this post was submitted on 02 Mar 2010
23 points (78% like it)
32 up votes 9 down votes

comments

chelchelle 12 points13 points 4 months ago[-]

Throw some frozen peas in the water right before you drain the noodles and let them thaw. Drain, add in the cheese stuff, top with pepper and bacon bits.

keepinithamsta 2 points3 points 4 months ago[-]

I like doing this with cauliflower and broccoli in some pasta dishes.

Sisyphean 1 point2 points 4 months ago[-]

Almost the same; but we use frozen peas & carrots.

BigGreenSticky 10 points11 points 4 months ago[-]

Garlic salt, garlic pepper, salt, crushed bag of BBQ chips (small bag), shredded sharp cheddar, large pat of butter,box cheese, dash of milk, stir under heat,and finish tobasco and pepper to taste.

DedHeD 4 points5 points 4 months ago[-]

Wow. That is epic. I definitely have to try this. Does this recipe have name... it needs a name.

mitchbones 5 points6 points 4 months ago[-]

Big Green Sticky and Cheese

leewaylandgrant 8 points9 points 4 months ago* [-]

add a can of beef chili

I know I'm going to culinary hell for this, but it was a college comfort food. I still get a random craving for it 'bout once a year.

DedHeD 4 points5 points 4 months ago[-]

bout once a year.

I sometimes suffer bouts after eating chili.

leewaylandgrant 2 points3 points 4 months ago[-]

Apostrophe added, just for you.

DedHeD 5 points6 points 4 months ago[-]

'bout time.

Negative__One 13 points14 points 4 months ago[-]

  • Hot dogs. Cook the hot dog in the microwave and chop it into little bite size pieces and stir it into the mac n cheese.
  • Sriracha sauce

albulavulpes 3 points4 points 4 months ago[-]

why cook the dogs separately? "cook" them with the mac

Negative__One 2 points3 points 4 months ago[-]

So they are crunchy.

albulavulpes 3 points4 points 4 months ago[-]

no, just heat them up when you're cooking the pasta then cut them up and throw them in with the sauce. You'll get some hot dog flavor into the pasta.

IsItJustMe -1 points0 points 4 months ago[-]

No, just cut them up and put them in the water when you are cooking the pasta, then the little slices get even more moist, while adding flavor to everything else.

bluemeep 1 point2 points 4 months ago[-]

I prefer cheese dogs myself.

bertimus9 8 points9 points 4 months ago[-]

Crap, based on the headline I thought of the obvious answer, but I wasn't counting on the poor student part. (my first thought was a bottle of delicious champagne, but that doesn't come cheap).

But as a student, I used to make a tuna and macaroni salad that was great. Boil stubby/short macaroni like you would for mac n cheese; drop in some frozen peas at the very end till they're defrosted, then drain; add a can of tuna, some mayo and gulden's mustard, salt and pepper. I would make a huge batch of this and eat it for lunch and dinner for days, cold and out of the fridge.

Another option is macaroni and cheeseburger helper. (and champagne). Trashily delicious.

dishie 6 points7 points 4 months ago[-]

One of my favorite meals is Easy Mac with a can of tuna. If I'm getting fancy, I mix in some cream of mushroom soup and English peas.

jordanmills 0 points1 point 4 months ago[-]

While we're still on the expensive bent, don't forget lobster or lump crab meat.

mattbin 6 points7 points 4 months ago[-]

  1. Saute onions, broccoli, asparagus, whatever other vegetables you have on hand until they're soft.

  2. Mix with cooked pasta.

  3. Create sauce per instructions.

BONUS

  1. Add chopped-up bits of good cheese (gouda for example) and mix well before serving.

ALSO

My brother-in-law throws chopped prosciutto in after finishing the box directions. He calls the meat "gabbagool" though, because he used to eat this ritually while watching the Sopranos. I have yet to decide whether this is an abomination or a breakthrough.

30percentAlpaca 0 points1 point 4 months ago[-]

This dude said it, except I'd also suggest peppers. And some spices, even just black pepper.

snuggleslut 7 points8 points 4 months ago[-]

If you learn to make a simple white sauce, you can abandon the box stuff for good.

First, melt 1-2 tbs butter in a sauce pan.

Then add 1-2 tbs flour.

Stir the flour until it starts to look golden.

Stir in 1-1.5 cups milk.

After the milk is warm, add cheese with abandon (but 1 cup is probably sufficient).

Mix with pasta and revel in its tastiness.

opek 1 point2 points 4 months ago[-]

And if you buy bulk cheese you can easily make the 1/2 lb serving for around 1-1.5 dollars.

LemonHerb 0 points1 point 4 months ago[-]

You've won me over with your argument, I will try this tonight.

jesuisnapoleon 3 points4 points 4 months ago[-]

Lots of pepper, bacon, ground beef.

TheFinn 2 points3 points 4 months ago* [-]

First i always use at the very least whole milk but often half and half or heavy cream. I also tend to grate a bunch of real cheese into my mac and cheese while still hot.

