Nutritious Nibbles: Homestyle mac and cheese

By: Gurneet Lohcham, SFU Student

I’ve always loved to cook, but as a busy university student with very little time to do so, I’ve had to come up with ways to enhance my food while maintaining minimal time commitments to prepping and cooking. Who doesn’t love an easy lunch or dinner idea, and what’s better than Home Alone’s Kevin McCallister’s mac and cheese dinner? Unlike him, I like to make my mac and cheese with a spiced twist, adding in some extra flavour to elevate the taste. It’s quick, it’s filling, and it’ll make your inner child very happy.

Prep Time: 5–7 minutes

Cook time: 10–12 minutes

Total Time: 15–20 minutes

Yields: 2 servings

Ingredients

•       1 box Kraft Mac & Cheese
•       ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese 
•       1 cup spinach
•       1 cup broccoli
•       1 tablespoon butter
•       ½ teaspoon garlic powder
•       ¼ teaspoon black pepper
•       ¼ cup milk (any of your choice)
•       1 and ½ teaspoon Everything Bagel seasoning
•       1 teaspoon taco seasoning
•     Optional:  ½ cup any cooked, shredded, or chopped chicken breast

Equipment

• Saucepan
•       Shredder
•       Measuring spoons
•       Knife and cutting board

Directions

1.   Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. As the water is heating, wash your spinach and broccoli, then chop your broccoli into bite-sized pieces.
2.   When the water is boiling, dump your macaroni pasta into the saucepan and let boil for 7–8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain the water and set the macaroni aside.
3.   In the empty saucepan, bring 1 cup of water to a boil and throw in your chopped broccoli. Boil for 2–3 minutes or until broccoli is somewhat soft, to your liking.
4.   Strain the broccoli and set aside.
5.   In your saucepan, mix in the macaroni with the broccoli. Add the packaged cheese mix and shredded cheese and stir until combined.
6.   Microwave your cooked chicken for 1–2 minutes to heat up and add to dish (optional).
7. Add in your butter, garlic powder, black pepper, milk, seasonings, and spinach. Stir until combined.
8. Stir in your spinach last, so it doesn’t get soggy. Mix until all cheese is melted and your macaroni is creamy.
9. Enjoy your homestyle mac and cheese!