I add _____ to macaroni & cheese
Simple additions can take the ordinary to an over-the-top taste. For me, it is all cheese, using variety of what's on hand. What are your extras?
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57 Comments:
More cheese. :)
Usually shredded cheddar, parmesean, jack and/or mozzarella.
Toasted garlic is good as well.
hereandthe at 8:29AM on 07/26/07
Ketchup ... but it has to be Heinz.
LunaPierCook at 8:31AM on 07/26/07
ham
j at 8:34AM on 07/26/07
Peas, preferably in a 1:1 ratio to macaroni. I've been doing this since I was about 5 years old, and though I don't have mac and cheese very often any more, I can't eat it without lots of peas!
ChristineB at 8:39AM on 07/26/07
Tuna!
Hamburger America at 8:51AM on 07/26/07
Sausage
ceforrester at 8:53AM on 07/26/07
Oh, dear Lord, how could I forget ... Just over a year ago I had one of those happy accidents where, in this case, I ended up with Baked Apple Macaroni 'n Cheese. The accident is also described on that recipe page ... When I make this stuff, there are never any leftovers. (You may need to download and install Adobe Reader to view the recipe.)
LunaPierCook at 8:55AM on 07/26/07
fresh diced tomatoes!
daidokoro at 9:15AM on 07/26/07
Sometimes I'll add breadcrumbs or other vegetables (tomatoes, broccoli etc...)
Erin at 9:16AM on 07/26/07
Dried mustard and chives!
Monica_Reinagel at 9:18AM on 07/26/07
Crushed garlic and cilantro.
Jetzm at 9:22AM on 07/26/07
OK, I'll say it. Sometimes I add sliced hot dogs. Will I get kicked off this site for admitting that? It's only when I'm having a string of bad days and I feel like regressing to childhood. Foodies forgive me!!
Jennefur at 9:26AM on 07/26/07
fresh thyme and lots of gryuere cheese. or sometimes diced proscuitto.
broccoli sounds good, I'll have to try that next time!
huney_bumper at 9:29AM on 07/26/07
The best mac and cheese I ever made was made with a variety of ends of cheeses that I had in my fridge: cheddar, blue, cream cheese, maybe even some sour cream. I topped the casserole with some buttery garlic breadcrumbs. It was a BIG hit.
Library Lady at 9:30AM on 07/26/07
Ham and blue cheese.
nickb at 9:44AM on 07/26/07
Broccoli is my favorite addition now, though - don't fear, Jennefur! - in my meat-eating days I did enjoy some sliced-up hotdogs in my mac. Tofu dogs just don't have enough flavor on their own to make the cut, unfortunately.
producestories at 10:03AM on 07/26/07
Bleu cheese. Any kind, the stinkier, the better. I love the tang of bleu mixed with smooth cheddar. MMmmmm. And then, since there's bleu cheese, crumbled bacon. And veggies, if I must.
laurenbpgh at 10:09AM on 07/26/07
Truffles
casperOne at 10:15AM on 07/26/07
Wow, Truffles sounds like an excellent ingredient.
For me though, I usually dash in some herbs and some extra cheese, and if I need some protein I'll throw in a can of tuna.
skigil at 10:31AM on 07/26/07
Franks Red Hot as a condiment.
kathy in oakland at 10:47AM on 07/26/07
I'm with kathy in oakland -- a healthy dose of tabasco, or red devil sauce, really fires up a bowl of mac and cheese.
hatlady at 12:13PM on 07/26/07
I add fresh zucchini from my garden. Ok, and hot dogs. There's something about those dogs, Jennefur!
Another variation: I add chipotle peppers & pepper jack cheese for a smoky flavor.
slobhan at 12:15PM on 07/26/07
I'm with the Hot Sauce group as well....at our house we put Franks, Crystal Red Pepper Sauce, Garlic flavored Tabasco, Samba Ulek, Sriracha, etc....we always have about 2 dozen different hot sauces so whatever we are in the mood for, we throw it in.
I think Mac & Cheese is a great dish to actually taste the flavor & not just the heat in hot sauces....the subtle differences really come out.
2qrs at 12:43PM on 07/26/07
I add a few different things, depending on the mood.
-tuna, mushrooms, and parmesan cheese
-Franks hot sauce and breadcrumbs
-lemon-pepper seasoning
-bacon with melted cheddar on top
Tara Tot at 1:01PM on 07/26/07
When I was little my mom always added either tuna or breakfast sausage. I HATED it. I like mine with a little cayenne and dry mustard, and I use sharp cheddar and monterey jack, and homemade bread crumbs on top....
lo82070 at 1:03PM on 07/26/07
BACON!!
Cathy at 1:28PM on 07/26/07
I am with Jennefur, HOT DOGS, my mom did it and it is the ultimate comfort food for me.
nelson5757 at 2:09PM on 07/26/07
A spoon
susanl at 2:16PM on 07/26/07
My dad always dressed the blue box up with a can of tuna and some frozen peas. I loved it, but the rest of my family would groan :-)
Nowadays, I like to add various cheeses -- I even dollop some soft goat cheese on the top before it goes in the oven, creating these pools of tangy/grassy goodness that I get to enjoy and my wife can eat around!