  • Canned and mostly drained tuna (i find a little "tuna water" adds tuna flavor to the cheese sauce)
  • Salsa (or Sriracha or Rotel)
  • Leftover meat from the previous nights dinner (Taco meat, Ham, Chinese BBQ pork, Chili, Roast beef, Pork Roast etc)
  • Sausage (Linguica, Chorizo, Chourico, Kielbasa, etc)
  • sauted peas and onions (sauted in bacon fat)
  • bacon (in all of it's forms pancetta etc)
  • Shredded fried Chicken(and buffalo chicken sausage) + bit of Franks Wings Sauce + crumbled blue cheese served with celery on the side)

I like to think of it as adding mac and cheese to things not the other way around i mean seriously what can't be improved by adding cheese and pasta

ki11a11hippies 0 points1 point 4 months ago* [-]

bacon fat

As a corollary, invest in a mason jar and store all your rendered bacon fat. It'll make all the cheap cooking you do in college so much better. If I had known that in school maybe I would have done more than pasta and eggs all the time.

edit: also, this is the time for experimentation. make some crazy shit with cheap ingredients and you'll get something unique and delicious out of it.

janey24516 2 points3 points 4 months ago[-]

I add sour cream and cream cheese, if I have them. Plain yogurt makes it really tangy in a good way.

Frozen peas always works. Bacon on top sounds tasty, too.

MayaKarin 2 points3 points 4 months ago[-]

it already is delicious....

ddddamn 2 points3 points 4 months ago[-]

BACOOOOOOOOOOOOON! and also, some louisiana hot sauce

asocialnetwork 2 points3 points 4 months ago[-]

I usually dress my mac and cheese up in an expensive shirt, jeans and maybe a bandana with sunglasses. makes for a badass look. if you're poor you can always go for a cheaper shirt

courtbeautiful 2 points3 points 4 months ago[-]

Add onions and cayenne pepper. You can do one or both of them together. It is wonderful.

Pendin 1 point2 points 4 months ago[-]

I fry up onions and kiebasa sausage in a pan, sometimes with some red bell pepper and a hot pepper of some sort, then I make the mac and cheese as directed, and mix them together. I liberally add sriracha because I love the heat and garlic.

tallwookie 1 point2 points 4 months ago[-]

Everyone's fashion taste is different, but I find that fishnet, stockings/garter, and some padded handcuffs can make any kind of box look a LOT better

benutne 1 point2 points 4 months ago[-]

Little bit of ro-tel goes a long way. Salsa works too.

[deleted] 1 point2 points 4 months ago[-]

Ketchup.

ham - no ketchup with the ham though.

madcapmag 1 point2 points 4 months ago[-]

Bacon, hot-dog, parsley, sriracha, edamame (hulled), extra cheese. Mix everything in except the extra cheese. Put into a baking dish, top with cheese, bake at 425 until cheese is browned. Toss on parsley.

orezpraw 1 point2 points 4 months ago[-]

I like to put mine in a sheer teddy.

Forensicunit 1 point2 points 4 months ago[-]

I'm pretty sure that's dressing down. Dressing up usually involves a cocktail dress or a nice suit.

PikaKyri 1 point2 points 4 months ago[-]

Use yoghurt instead of milk. One of the brands I've tried suggested it and it's just nice. The little bit of tang really helps make it taste better.

Manioti 0 points1 point 4 months ago[-]

By throwing it away. I never eat boxed mac and cheese. You can make far better for less, so why swill?

janey24516 0 points1 point 4 months ago[-]

Fast, easy, and pretty cheap.

Manioti 0 points1 point 4 months ago[-]

Cheap is deadly. Eat well. How? Eat bettter, eat less.

janey24516 0 points1 point 4 months ago[-]

Sometimes it's a lot easier to put on a pot, wait for the mac to boil, and stir it all together. I'm more than happy to make my own whipped cream, pancake batter, and syrup. But fuck me if it isn't tiring (and messy) sometimes.

Maybe it's because I've been raised in an instant gratification culture that I can't be in the kitchen preparing 3 separate super fresh meals a day. 7 days a week.

Manioti 0 points1 point 4 months ago[-]

Then die young from lousy food. It's your choice.

janey24516 0 points1 point 4 months ago[-]

Yup, I'm going to die at age 30 because I eat boxed mac&cheese 2x a month.

BeerOtter 0 points1 point 4 months ago[-]

I have a large round container I usually put most pre-made, chemical-laden, tastes-like-shit box products in. The city picks them up once a week and they magically disappear.

Seriously, dude, save your money and start from scratch. It's simple, it's cheaper, it's better for you, it doesn't take much more time, and the womens love a man who can cook.

rodentdp 0 points1 point 4 months ago[-]

ok then, how about some alternatives? Simple, cheap, and healthy are where I'm at these days. Cooking isn't difficult (and yes, the womens do love it), but if you're short on funds/time like I am, it can get difficult (especially if you're cooking for one).

