by HM Wilson

Created on: August 06, 2009

When one thinks of exciting foods, boxed macaroni and cheese generally isn't what springs to mind. Depending on the brand, the very edibility of the dish might even be a major issue.

So, how do you take plain old boxed mac 'n' cheese from drab to fab (or, at least, something that has legitimate aspirations to being fab)?

Don't send your mac 'n' cheese to the plate naked! Dress it up!

One easy way to add some pizzazz to boxed macaroni and cheese is to add tuna and peas. Prepare the dish as usual, mixing in peas (preferably frozen) at the end. After removing the dish from the heat, stir in the tuna. In a few simple steps, you've added some excitement to the mac 'n' cheese and upped the nutritional value of the dish.

An approach that has some real kid appeal is the addition of hot dogs. Chop up some cooked hot dogs (or tofu dogs for the vegetarian set) and stir in to create a quick and easy twist on a dish that most kids already love.

Another fun take on boxed macaroni and cheese is to add in some meatballs. For an extra cheesy dish, do cheese-stuffed meatballs, and you've got a dish that will appeal to any diehard cheese fan.

Have some leftover ham you need to use? Dice it up and mix it in to add a different flavor to your boxed mac 'n' cheese.

The same holds true for leftover turkey or chicken. Either one can make a fine addition to mac 'n' cheese. An added bonus is that they increase the protein content of the dish.

In fact, that is one of the good things about boxed macaroni and cheese. It is easy to add zest and increase nutritional content while clearing out your fridge of leftovers. Steamed broccoli? Fantastic addition. Corn on the cob? Cut it off and stir it in. Some cooked spinach? Toss it in! Shredded carrots? Why not? Shredded cheese? Why not kick up the cheesiness?

Another thing that shouldn't be overlooked in the quest to spice up boxed macaroni and cheese is, of course, spices. Depending on what other additions you are using and what direction you want to take the dish in, you can use seasonings to create a mac 'n' cheese dish that ranges anywhere from mild to wild.

Black pepper, white pepper, turmeric, dill and garlic powder are just a few of the spices that you can test out in your mac 'n' cheese.

Get creative. Be adventurous. See boxed macaroni and cheese as a canvas upon which you can unleash your culinary creativity.

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