The blue box stays the blue box
Make it exactly the way it says on the side. Same noodles, same orange powder, same amount of butter. Changing the base is how you lose a kid who eats eleven things.
Throw a cup of frozen peas into the boiling water for the last sixty seconds, so they cook in the pot you already have going and dirty nothing extra.
Then fold in a cup of shredded rotisserie chicken at the end. A box that used to be a side is now a dinner, and it took no additional pan.
Ingredients
The batch makes 2 to 3 bowls. Plan on about 20 minutes.
- 1 box (about 6 oz) macaroni and cheese (the kind your kid likes)
- 1 cup cooked shredded chicken
- 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 1/2 cup canned white beans, drained and rinsed (optional)
- 1/4 cup extra shredded cheese
- Milk and butter per the box
How to Make It
- Make the mac and cheese exactly as the box says so it stays familiar.
- Warm the chicken and peas in the microwave for about a minute.
- Stir the chicken, peas, and beans into the mac and cheese, or keep them on the side.
- Top with the extra cheese and let it melt for a minute before serving.
Make It Work for Picky Kids
Mac and cheese is the safe base, so add-ins go on top or on the side until the kid trusts them.
- Serve the chicken and peas alongside, not stirred in, for a cautious kid
- Mix in just the chicken first and save the beans for next time
- Keep the original box flavor so it still tastes like their mac and cheese
Pack or Store
This makes a filling dinner that holds up in a thermos for the drive to practice.
- Pack hot in a warmed thermos so it stays creamy and warm
- Add a splash of milk when reheating so it does not dry out
- Refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days
- Serve with: steamed carrots, a piece of fruit
Parent Tip
Add the protein after the cheese sauce is mixed so the noodles stay coated and creamy.
Make it fit tonight
Small changes that make this one fit your night
Broccoli stir
Chopped steamed broccoli goes in at the same moment the peas would have.
Buffalo chicken
Chicken tossed in buffalo sauce first makes a version for the teenager, kept in a separate bowl.
Diced ham
Half a cup of diced ham costs less than chicken and needs no cooking at all.
Taco mac
Seasoned ground beef with a spoon of salsa turns the box into something nobody recognizes.
Canned tuna
A drained can of tuna folded in is the cheapest protein in the cupboard, though not for a closed car.
Extra milk
A splash more milk keeps it from setting up stiff if it has to wait an hour.
Plan the next step
Find more upgrades
Browse a few more easy ways to bulk up a boxed favorite.