Boxed mac and cheese hacks?

Boxed mac and cheese hacks bring a new spin to the pantry staple that has been feeding families since the days of the Great Depression. Jazzing up your kids' favorite quick and easy dinner standby will encourage picky eaters to try new flavors within a familiar context, and will make things a little more interesting for the parents who are eating it, too. And if your kids are true purists, just scoop some out for them plain and save the add-ons for your own bowl. Let's talk about how to spice up boxed mac and cheese!

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  •   -   09/16/2019

    In a separate pan, saute onions, warm up Cream of Mushroom and add canned tuna. Mix this back into your cheddar macaroni and cheese for a "tuna casserole."

  •   -   11/10/2019

    Peas and diced up onions for texture. Or, broccoli florets.

  •   -   08/23/2019

    Stir in a spoonful of pesto to the white cheddar mac and cheese variety. You can also add some sun dried tomatoes.

  •   -   08/23/2019

    Serve with a scoop of leftover chili on top.

  •   -   09/18/2019

    In a separate pan, saute onions in vegetable oil later adding a spoonful of tomato paste. Finish this with a pinch of cayenne pepper. This adds a warm kick to the mac.

  •   -   08/23/2019

    Stirring in a handful of real shredded cheese (we usually use cheddar) makes the texture more gooey and stringy like traditional macaroni and cheese.

  •   -   08/23/2019

    Crumbled bacon and sliced green onions sprinkled on top, and minced chipotles in adobo stirred into the boxed mac and cheese for those who like spice!

  •   -   08/23/2019

    Top with shredded rotisserie chicken and sliced green onions, and drizzle with buffalo sauce.

  •   -   04/06/2020

    Add a puree (like butternut squash, white bean or cauliflower) for a hidden healthy upgrade.

  •   -   04/06/2020

    Add leftover taco meat to mac and cheese, and top with traditional taco fixings like avocado, diced tomatoes and shredded cheese.

  •   -   02/26/2020

    Scoop some leftover pulled pork on top for a truly scrumptious meal!

    •   -   04/06/2020

      Also works great with leftover crockpot BBQ chicken!

  •   -   11/10/2019

    Ground beef plus a small pinch of real cheddar cheese shredded

  •   -   04/06/2020

    Saute crumbled Italian sausage until browned, add spinach until wilted, and mix into mac and cheese.

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