Okay, lets get real. As much I love homemade mac and cheese, I know that no matter what anyone say boxed mac and cheese will always be the easiest and quickest thing to make. Yes, yes, yes, I know you don't have the same cheesy flavor but c'mon we've all been in that situation where hunger takes over and ain't nobody got time for a roux or shredding multiple kinds of cheese. I need GOOD mac and cheese minus all the work.
This is the moment that boxed mac and cheese gets its time to freakin' shine! I never really got to have mac and cheese all that much growing up but my god did I love it. I was always over the moon happy when I saw my thermos in my lunch box because the only time I got that deceiving large red and white thermos was when my mom made me and my brother mac and cheese. In my house we were always in rotation between Velveta, Kraft and Annies and I could never pick a favorite. I honestly loved them all equally.
But now that I have grown up my palette only enjoys the finest of aged sharp cheddars and exquisite imported french cheeses. HA! Imagine. Totally just messing with you. I'll eat box mac and cheese till the day I die. But since I have ventured out into the world a little more. I know what I like from both homemade and box mac and cheese. So here my recipe for jazzing up your favorite boxed mac and cheese!
For this recipe I would recommend a white cheddar flavor box mac and cheese just because it goes really well with the other ingredients. I think the yellow/original flavored ones go better with other things. So try to find the white cheddar one and you'll be golden.
Start off my getting things going for the mac and cheese. You know the drill, boil the water, dump in the pasta, cook it for 8 - 10 minutes. As that gets going, place 2 slices of prosciutto and 2 slices of chorizo onto a pan on medium heat and let them get sup-ah crispy. Not burned, crispy. We aim for crispy here at three hungry bellies. It should take about 5 minutes. Just flip it once half way through and then let it drain on some paper towels.
*side note: if you're wondering were to just get two slices of prosciutto and chorizo I always get a sampler of meats from trader joes for sandwiches. They have 4-5 slices of 3 different kinds of deli meats. Most grocery stores have a deli meat sampler already packaged and ready to go in the same isle where they have the prepackaged shredded cheeses!*
Now back to your mac and cheese. You know how they say "recommended way" and it has the extra butter? Yea, make you mac that way. FAT IS FLAVOR MY FRIENDS! Plus this is mac and cheese not a salad. Add that extra butter and make your cheese sauce. Add in your pasta, crunch up your crispy meats. and crack a bunch of black pepper in that baby and dig in!
Hungry Girl Mac & Cheese
Honestly serves 1 but if you're up for sharing maybe 2
Ingredients:
1 box of white cheddar and shells mac and cheese
2 thin slices of prosciutto
2 thin slices of chorizo
Lot of freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions:
Start off by following the instruction on the box for the macaroni & cheese.
Next evenly place the prosciutto and chorizo down in a pan with a medium flame. Make sure none of the slices are touching each other. Cook them for 2 minutes. Then flip and cook for another 2 minutes.
Once, they are crispy, take them out and line them on a paper towel.
Finish up your macaroni and cheese by draining the noodles and making the cheese sauce the recommended way. You know the one with extra butter.
Finally, top the finished mac and cheese with cracked black pepper and crushed prosciutto and chorizo!