Three Ways To Make Mac-And-Cheese Into A Standalone Entree

Posted on: 15 June 2021

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While some people would eat traditional macaroni and cheese as an entree all on its own, many others would think it needs some sort of protein or additional ingredients in order to make a complete meal. Luckily, it's pretty easy to satisfy these tastes! Here are three easy ways to make macaroni and cheese into a standalone entree.

Macaroni With Pulled Pork and Tomatoes

Macaroni and cheese is often served as a side dish with barbecue pulled pork, so combining the two simply makes sense. Adding tomatoes brings some vegetables into the dish without disrupting the flavor too much.

If you have 4 cups of prepared macaroni and cheese, try stirring in 16 ounces of pulled pork and 3 diced tomatoes. Spread the mixture out in a casserole dish, sprinkle with breadcrumbs, and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. This should yield you four servings of a delicious, filling mac and cheese entree.

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

Spicy Buffalo chicken is another great pairing for macaroni and cheese. You can also stir some blue cheese crumbles into the mix to give it a true Buffalo flair. Since, in Buffalo, they strongly believe in pairing blue cheese with chicken wings — not ranch!

Try starting with four breaded chicken tenders, cooked and diced. Toss them in about 1/4 cup of your favorite hot sauce. Stir these into 4 cups of macaroni and cheese, and add about 4 ounces of blue cheese crumbles. Alternatively, you could sprinkle the blue cheese crumbles on top after pouring the macaroni into a baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes, and serve with extra hot sauce on the side.

Two Little Pigs Macaroni and Cheese

Bacon in macaroni and cheese is amazing. Ham in macaroni and cheese is also amazing. Why not try them both? You could toss some mushrooms or tomatoes into this mix if you want to add a serving of veggies, too.

If you have four cups of prepared mac and cheese, using about 1/2 pound of bacon, or 6 cooked and crumbled strips, is about right. Add 3/4 cup of ham, and pour it into a casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes, and your creation is ready to enjoy.

It's fun to get creative with your mac and cheese! Turn into a full entree, and watch people enjoy it. You can also try mac and cheese entrees at a restaurant like Dublin Square to get inspired.