After two months in lockdown, who else is running low on ideas for meal prep?
Wanted to share my favorite fast food hacks, in case anyone else is already stressing about what to make for dinner tonight.
Boxed mac and cheese is a pantry staple in my house. Kraft Dinner regularly saves the day when I'm running low on time, or just feeling tired and uninspired. Plus, I genuinely like the stuff.
I know three tricks for kicking the KD up a notch. They aren't much harder to execute than the plain version, but the smidgen of extra effort makes the dish feel more intentional and personalized. (And less like your food was 100% phoned in lol.)
By the way, you can totally use Annie's instead. I personally love that brand just as much!
Important tip for all: Undercook the pasta, leave a drop of pasta water in the pot after draining.
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My favorite way to make macaroni and cheese!
To your cooked noodles, add a generous knob of butter, the powdered cheese, and as much ground cayenne as you can handle. I take a "less is more" approach, tasting and adding more heat if need be. Almost too easy, right? But I swear, whatever happens between the cheddar and cayenne is a thing of wonder.
Healthy ;)
Grate a zucchini (with the skin) and squeeze all the water out. Then squeeze out even more. You want the zucchini as dry as possible, otherwise you'll be stuck with soggy pasta. (I learned the hard way.) Add butter and the cheese packet to your cooked noodles, mix it together, then incorporate the zucchini. Finish with some cracked black pepper.
Over The Top
Make your KD per the instructions, melting in extra shredded cheddar (or any other good melty cheese) if you desire. On the side, whisk together parmesan and panko breadcrumbs. Fill a casserole dish with the gooey pasta, cover in the panko mix, bake in the over until the top is crusted over. Enjoy!
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What are your tricks for whipping up meals when you're low on time and/or inspiration?
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