Mix It Up

Mac & Cheese in a box is one of the easiest meals you can make.  Ramen would be the other.  But when one lives on a budget that pretty much has you eating these noodles every day, it can get real boring real fast.

There are a ton of ways to shake things up in that bowl.  One time I was babysitting and the mom requested I put sweet peas into the Velvetta for the kid because he didn't even know he was eating them that way.  She also told me to help myself and I did.  Literally a life changing meal.

I realized it was so simple and easy to just add things into these basic dishes!  There is obviously another level of gourmet food but that is not what I am talking about.  I don't have the budget to go buy truffles and fancy cheeses.  I am strictly talking cheap stuff.

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For mac & cheese, fry up some bacon or grill chicken!  Use some scallion.  Or broccoli.  Or even some garlic salt and red pepper flakes.  Put it in a ceramic dish, sprinkle some bread crumbs on top, and bake it just till its crispy on the top.

(photo via)

For ramen, definitely throw in some scallions and almost any vegetable would work in the soup version.  Some spinach leaves or the oh so trendy kelp.  For a dry version, you can put it on top of a salad.  Cook the noodles and mix the shrimp flavor with cajun spices and if you can swing it, some real shrimp.