Macaroni and cheese is one of the ultimate comfort foods. One bite of that cheesy and buttery goodness will almost instantly put you in a better mood. Though many people grew up eating boxed macaroni and cheese, many foodies now turn up their noses at the powdered cheese and old noodles inside those boxes. After looking at some fun food hacks, you won’t have a problem stocking your pantry with boxed mac and cheese.
Make Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Baking mac and cheese in the oven is one of the best ways to dress up the dish. Follow the instructions on the package, and pour the finished mac and cheese in a baking dish. Grind or break crackers into smaller pieces. Add those cracker crumbs to a hot pan with a little butter and garlic inside. Stir until the crackers are golden brown. You can also add a little Parmesan cheese if you’d like. Top the macaroni and cheese with the cracker crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until everything is hot.
Muffin Cups
As long as you have refrigerated biscuit dough or crescent roll dough on hand, you’re minutes away from getting mac and cheese muffin cups on the table. Press the dough into each cup of your muffin tin, making sure that it sticks to the bottom and sides of each cup. Following the instructions on the packaging, bake the dough until lightly browned and cooked through. Fill each cup with a small amount of prepared mac and cheese, top with freshly grated cheese and bake until the cheese melts.
Everything Potato Mac and Cheese
If you love baked potatoes, you’ll love this food hack. Make the noodles in your macaroni and cheese according to the directions on the package, but add one pack of frozen broccoli to the water. After the noodles cook, drain off the excess water. Place the noodles in a bowl with fresh grated cheese, bacon bits and a sprinkling of chives. You can use the powdered cheese in place of fresh cheese, but try adding equal parts butter and sour cream rather than just using butter. If you miss the potato flavor, sprinkle a small amount of broken potato chips over the top. Place in a low oven until the chips are crusty and brown.
Tuna Noodle Bake
Foodie Maxim Gorin suggests transforming ordinary macaroni and cheese into an old favorite: tuna noodle casserole. Make your favorite mac and cheese recipe, or use the boxed version you have in the cabinet. Drain the noodles and pour into a large casserole dish. Add one can of well drained tuna in water, one bag of frozen peas and carrots and a small amount of butter and sour cream. Stir in a small amount of cheddar or your favorite cheese. Top the casserole with a thin layer of broken potato chips. Bake until the cheese melts, the chips are crunchy and everything is cooked through.
People often think that foodies only like gourmet dishes, but foodies also love putting their own unique twists on classic dishes. Mac and cheese is a classic comfort food that you probably have in your kitchen or pantry. Try using these recipes or experimenting on your own to create a new twist on classic mac and cheese.
Mac and Cheese is my go to food pag umay na ang mga bagets sa aming usual viands. I make a huge batch then freeze whatever they cannot finish. Madalas I have to separate na agad kasi hanggang nakikita nila, di nila titigilan. They can eat Mac and Cheese up to 6 times a day! Ako ang nauumay for them.
And yeah, I used to make it from the box. Ngayon, hindi na. 🙂
Will definite try your hacks next time.