Mac and Cheese Recipe Ideas

Ever since I was a child, I have eaten mac and cheese. I would have this easy to make dish at least a couple of times per week and I just loved eating it.

But the one thing that I found as I got older, is that it was harder and harder to eat it right out of the box. In fact, the dish that I once loved was starting to make me gag everytime that I ate it - but I wasn't ready to give up yet.

At that time, I started to experiment with different things that I could add to a box of mac and cheese to make it taste better and give myself some variety. Try out a few of my ideas below:

Add about half a jar of spaghetti sauce to your cooked mac and cheese - the tomato and cheese go well together.
Adding a can of mushroom soup and some extra milk turns your mac and cheese into cheesy mushroom goodness - though it will be a bit richer, and you might find that you can't eat it all.
Cooked hamburger added to your mac and cheese basically creates fake Hamburger Helper.
Cooked chicken chunks added to white cheddar macaroni classes it up a bit
You could add ketchup to your mac and cheese - though I personally don't care for it.

Comments: 11

Adelaide M. Jul 4, 2008, 7:23pm EDT

I buy a container of sliced ham for sandwiches(or use ham from the bone when I have it) and stir it in. It's one of my favorites.

reply to this comment

Margaret G. Jul 4, 2008, 7:26pm EDT

instead of tomato sauce, i use a can of diced tomatoes.

reply to this comment

Lee W. Jul 4, 2008, 7:30pm EDT

Add tuna

reply to this comment

Kim R. Jul 4, 2008, 7:48pm EDT

I like to burn the frozen kind in the microwave. Just so the edges are brown. Then I stir them in and do it again. For some reason it's better this way!

reply to this comment

Mary M. Jul 4, 2008, 8:53pm EDT

Great tips. The optiions are really limited only by your imagination:-)

reply to this comment

Jill B. Jul 4, 2008, 8:56pm EDT

My mom made a great discovery when I was a kid, now I make mac and cheese this way on purpose. After the Christmas holiday, we had part of a cheeseball left over (cold pack cheddar cheese rolled in chopped nuts, the kind meant to be spread on crackers). She threw the leftover bit in the pot and let it melt down. The taste is decadent and the texture is amazing. Yum town!

reply to this comment