Macaroni and Cheese Dressed Up

I’m not sure I’ve ever met a child who did not like macaroni and cheese. As a mom, it’s a quick and easy lunch or dinner for the kids, but not a personal favorite to serve adults.

Here are several ideas to dress up plain old macaroni and cheese and turn it into a true family meal that even adults will enjoy.

Start from scratch. Home made macaroni and cheese beats the taste of a box and powdered cheese any time. Here’s a simple recipe to create your base of macaroni and cheese:

1 package macaroni 1 c. grated Colby Jack cheese1 c. grated Cheddar cheeseSprinkle of flour

Boil your macaroni shells until soft. Place in a 9 x 13 inch pan and sprinkle enough flour to lightly cover your shells. Add grated cheeses over top. Cover and bake in 350 degree oven for 1/2 hour. Uncover for the last 5 minutes of baking.

You can add just about anything to this base. You can add ground meat, or ground turkey. You can add cut up hot dogs for the kids. You can add shredded chicken, and of course you can add any veggies you like. To make it simple add the frozen vegetable mixture. There are carrots, peas and corn in the simple mixtures.

Want some crunch for your macaroni and cheese? Add some meat to the mac and cheese and then put the mixture into a taco shell. Top with some lettuce and tomato and you have a very interesting taco.

If you enjoy spicy foods, try adding some spicy sausage to your macaroni and cheese. You can also add half a package of the hot taco seasoning mix for a macaroni and cheese with a kick. You can also add a teaspoon full of hot sauce to the casserole.

Have you ever made a 7 layer dip? Try using hot macaroni and cheese as your base. Then add sliced olives, sliced onions and diced tomatoes on top. Grab some tortilla chips and start dipping.

Have fun with your mac and cheese. Add whatever you have in the refrigerator and create your own wonderful combinations.

Audrey :)