I tried Martha Stewart's and Ina Garten's baked mac and cheese recipes. The best added an unexpected ingredient.

Martha Stewart and Ina Garten both have recipes for baked mac and cheese, so I put them to the test.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

Summer cookouts are just around the corner, and few side dishes are as crowd-pleasing as a bubbling pan of baked mac and cheese.The comfort-food staple is a barbecue favorite, pairing well with burgers and hot dogs, as well as ribs, brisket, and grilled chicken.Both Martha Stewart and Ina Garten have recipes for baked mac and cheese, so I decided to see which is worthy of gracing your table. While the recipes were similar, one was a little cheaper and packed a lot more flavor.Here's how to make Garten and Stewart's baked mac and cheese recipes, and which one is better.

Up first was Martha Stewart's creamy mac and cheese.

The ingredients for Martha Stewart's creamy mac and cheese.