Mix Up Your Mac And Cheese

As the seasons change and the weather gets colder, you’ll likely begin craving hearty comfort foods. Warm, filling, soothing meals like macaroni and cheese are perfect on a chilly fall evening. However, very few online culinary school students are satisfied with a simple combination of noodles and cheese, especially when there are so many more exciting options. Here are a few ways to change up your old macaroni and cheese recipe:

There’s no limit to what you can do with your macaroni and cheese dishes.

Mix and match the cheeses
The cheese is arguably the most important part of mac and cheese, so your decision regarding which to use should not be taken lightly. Your cheese will create the base of the meal, and you should build your other add-ins off of the cheeses that they would pair best with. Bustle listed some popular cheeses used in this dish and what add-ins pair well with them:

• A combination of Parmesan and Greek yogurt paired with spinach and artichoke is like a more filling dip.
• Cottage cheese and cheddar made for a creamy sauce that offsets the spiciness of peppers and chorizo.
• Gruyere’s strong flavor complements a simple mac and cheese and bacon combination.

Add some protein
If you’re looking for a mac and cheese that can stand alone, instead of serving as a side dish, you’ll need to add some protein to make the dish more substantial. There are plenty of options, especially if you’re open to trying different varieties of meat. Cured meats, like sausage, bacon, prosciutto and pancetta make for great additions to most varieties of mac and cheese because their salty flavors can cut through the creaminess of the cheese. However, there’s no shame in keeping it simple with some chicken or beef too. If you’re looking for a lighter option, there’s always seafood and tofu as well.

Season it
Adding a little extra flavor to your mac and cheese can go well beyond a few sprinkles of salt and pepper. For example, some roasted garlic, onion or shallot is perfect for giving your mac and cheese extra zest. Don’t hesitate to delve into your spice rack and try different seasonings, like sage, parsley or thyme to enhance the flavor of the cheese and meat even more. Dry and fresh herbs all have their place in mac and cheese!