It is officially fall. Somehow I am always transported back to childhood when the weather begins to change. Fall is back to school, new school clothes and cozy weekends watching football after church. It truly is my favorite season of all. As the colors of the trees change and I get busy baking in the kitchen, I feel cozy and peaceful.
But, there’s something else that takes me back to my childhood. And that is a big ‘ol bowl of “blue box” mac and cheese. Ya’ll know what I’m talking about! Though I am older, I still find myself wanting it! So to justify my craving, I usually jazz it up with a few sophisticated flavors.
Recently, I cannot get enough of the spicy, roasted green chiles. I use them a lot like in my Fast and Easy Green Chile. I always buy two or more bushels of them – sounds like a lot, but I freeze them and have them all winter long when I need something spicy to warm me up.
With this craving for spice competing for a spot on my table with the all-to-memorable bowl of cheesy pasta, I decided to combine the two. And…what a brilliant idea it was! The only problem is that I can’t get enough of it. Good thing I can justify it by convincing myself that it is healthy because I’m eating my veggies. Ha!
So here it is. Take one box of mac ‘n cheese and prepare it according to the package directions; except, add an additional ¼ cup of milk. Meanwhile, grate 1 cup of cheddar cheese and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Then, chop 1 cup of green chiles into about ¼ inch pieces.
When the pasta is prepared, add the cheeses. Adding the extra cheese takes an ordinary boxed mac and cheese to a whole new level. Plus, the addition of extra milk helps make it creamier. Who can resist creamy, ooey-gooey, cheesy goodness? Next, add the green chiles. Finally…enjoy and try not to eat the whole dang pot (seriously, it is harder than it seems!).
Jazzing up a box of mac and cheese is a great way to make a fast weeknight meal too. Check out a few other ways to glam up it up here.
Enjoy! Please leave your comments below; I would love to hear from you. Until next time, cheers!