BeerOtter 0 points1 point 4 months ago[-]

Look into grains, quinoa is a great one that's very flexible. Buy primal cuts of meat whenever possible. Buy a chicken, butcher it at home (that saves a little) and use the carcass for stock. You've just set up 4 meals, 3 if you're a big eater. Roast a piece or two one night, sautee' some another night, hell, make home made shake and bake. Use the leftovers for chicken salad (lunch) or add to a soup (or even stew) with your stock. Cheap and not too difficult with a minor amount of effort.

Once you get the hang of it, you'll wonder why people don't eat better all the time. Plus as you experiment you'll build a pantry of ingredients you can play with. Tools too, over time.

senatorkneehi 0 points1 point 4 months ago[-]

I read this as "favorite ways to dress up as boxed mac and cheese." I was expecting different kind of awesome once I got here. But while I'm here, I'll say in a glass dish lined with prosciutto (pepperoni or salami is a good poverty substitute), topped with mucho bread crumbs and baked.

megatokyo-girl 0 points1 point 4 months ago[-]

I like to saute some ham and broccoli in a pan with just a little bit of olive oil, then mixing it into my mac and cheese. The broccoli also adds fiber to the meal - a thing that most boxed mac is lacking in.

kublakhan 0 points1 point 4 months ago[-]

I like to add spinach and chicken sausage. Also Mexican hot sauce.

sileegranny 0 points1 point 4 months ago[-]

I just like to boil down a can of diced tomatoes until they're thick. Then i can do whatever I want with them—make salsa, marinara, sometimes I mix it in with a box of macncheese.

batttygirl 0 points1 point 4 months ago[-]

slightly been said, but my fav is salsa and tuna. Or just with franks red hot. Havnt had it in about a year. Now I want it. Shit. How am I going to explain this one to my health conscious boyfriend?

gevander 0 points1 point 4 months ago[-]

Tuna is another cheap upgrade. When I was younger and poorer, I would add tuna or Spam, some pepper or another spice, brocolli, peas, extra cheese (usually parmesan). You can make m&c into a more complete meal by adding meat and veg.

fixthe_fernback 0 points1 point 4 months ago[-]

I enjoyed throwing in some fresh broccoli when I throw in the pasta into the water. You want it to overcook so that when you stir in the cheese the broccoli basically disintegrates and you have an even broccoli distribution. Green mac n cheese

druidcitychef 0 points1 point 4 months ago[-]

bacon, hormel beanless chili, diced tomatoes

bubblequinn 0 points1 point 4 months ago[-]

Italian bread crumbs!!!

Talamasca 0 points1 point 4 months ago[-]

It’s fairly ‘forgiving’… Crushed Red Peppers, Tuna… Anything you have leftover… Anything you have just that little bit left of. (Not enough to make a serving. But you wanna use it before it goes bad).

Experiment with what you like, ie; combinations of things you like. I’ve made some pretty atrocious combos… (but I hate to waste), And I’ve found a few that work very, very well. (I can make an awesome pasta dish out of what’s in your pantry… guaranteed).

A matter of taste, and experimentation.

nourse 0 points1 point 4 months ago[-]

Extremely simple, but delicious... chop up a clove of fresh garlic throw it in a bowl with the butter called for by the box, microwave it for a minute or so, stir it in just like you normally would.

And if you're a poor college student who hasn't discovered the joys of Sriracha then get your ass to the grocery store and grab some.

MBuddah [S] 0 points1 point 4 months ago[-]

yeah i've never even heard of sriacha. sounds like spicy indian stuff?

jellojohn 1 point2 points 4 months ago[-]

It's cheap hot sauce that goes well with just about anything.

nourse 0 points1 point 4 months ago[-]

It's sweet, spicy, garlicky, Thai-inspired sauce made by an American from Vietnam who is ethnically Chinese.

tusocalypse 0 points1 point 4 months ago[-]

Keep it simple: Bacon and Broccoli. And maybe a touch of hot sauce

PHermas 0 points1 point 4 months ago[-]

I like to dress it up with some sensible slacks and a nice low cut top.

Laurzone 0 points1 point 4 months ago[-]

Throw in a little bit of tomato soup. The sweetness of the tomato really compliments the cheese. If you like that, try mixing in some stewed tomatoes. Delicious!

skitch 0 points1 point 4 months ago[-]

try different amounts of milk/butter/yogurt (if you can afford such highfalutin ingredients).

jeannaimard 0 points1 point 4 months ago[-]

Bacon.

OneSalientOversight -2 points-1 points 4 months ago[-]

Here's a great recipe I learned:

  1. Remove ingredients from mac and cheese box and place in rubbish bin.
  2. Place mac and cheese box in recycling bin.
  3. Jump into car.
  4. Travel to nearest Indian Take-away
  5. Purchase Butter Chicken with Basmati Rice.
  6. Eat.

Luminaire -1 points0 points 4 months ago[-]

1 can of Campbells tomato soup.