blends, just mac and cheese in its most wholesome form! The pasta’s ridges hold onto that loose sauce for dear life and succeed in delivering as much of that luscious orange stuff in every bite! If you’re in the mood for a mac and cheese that’s closest to the stuff mom used to make, this is for you!
Taste Track (Epcot International Festival of the Arts)
With every Epcot Festival comes a personal mission: taste more dishes than ever before! I hit this year’s Epcot International Festival of the Arts with a carb-depleted belly and when my hungry eyes read that I could order macaroni and cheese wrapped in a bread cone, my hunger pangs amplified tenfold!
The macaroni and cheese itself reminded me of the one at Liberty Tree Tavern: better than the boxed stuff, but reminiscent. With a sprinkle of breadcrumbs on top, the macaroni and cheese itself was very good. The trick to this whimsical indulgence is getting equal parts macaroni and cheese to bread cone all in the same bite! I hated to ruin the artistic presentation that the chefs worked so hard to prepare for me, but one bite of that stellar combination washed away any guilt I might have been feeling!
The Boathouse
The Boathouse is my go-to for seafood, and burgers, and grilled veggies, and…you get the point! This time around, I was in full mac and cheese judging mode, so of course, I opted for their take on the dish.
It was clear this baby had just come out from the broiler from that golden-brown top layer. If there was a breadcrumb coating, it wasn’t noticeable. Perfectly browned, still-bubbling, super-sharp cheese was all I could taste! I loved the choice of shell pasta as it did a great job holding the super-thick, house-made cheese sauce.
TIP: This skillet is BIG- I couldn’t even finish half! If you’re ordering for a child, keep in mind they will need some help finishing it off- because you won’t want to waste a bite!
Chef Art Smith Homecomin’
Each and every time I’ve passed by Homecomin’, there has been a wait for a table. With the laundry list of restaurants at Disney Springs, the never-ceasing lines prove just how good the food here is! Maybe it’s because the restaurant’s specialty is southern cooking, but they have a leg-up on the mac and cheese game that’s hard to find anywhere else!
The contrast in textures made this mac and cheese soar to the top of the list. It’s not a true breadcrumb topping, rather an edge-to-edge layer of crunch. The combination of sharp parmesan cheese and crispy breadcrumbs broil together to create a protective barrier to the magic that lies underneath. Once you break that shell, you’ll be treated to bite after bite of smooth, creamy mac and cheese like only a southern-style kitchen can cook up!
The Polite Pig
Homecomin’ had it in the bag. That creamy white sauce could not be trumped. Thinking that The Polite Pig’s could at least be my second favorite, I decided to give it a try.
My one and only complaint is that I wish this was an entrée item! The breadcrumb/cheese topping added texture to the smooth and creamy dish. The tiny shells hiding below the cheese-crusted topping make up the best mac and cheese I’ve had on property.
I had an inkling this would be tasty from my very first fork pull…just look at that gorgeousness! If you can only try one macaroni and cheese dish while you’re visiting Walt Disney World, make it be The Polite Pig’s- you definitely will not be disappointed! Have you ever tried any of these macaroni and cheese dishes? Leave me a comment and let me know your favorite!
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