Some food tasted a lot better when I was a kid.
Has anyone else experienced that? I still remember the much smaller, more frizzy-haired version of me from never-mind-how-many years ago, drooling over a package of coveted store-bought cherry rolls. I tried tasting one a few years ago and almost spit it out. It literally tasted like plastic.
There are other processed foods that I enjoyed as a kid and still enjoy now, but for the most part, my taste has changed, and I think eating healthier holds some of the blame for that.
Macaroni and cheese, however, is a dish that I still relish. Recently, our local grocery store has been slapping sales prices on Annie’s natural macaroni and cheese. Since it’s one of the few, if only, boxed meals we actually buy, I’ve been stocking up.
I know it’s still not the healthiest meal in the world, but I can appreciate that the ingredient list is a fraction of the size of many ingredients lists for other boxed dinners.
And macaroni and cheese is fun and surprisingly easy to make even healthier.
Each of these additions adds to the cost and time to make this quick meal, but they are still fairly simple, frugal options.
1. Use homemade chicken stock or broth instead of water
Pretty straight forward.
2. Use plain, whole yogurt (or homemade yogurt) instead of milk in the cheese sauce
I’ve also successfully used sour cream or butter and milk.
3. Add some kind of orange vegetable puree to the cheese sauce
Thanks to The Sneaky Chef for this inspiration. I’ve been cooking up sweet potatoes and carrots regularly then pureeing them in the blender and freezing the puree in ice cube trays. After they freeze, I store the cubes in a freezer bag so they’re easy to grab and toss into different meals. For one box of macaroni and cheese, I’ll probably add two or three cubes to the sauce then add a little more salt (because the added veggies make the cheese sauce a little more bland).
4. Add chopped“healthier” hot dogs
I try to buy beef or turkey nitrate and nitrite-free dogs on super sale, no more than about $2.50/pkg (but ideally even less than that). I know it’s not as cheap as regular hot dogs, but it’s certainly better for us, and I’m okay with paying that much for several meals’ worth of protein.
{Sweet potato & carrot puree – also makes good baby food}
While I usually only make macaroni and cheese when we have the boxes available, we periodically get a craving for that warm cheesy goodness and don’t have any boxed varieties. That’s where this recipe comes in.
One Pot Macaroni & Cheese
INGREDIENTS
- 3 cups water or chicken broth or stock
- 2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
- 3/4 cup celery, finely chopped
- 1/4 – 1/3 cup onion, finely chopped (depends on how much you like onion)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- Dash of cayenne pepper, or a small amount of chili powder, or hot sauce (optional)
- 8-12 ounces cheddar cheese, grated (I’ve successfully used other varieties of cheese combinations, and some people prefer up to 16 ounces of cheese in this recipe)
- 1/2 cup milk (optional)
- Additional veggies (optional) (chopped peppers, tomatoes or greens; orange vegetable puree)
DIRECTIONS
- In a medium size saucepan, combine first five ingredients
- Heat until boiling, stirring occasionally
- Cover and reduce heat
- Simmer about 12 minutes, until macaroni is tender
- Remove from heat and stir in cheese until melted
- Add cayenne pepper, chili powder or hot sauce
- Add milk only if macaroni seems too dry
My mom made a variation of this recipe when I was a kid. Now that dish has stayed just as delicious as I remember it….
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
How do you make a traditional meal a little healthier? Is there a food you loved as a child but can hardly stand now?
Cheers,
2 comments
Rebecca Burgener
09/14/2011 at 11:47 AM (UTC -6)
Krystal’s mini-burgers tasted much better when I was a kid. Now, not so much.
I haven’t made the boxed mac ‘n’ cheese in a long time, but I think the next time I do I’ll try the yogurt substitute. We love yogurt around here. The chicken stock or broth sounds like a wonderful addition of flavor too. I’ve heard of adding the vegetable purees, but have never successfully done so. Maybe soon.
I think healthier eating absolutely changes our taste buds. While on the diabetes diet during my last pregnancy, I cut back sugar intake drastically. After my baby girl was born, and I thought, “I can have such and such again!” I could taste the sugar more than ever before, and some foods have crossed the line into “sickeningly sweet.”
Many box meals have basic ingredients with a little less convenience. When I saw Hamburger Helper’s macaroni and hamburger variety, I laughed. Why need a box meal for something as simple as that?
Of course, there was a point in our marriage where hamburger helper became dinner most nights. We’re all on a journey.
Athena
09/15/2011 at 7:50 AM (UTC -6)
I used to L-O-V-E, LOVE powdered doughnuts, expecially the little mini ones. I have a love/hate relationship with doghnuts in general because I love how they taste (especially cake doughnuts), but they tear my stomach up and make me feel bad for about 4 hours afterwards. But they tasted sooo good, that usually, I sacrificed feeling good because they were just so scrupmtious (crazy, I know). But now, they don’t even taste good to me. The powdered sugar tastes like ashes and the cake of the doughnut tastes synthetic. But this is now a good thing, because I don’t eat doughnuts anymore; and I’m able to resist them not only because they make me feel terrible, but also because they taste gross. No willpower required, and that’s a good thing for me!