Who doesn’t like mac n’ cheese!? Don’t answer that, everyone does. Unless you’re vegan or gluten-free, in which case, I’m sorry for your loss. Anyway, I don’t know about you, but every time I want some mac n’ cheese I turn to those terrible microwaveable kraft cups. Yet, I’m sick an tired of ending up with neon orange, chemical-tasting pasta mush when all I want is some nice creamy, al-dente macaroni. Well, I have news for you. It is extremely easy and extremely delicious to make your own microwave mac n’ cheese with real ingredients. All you need is some pasta (preferably elbow macaroni), shredded cheese, milk, water, a mug, and of course, Old Bay. FYI, this box of pasta is on sale for $1 at Target right now, and I only used 1/8 of it for a whole serving.
First thing you’re going to want to do is put about 4 ounces of pasta in a mug. I don’t know who on Earth brings a measuring cup to college, so just do your best to estimate. I personally used a 16-ounce mug and just filled it a quarter of the way.
Next, pour water into the mug until the pasta is completely submerged. From there just microwave and stir the pasta in 1-minute increments until the pasta is completely cooked, or (in my case) until the water boils over and you have to keep adding more and more water to the mug.
When the pasta is finally completely cooked, add a splash of milk (maybe around a tablespoon), and a handful of cheese to the macaroni. I chose a Cheddar Jack mix because I wanted a nice sharp taste that was still smooth and creamy. Mix the milk and cheese in, and add more of either ingredient if you think it’s lacking. At this point, if you’re like me, you might be thinking “there’s no such thing as too much cheese”, and I would like to let you know that you are wrong. Shredded cheese contains a caking agent that makes it much thicker and causes it to cool faster and make your mac chunkier (source: my mom). Because of this, I recommend adding and mixing your cheese slowly to ensure the proper amount.
Once you’ve mixed your milk and cheese in, pop your mug in the microwave for one last 30 seconds, mix it all up with a dash of Old Bay, and enjoy!
Total Price per Serving: $1.75
Honestly a brilliant idea. I’ve been wanting mac and cheese ever since I got here, and I still haven’t had some. I’m definitely going to try to make this sometime.
I’ll have to try this sometime! Ironically, I’m actually a big fan of the Kraft Mac n’ cheese microwaveable cups. I like that you’re so committed to the Old Bay.
Ok, this actually looks so good. My roommate and I have been dying trying different microwavable Mac and cheeses, and they are all terrible. I’m going to show this blog post to her, and we are making this next week! Also, I’m definitely a fan of your choice of cheddar jack cheese.