10 Ways to Dress Up Boxed Macaroni and Cheese

Yes, we do our level best to eat right. We avoid highly processed foods, we put fresh fruits and vegetables on the table with every meal, and we even bake our own bread.

But when you live on a farm, sometimes the urgent takes top priority.

So what do you prepare for dinner when you’ve been moving livestock, running errands, or doing some other task that keeps you out of the kitchen?

Here’s a hint—start with boxed macaroni and cheese.

As America grows ever more real-food-conscious, our healthy eating options continue to increase. It is now quite possible to find boxed macaroni and cheese that is organic, whole-grain, carefully sourced—and affordable. This kind of macaroni and cheese frequently has the advantage of tasting like real cheese, too.

For the busy country family, then, it makes sense to keep a reserve supply of quality boxed macaroni and cheese in the pantry.

Mix It Up

While there are many varieties and flavors of real-food-based macaroni and cheese out there these days, sometimes a few extra (and very simple) touches make all the difference between dinner in a hurry and a special treat. Whether you want to put more variety on the table or you want to beef things up a little for a family hungry after a day of hard work, these macaroni variations should help without adding too much extra time to the process:

  1. Serve with hot sauce.
  2. Stir in your favorite salad dressing.
  3. Add salsa. Homemade salsa is even better.
  4. Add sauteed all-natural turkey sausage and onions.
  5. Add your favorite shredded cheese and stir until melted.
  6. Combine with sauteed onion and fully cooked ground beef.
  7. Stir in pasta sauce, chopped onion, sliced olives, and sliced pepperoni.
  8. Top with leftover chili. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar. Serve with ketchup.
  9. Add taco seasoning (you can make your own, but that’s a subject for another post) and top with sour cream.
  10. Heat up leftover soup on the stove and stir in the contents of the cheese packet. Add the pasta and simmer until the noodles are completely cooked.

Enjoy!

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Published by hsotr

Four-time author Michelle Lindsey owns and operates Homestead on the Range, an independent publisher dedicated to helping Kansans and others around flyover country achieve an abundant country lifestyle. She is a serious history enthusiast, specializing in Kansas, agriculture, and the American West. When not pursuing hobbies ranging from music to gardening to birdwatching, she can usually be found researching or writing about her many interests.