Upgrade Your Mac n' Cheese

When your family finally comes through the door at 8:30 PM with no dinner anywhere to be seen, it’s go time for quick and slightly ok in the healthiness department. When your stomach starts eating your insides, your standard of food quality goes way down. One quick meal that I made recently actually impressed my Mom (I think she was just happy to have food like me). I made the easiest meal ever, mac n’ cheese, but I happened to upgrade it slightly.

Tools and Ingredients:

• stove
• wooden spoon or any serving spoon
• pot with lid
• strainer (if you don't have one, dont worry about it)
• water
• kraft mac n’ cheese or velveeta mac n’ cheese
• steamed vegetables bag or frozen veggies
• milk (optional)
• basil (optional)
• salt (optional)

To make this slightly healthy, okish meal, start by setting the stove on high with the pot filled with amount of water needed by the mac n’ cheese box. Let the water boil, not completely but right at the point where there are tiny bubbles at the bottom of the pot and steam is rising. Put the macaroni in the water to cook it. While you are boiling your noodles, follow the directions on the steamed vegetables bag and stick it in the microwave, if you only have a frozen bag of veggies, don't worry. Take a large bowl, like huge, pour in veggies and add enough water to cover the top most veggie, don't drown them. You can always tell when noodles are done cooking when you stir the macaroni after a good time of boiling. If the spoon feels like it’s moving through water with sand in it, it’s smooth going like normal water but you know for a fact something is in there, then you’re golden. Turn the stove down to the lowest setting and strain your noodles. If you don't have a strainer, use your arm muscles and use the pot lid to stop the noodles from falling out as you tip the pot to the side. Place the noodles back into the pot. Add in the box cheese (if using kraft powder, add milk to make it creamier, don't add milk if using velveeta). By this time, your veggies should be done. Add them to the mac n’ cheese. Now comes the creativity, normally steamed veggies have no flavor aside from the vegetable flavor, so I add basil and the tiniest bit of salt to the entire mix to add flavoring. Mix well until the cheese and seasoning is on everything evenly. Enjoy your 15 minute-made meal!

Written by Keira Zirkle