Dress up your Mac ‘N Cheese
Macaroni and cheese has to be one of the easiest and cheapest meals on the planet. Children love it. There’s rarely a fight to get them to eat it. It is easy on the budget, and easy on the schedule. The problem is that even though you can get a box for about .30 cents, it isn’t very nutritious. Here are some tips that I have learned to help improve the quality of your economical dinner, without adding a lot of expense to your budget or time to your schedule.
First, cut the amount of butter in half. Whatever the box says, either cut it way down, or eliminate it entirely. If you add an equal amount of fat free sour cream and a handful of chives instead of the margarine or butter, you have a new, much healthier taste. Stir in grated Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Mozzarella, Fontina, or another favorite. It will give your dish a whole new taste.
Add a slice or two of real American cheese to the mix after you have mixed in all of the ingredients. It will enrich the cheesy flavor and add calcium to the dish. You can also dice up your favorite lunch meat to stir in as well. Ham or turkey works well. My children used to love hot dogs sliced up in their dishes.
Cook your favorite vegetable in with the same water with the noodles (usually for only the last couple of minutes). Mix the vegetables with the noodles and sauce mix. Broccoli, cauliflower, onions, mushrooms, or green beans do well. Use any vegetable that you like. Experiment. Be adventurous. Top with chopped scallions, or french fried onions. Sprinkle with a shot of your favorite hot sauce for an even spicier twist.
Make nacho flavored mac ‘n cheese. Add jalapeno peppers or cayenne pepper to the mix when it is done cooking. Serve with tortilla chips instead of a spoon.
Take your mac ‘n cheese mixture when it is complete, and put it into a baking dish. Top with a combination of bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Bake in a 425 degree oven until golden brown, approximately 10-15 minutes. Serve while hot.
Enjoy.
