Mac and cheese that tastes like turkey dinner
I lovemac and cheese but I don’t make it very often. I mean, it’s one thing if I have a box that I’m throwing into the rice cooker to serve as a cheesy side, but when it’s themain dish? It feels like a cop- out, like I’ve doomedmy son to a carby stomach ache with little regard to American standards of nutritional value.
I learned 15 years ago that trying to dress up a boxed mac and cheese with mixed vegetables will only end in disappointment and broken 4-yearold hearts, but I had to do something. The macaroni was already boiling. The cheese was already out.
After draining my noodles and putting them back on the stove inspiration hit. I was out of chicken, but I did have chicken bouillon ready to go. At the very least that would add in some protein, and if I served this cheesy goodness alongside some steamed carrots, well, who’s to say it wasn’t a complete meal?
I grabbed a few spices and herbs, that mushroom powder mix that I’ve become low key obsessed with, mixed it in with the cheese, added the bouillon, and had my son come taste the pasta as I spooned it out into a bowl for him.
His eyes went wide.
This mac and cheese tasted like Thanksgiving.
There were no tears that night, no broken little hearts, and no attempts to pretend we both weren’t going to eat big bowls of mac and cheese and absolutely nothing else for dinner.
Holiday mac and cheese
Ingredients:
• 1box macaroni
• 1⁄2 tablespoon mushroom salt blend
• 1cube of chicken bouillon
• 2pouches of velvety cheese sauce (or 1cup of velveeta)
• 1cup of reserved pastawater
DIRECTIONS » Cook macaroni according to box. Do not salt cooking water. Before draining set aside 1 cup of cooking water.
Drain pasta and return to pot. Add water. Add cheese and slowly stir in. Add mushroom salt and stir. Crumble chicken bouillon and slowly stir in. Once everything is well mixed let sit for 5 minutes.
Serve and enjoy.