Ingredients
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1 (7 ounce) box macaroni and cheese mix, use your favorite even homemade if you prefer
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1/4 cup milk
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1/4 cup butter (best with real butter, do not use a spread or tub product) or 1/4 cup margarine (best with real butter, do not use a spread or tub product)
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1/2 lb ground chicken (see note) or 1/2 lb ground turkey (see note)
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2 celery ribs, chopped
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1/4 cup bell pepper, chopped
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1 garlic cloves, minced or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
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salt and pepper
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1/2 cup onions, chopped or 2 teaspoons onion powder, adjust to taste
Instructions
- Prepare mac and cheese according to box directions, using salted water.
- Meanwhile, brown meat and drain grease.Rinse meat if desired to remove even more grease.
- Season meat with onion and garlic- fresh and sauteed can be used instead- and add any additional seasonings that your family likes. SEE NOTE - skip if using left over meat- but do reheat the leftovers.
- Add meat to prepared mac and cheese and season with additional salt and pepper if desired.
- At this point you can add EXTRAS such as additional grated cheese, great opportunity to sneak in veggies - peas, carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, etc., Use what you like or try this to entice kids to eat things they normally wouldn't.
- I have even added some spinach to the meat mixing it in well so it is not as noticeable! Sometimes you have to be sneaky! hehehe.
- NOTE: This is even faster when you use left over taco meat, sloppy joes, crumbled meatloaf, etc -- Add what your family likes.
- No this isn't the healthiest meal- but it IS so much healthier for them than a greasy burger grabbed on the run, and you can make it as healthy as you choose- I have even used leftover homemade mac and cheese- No preservatives at all that way!
- You can 'fancy' it up by topping it with extra cheese or breadcrumbs and popping it under the broiler for a minute just to brown.
- A real time saving tip that the kids love is to put the entire mixture in a lightly sprayed casserole pan and top with biscuit dough- you can even use the ones in the can, bake per can instructions until the biscuits are done.