5 Ways to Spice Up Your Classic Mac and Cheese Recipe

5 Ways to Spice Up Your Classic Mac and Cheese Recipe

By Katya Boskovic

July 26th, 2021

There’s no food quite like macaroni and cheese! This cheesy pasta dish is so universally loved and screams comfort food! Here are five ways to spice up your classic, plain mac and cheese recipe!

Before thinking about any additional ingredients, you’ll want to decide if you want to make your mac and cheese meal from a box or from scratch! The general recipe for the ultimate comfort food begins with boiling water seasoned with salt, adding, cooking, and draining your pasta, incorporating cheese, butter, and some milk to your noodles and, finally, enjoying your warm and delicious dish! Now, onto the 5 ways of spicing up your meal!

1. Protein!

Including your choice of protein in your mac and cheese is a great way to bring in another food group to your meal! Chicken is a great choice or, if you adhere to a vegan or vegetarian diet, picking your favorite beans and tossing them into your bowl of pasta is a tasty alternative! Along with these great choices, an extremely popular favorite seems to be bacon! Preheat your oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit and cook your bacon for about 20 minutes! Let it cool, crunch it up into bite-size pieces, and sprinkle it over your cheesy pasta! One ingredient can make your dish completely new and different! Enjoy the scrumptious burst of flavor and crunch!

2. Mac and Cheese Muffins!

This recipe brings a new and unique spin to the classic dish! Start this fun and easy recipe by making your mac and cheese as you normally do except you may want to take your pasta off of the stove a bit earlier than usual! Preheat your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit, scoop your mac and cheese into a buttered muffin tin, sprinkle extra cheese and breadcrumbs on top of your mixture, and bake your muffins for thirty minutes! We also suggest adding breadcrumbs to your standard bowl of mac and cheese for that extra crunch!

3. Cheese, cheese, and more cheese!

It can be argued that most mac and cheese dishes stick to sharp cheddar cheese but trying out different cheeses can be a great way to spice up your meal! A few different cheese suggestions include Gouda, Brie, parmesan, Havarti, American, Monterey Jack, and Gruyère! Rather than just selecting one cheese to make up the “cheese” part of your mac and cheese, choose a few cheeses and craft your own personalized mac and cheese! A combination of various cheeses in your dish can create an exceptionally appetizing and individual version of mac and cheese! Enjoy your cheesy dish!

4. Greens!

Mixing some veggies into your mac and cheese is a fantastic way to embrace your serving of greens and is perhaps the perfect solution for those who may not be impartial to the taste of vegetables! Vegetables allow you to add in a flavor that is subtle, as well! A few recommended greens include sautéed spinach and kale, broccoli, green onions, and peas! Scallions and onions also bring a nice flavor to switch up your dish!

5. Spices!!!

You can’t talk about spicing up mac and cheese dishes without including actual spices! If you are a spicy food lover or just love that little kick that some dishes have, consider red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, chili, jalapeños, cumin, and paprika as additions to your mac and cheese! Be sure to add the correct amount of spice that matches your level of desired spiciness! Italian seasoning, onion, and garlic powder are great alternatives if you want to amp up the flavor of your mac and cheese without it getting too spicy!