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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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."
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Stir in a spoonful of pesto to the white cheddar mac and cheese variety. You can also add some sun dried tomatoes.
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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.
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Stirring in a handful of real shredded cheese (we usually use cheddar) makes the texture more gooey and stringy like traditional macaroni and cheese.
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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!
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Top with shredded rotisserie chicken and sliced green onions, and drizzle with buffalo sauce.
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Add a puree (like butternut squash, white bean or cauliflower) for a hidden healthy upgrade.
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Add leftover taco meat to mac and cheese, and top with traditional taco fixings like avocado, diced tomatoes and shredded cheese.
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Scoop some leftover pulled pork on top for a truly scrumptious meal!
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Saute crumbled Italian sausage until browned, add spinach until wilted, and mix into mac and cheese.
