Thank God for mac & cheese. Without it, what would we even eat (serious question)? But as perfect of food as mac & cheese is, if you have it day after day, it can get a bit tired. But we have all kinds of ways to hack your mac. From easy protein add-ins to fun flavors, turn your workaday mac & cheese into a meal with minimal effort and cost using our amazing mac hacks.
Pizza Mac
The genius of pizza mac is that you can customize it any way you want. So if pineapple and Canadian bacon is your jam, then stir it into your cooked mac & cheese. Here are two of my favorite quick stir-ins:
- Chopped pepperoni, a few tablespoons of jarred spaghetti sauce, and a sprinkle of shredded mozarella. Zap in the microwave for an extra minute after adding your ingredients, and your mac is hacked.
- Chopped salami, chopped canned olives, and pepperoncini slices. Zap the salami in the microwave to warm it up, then stir all the ingredients right into your mac & cheese.
Tuna Casserole Mac
I may be showing my age a bit here, but tuna casserole was my dad's (& my hubby's) favorite casserole. If you like to kick it old-school with your mac & cheese, then heat up a little drained, canned tuna and some frozen peas in the microwave to stir into your cooked mac & cheese. Top with crumbled potato chips.
Kielbasa & Sauerkraut Mac & Cheese
Speaking of kicking it old school, chop up some kielbasa, fry it up in a pan, and stir in some sauerkraut. Then, stir this into your cooked mac & cheese along with a teaspoon to a tablespoon of grained or Dijon mustard.
Beefaroni
Crumble and cook some ground beef. Add some chopped onion and continue cooking until it's translucent — just a minute or two. Add some chopped canned tomatoes (drained) and cook until heated through. Stir into your cooked mac & cheese — or stir your cooked mac & cheese into the beef mixture.
Sloppy Mac
All you need for this is ground beef, canned sloppy Joe sauce, and cooked mac & cheese. Cook and crumble the beef. Add the sloppy Joe sauce and simmer to heat through. Stir in the mac & cheese. Boom — mac hacked.
Macsquites
Esquites — Mexican street corn off the cob — tastes like it was made for mac & cheese. Warning: this will require some cooking — but not much.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter or oil
- 1 red onion, chopped
- ¼ cup cream cheese
- 1 (14-ounce) can of corn, drained
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- Cooked mac & cheese
- ¼ sour cream or Mexican cream
- Crumbled cotija cheese
- Chopped, fresh cilantro
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat the butter or oil on medium-high until it's hot.
- Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 1-2 minutes.
- Add the cream cheese, canned corn, and chili powder. Cook, stirring, until the cheese melts.
- Stir in the mac and cheese and cook until everything is warmed.
- Stir in the sour cream or crema.
- Serve topped with crumbled cotija cheese (grated pepper jack will work, too) and chopped fresh cilantro.
Macchoes
This mac hack is really more in the spirit of nachos than actual nachos, but it's tasty and easy. Grab some precooked fajita meat (chicken or beef is fine) at the grocery store, chop it into pieces, and warm it in the microwave. Stir it into your cooked mac & cheese with some chopped pickled jalapeños. Spread it in an oven-safe baking dish and sprinkle with crushed tortilla chips and pepper Jack cheese. Put it under the broiler until the cheese melts. You can eat it that way or garnish it with dollops of sour cream, chopped avocadoes, chopped green onions, and chopped olives.
Helpful Hack
If you're feeling extra-ambitious, you can cook up some ground beef and add taco seasoning and use that in place of the fajita meat.
Chicken Macfredo
In a small saucepan, melt equal parts cream cheese, butter, and whole milk, stirring constantly. Bring it to a simmer and add an equal amount of shredded Parmesan cheese. Stir into your prepared mac & cheese along with some cooked frozen veggies (you can zap them in the microwave) or steamed veggies and some chopped rotisserie chicken.
Chili Mac
Easiest mac hack ever... mix your cooked mac & cheese in with a cooked can of chili. Zest it up with some hot sauce if you want, but it isn't required. So I like crumbled Fritos and a little grated cheese on this, but you do you.
BBMac
Another easy mac hack — stir into your cooked mac some warmed-up pre-cooked pulled pork or chopped smoked brisket and a warmed up can of BBQ baked beans. Top with bagged coleslaw for extra crunch.
Hack Your Mac for a Whole Bunch of Meals
Sure — I still love the classic mac & cheese. It's the ultimate comfort food. But why be a one-trick pony? With our delicious, fast, and inexpensive mac hacks, you can mix up your mac and make delicious meals.