Dominic
the zen kitchen
dvchurch at 3:53PM on 07/26/07
@LunaPierCook: Thanks for that baked apple recipe. That sounds intriguing and delicious.
@Jennifur: I'll third that hot dog addition. (And no, you won't get kicked off SE for admitting that.) My mom never added it, but a friend's mom always did, and whenever I'd eat mac-n-cheese there, I loved it. Haven't had it in ages and will have to try it again for old time's sake.
Adam Kuban at 4:10PM on 07/26/07
Adam, just an FYI (I don't recall if it's in there), the Pinconning cheese is specific to Michigan, and is similar to one of the better Colby cheeses. But even replacing it with something else ... I'm one of those who never follows a recipe exactly, even my own!
LunaPierCook at 4:42PM on 07/26/07
The Jamaican Pickapeppa sauce.... I can't eat Mac and Cheese without it.
marmalady at 5:18PM on 07/26/07
Bacon. I mean come on, do you really have to ask?
KevinFinnerty at 5:46PM on 07/26/07
Hot sauce or peas...
My coworker seconds the peas notion.
I like the sweet/salty combo. :)
pbisNOTmyname at 7:08PM on 07/26/07
Ham chunks. Sloppy joes.(this was a cross mixing from when I was 8 that was right on the mark)
sour cream, just a dollop for tang
hot sauce
JerzeeTomato at 6:06AM on 07/27/07
Red curry and grind of black pepper - yum.
pageycooks at 7:45AM on 07/27/07
Cheddar, jack and parmasan cheese and half and half instead of milk.
Lavendergirl at 12:02PM on 07/27/07
Gorgonzola
spanklin at 12:09PM on 07/27/07
Yeah, I will - what - be the twentieth or thirtieth person to add more cheese. As a young kid I used to beg my mom to add an extra packet of cheese sauce - you know, from another box of mac & cheese - and if you've ever had this, you will know it is the most sodium-enriched thing on earth. I usually just scavenge my fridge for whatever cheese I can find.
A friend of mine does something a bit different. He adds - white wine. Don't know if I exactly like it or not, but hey. It's something to try.
festivemanb at 12:56PM on 07/27/07
Polska kielbasa -- and the mac & cheese is always Annie's Mild Mexican.
robfadams at 1:17PM on 07/27/07
crushed red pepper
nfofreako at 2:22PM on 07/27/07
If I'm doing the basic mac and cheese (elbows, shredded cheddar, a little butter), then I add ketchup. But not if I'm doing fancy, high-end mac and cheese.
klg19 at 2:48PM on 07/27/07
leftover lobster or crawfish
dconnor at 2:57PM on 07/27/07
I'm with ChristineB. I have always and will always eat my Mac & Cheese with peas.
mdp at 4:06PM on 07/27/07
bacon!!
...and of course extra cheese
rebeccadiamond at 4:28PM on 07/27/07
Chili con carne with frijoles
Brian Spangler at 6:18PM on 07/27/07
Chipotle powder= smokey and spicy goodness
alexb at 8:14PM on 07/27/07
One can of tuna and one can of peas mixed with three boxes of mac n cheese makes all SIX kids happy plus the wife; and I get to make whatever I want!
timjertson at 10:17PM on 07/27/07
Bacon, of course! and also lots and lots of buttery crunchy breadcrumbs on top.
missbhavens at 3:07PM on 07/28/07
A splash of liquid smoke (my mom once made macaroni & cheese with some smoked cheddar left over from a party tray, and it was so good, from then on she always added some liquid smoke to the mix) and a squeeze of mustard.
AuntJenny at 5:36PM on 07/28/07
I second the "Heinz-only" ketchup addition, but with my mac-n-cheese I really prefer Vienna sausage and Sriracha. Mmmmmm. You know you wanna try some.
scrivener at 4:14AM on 07/29/07
A1 Steak Sauce. OR BBQ Sauce if A1 isn't avaliable. It's the only way I would eat it as a child.
barbigirl8 at 3:18PM on 07/29/07
Ooh, Sriracha! Liquid Smoke! I might need to make some mac&cheese just to try those out.
I usually just gussy up the usual sharp cheddar with dry mustard, cayenne, and chopped garlic, and whatever other cheese (pecorino, gorgonzola, fontina) I have around.
I don't like to taint my mac with alien chunks of meat or vegetable. Keep 'em on the side, please.
butterface at 3:21PM on 07/29/07
I just like it with some cracked black pepper. That's all.
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 5:21PM on 08/07/07
To Annie's - probably the Mexican version is best for this, but others'll do, too - I'll add a can of black beans, some frozen corn, and salsa.
emily20008 at 7:09PM on 08/13/07
I like Gorgonzola cheese and diced granny smith apples. I got this idea when a friend took me to a restaurant in San Francisco called Solstice. They do it there and let me tell you...Oh My Gosh! It's the best ever!!!
kristyandjamey at 5:10PM on 08/16/08
@kristyandjamey...wow...thanks for posting a comment on my post from over a year ago :) Gorgonzola is one of my favorite cheeses.
SE's....any other new additions to you mac & cheese since talked about it last year?
JEP at 7:20PM on 08/16/08