Spring is coming… And millions of college students around North America are getting tired of their go-to Kraft Mac & Cheese. But we have some inexpensive, tasty additions to suggest that will freshen-up their fave budget-friendly meal…
In September, you’re all over the Kraft Mac & Cheese. Can’t get enough of it. By Thanksgiving you’re less enthusiastic. By Christmas / New Year’s, you’re say-ing, “No thanks,” even to your Mom’s scratch-made Mac and Cheese on the family festive feat table…
And by this time of year, you can hardly look the stuff in the bowl anymore (see photo, left).
But you still have half a case left of Kraft Mac & Cheese that you got just a few weeks ago, as a gag gift from a well-meaning relative. What do you do?
May we suggest…
… Enhancing your next batch of Kraft Original Mac and Cheese with some-thing equally inexpensive, every bit as traditional, and just as popular with the college crowd?
I refer to some heat-and-eat goodies available at virtually every grocery store and as easy to prepare as popping the convenient pull-tab lid…
Check it out!
Younger folks I’ve spoken to (as recently as the just-passed Year-End Holidays) have been telling me that they’ve discovered a new way to inject variety and fklavour into their rock-bottom food budgets: Prepared, canned products from the soups aisle at the supermarket.
The kids want to know how nutritious these diet bombs are. And I have to disabuse them of any delusions that they’re healthy at all. But they will fill you up, warm you up, and help dress up your next bowl of Mac & Cheese.
Nevertheless…
The following easy to find, easy to afford, and easy to prepare ‘solutions’ can help you banish the supper-time blahs as the end of your academic year and your annual food discretionary budget draw nigh.
Salsa
A couple of spoonfuls of your favourite Tostito’s (or whatever brand) dipping / Tex-Mex salsa from the Chips aisle can brighten up your plain Mac and Cheese several crucial shades. If you already like ketchup on your Mac & Cheese, you’ll love Salsa! And it doesn’t take a lot of it to make a delectable difference in an otherwise-too-familiar nosh.
Chili
I know more than one 20-year-old who swears by Stag and Hormel’s canned Chili as the way forward in traffic-jammed dorm-dining situations. They say you can eat the stuff by itself with lots of buttered bread to fill up on. Or spoon it over Mac & Cheese as a flavourful ‘topper’ to both dress-up and ex-tend the classic yellow goop.
Crunchies
A little on the pricey side – unless you go for the No-Name equivalents… But a great way to add both flavour and crunch to your Mac & Cheese. The seasoned seniors grad students say every Mac & Cheese devotée should always have on hand a jar of French’s (or whomever’s) Crispy Onions and another of ‘Crunchy’ Bacon Bits to dress up their Kraft Dinner (as it’s called in Canada).
The best tip here is, you can get both, by the bag, for cheap at your local bulk store!
Frozen veggies
Yes. Even I occasionally toss a handful of frozen sweet corn kernels or green peas into my plain mack & cheese to add nutrition, colour, flavour and texture. You may discover other such additions that appeal to you. You may want to mic the veggies for a minute or so in a little water, in a separate Pyrex bowl or measuring up to make sure they’re thawed through and at least equal in temperature to your M&C before mixing them in, or just tossing on top.
Asian spices
Plain Mac & Cheese can be compared to a blank canvas when it comes to culinary experimentation. I’ve successfully added an extra dimension to the flavour and xisual appeal to mine by sprinkling-on a few pinches of colourful, zippy Indian spice blends such as dry Garam, Tandoori, Tikka or Madras Curry spice blend. I’ve even used Tex-Mex and various Barbecue ‘Rubs’.
Feel free to experiment. And be aware that a.) these dried blends re very concentrated so a little can go a long way. Plus b.) they can be sourced from the supermarket at relatively reasonable prices. Many are also available pre-blended in the spices aisle at your local bulk store, at really attractive prices!
My take
There’s no reason to feel you must ‘make do’ with plain Mac & Cheese. If you can afford the magic blue box of Mac & Cheese mix in the fist place, should be able to find enough extra cash in your beer budget for some kind of enhancement – à la the above…
As unhealthy as the nutrition pros will insist these ‘solutions’ are, they can’t rationally argue that a little excess in the direction of Mac & Cheese additions once in a while will do you any serious harm…
~ Maggie J.