The most common way to make mac and cheese in our household is to open a box. Many people make their own mac and cheese, and I’m sure it ticks all the comfort-food boxes (meaning any dish that combines starch and cheese). I have made from-scratch mac and cheese a grand total of once, but it was so complicated with the boiling of the macaroni and the melting of the cheese and the blending and the baking. Yes, it was sublime, but why settle for sublime when you could have mediocre?
I know you have a box of mac and cheese in your pantry right now. It might be super-ultra-organic-vegan-gluten-free or it might be full of preservatives and neon-orange cheese equivalent. It doesn’t matter as long as it is some kind of pasta and some kind of cheesy powder or sauce. The important thing is, it’s in a box. We’re going to take what’s in that box and make it … only slightly better. But still, better. OK, fine, at least we’ll make it different.
These particular mix-ins are also tasty with white cheddar flavor, but in my “expert” opinion, cheese is cheese, so what’s not to love? The inspiration for this article is tasty.co/article/hannahloewentheil/boxed-mac-and-cheese-recipes, where you’ll find a mix-in for every taste.
Caprese Mac and Cheese
Prepare the macaroni and cheese. Now mix in a container of fresh mozzarella — those squishy spheres that come floating in containers of pungent milky liquid.
Cut the mozzarella balls in halves or in quarters, depending on how big they are and how big you like your mozzarella mouthfuls. If you can’t get your sanitized hands on fresh mozzarella, just cut some string cheese sticks into little slices and it will be a close second. Or at any rate, a second.
Then mix in a whole bunch of cherry tomatoes, cut in half, or slice up some regular tomatoes. You can also use canned tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes. Just get some tomatoes in there or it’s not really a caprese, OK?
Next, chop up some fresh basil or sprinkle with dried basil. If you like pesto, mix some of that in there, too. Ta-da — dinner with at least one vegetable in it!
Spinach and Artichoke Mac and Cheese
I like this recipe because it features fresh spinach. I’m lying — I like it because it features goat cheese.
Prepare the mac and cheese then mix in a drained 17-ounce can of artichoke hearts, cut into bite-size pieces.
In a separate pan, briefly saute 2 cups of fresh spinach in a bit of olive oil, salt, a pinch of pepper and a squirt of lemon juice. If you’re impatient, skip the sauteing and just add the fresh spinach to the mac and cheese.
Now, mix in 2 ounces of goat cheese, or, if you’re me, 22 ounces. If you don’t have goat cheese, you need to get a goat and learn to make your own goat cheese. You could also use cream cheese, but I will be straight with you: It’s not goat cheese.
Garnish with Parmesan cheese or more goat cheese.
Bacon, Brie and Mushroom Mac and Cheese
I like this recipe because — well, isn’t it obvious? Take a thing that’s cheesy, add more cheese, and then on top of that, add the two most delicious ingredients on the planet.
Saute a cup of fresh mushrooms in a little olive oil and salt — or use butter because we are definitely not counting calories here. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are nice and tender. Then fry up two or three strips of bacon. Then remove the rind from 8 ounces of brie and cut into cubes. Mix it all into a prepared bowl of mac and cheese.
Some people might find the richness of the brie a bit much; in that case, use goat cheese. No, I’m possibly just kidding. But you can omit the brie and you’ll still have delicious Bacon and Mushroom Mac and Cheese, and that’s nothing to sneeze at, especially if you’re wearing a mask.
Reuben Mac and Cheese
I’m not sure how likely it is that you’ll have the ingredients for a Reuben sandwich just lying around, but maybe you can add them to your next grocery delivery, because this sounds yummy.
Prepare your mac and cheese, then mix in 1 cup of diced or shredded corned beef, 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese, 1/2 cup sauerkraut and a dollop of Thousand Island dressing. If you have caraway seeds, sprinkle a few on top, but don’t go crazy. You can also make a baked version of this dish by layering noodles, corned beef, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese, then baking it in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 or 15 minutes, just until the cheese gets melty.
Dessert Mac and Cheese
Ha, ha … no. We’re not there yet.
