The Mac gaming scene is really hotting-up with NVIDIA GeForce Now already allowing Mac users to play Windows only Steam games on Mac. Previously the only way to run Xbox games on Mac was to install Windows on Mac for free using Boot Camp but both Parallels and OneCast are definitely easier and more efficient. Boxed mac & cheese can easily last for a year (probably more) in your pantry, so it’s easy to stock up on sales when you find them. One box can create a meal for 2 or up to 5 side-dish servings. The add-in possibilities are truly endless, as I hope to show in the rest of this article!
Don’t get me wrong while reading this article. I love a good baked macaroni and cheese dish. In fact, one of my favorite dishes to bring to a get-together or party when I’m trying to impress people is this amazing Food Network recipe. But there is nothing quite like boxed Macaroni and Cheese.
Let’s face it: recipes for amazing baked macaroni and cheese generally take more time, more ingredients, and more thought, not to mention serious kitchen skills. On the flip side, I bet most of you out there can whip up a box of Kraft in your sleep.
Mac & cheese and I have been good friends since I boiled my first pot of water. As busy kid who had to be carted off to gymnastics practice by a neighborhood carpool before my parents got home from work, I had to learn how to fend for myself when it came to dinner. And as a 12-year-old, my meal of choice was (you guessed it!) boxed macaroni and cheese 9 out of 10 times. It was easy to make, extremely delicious, and I could often enjoy the leftovers for lunch the next day.
Though my parents often encouraged me to make other meals and would even leave me several other options, I was not to be deterred from making macaroni and cheese several times a week. My parents used to even scare me a bit by saying that I ate so much mac & cheese that I’d one day turn into one big noodle (and I only kind of believed them). But despite their efforts to sway me from the mac, I never got sick of it – and that statement remains true up to the present. Macaroni and cheese successfully got me through crazy high school weeknights, many late night college study sessions, and countless hectic work days in my early adulthood.
Even now that my tastes have greatly expanded, a week rarely goes when I don’t have mac & cheese at least once. Here are just some of the reasons why the boxed stuff is so awesome:
- It’s cheap! If you go for the brand name (specifically, Kraft), you can often find 10/$10 deals at chain supermarkets. However, if you opt for the store brand (which I find is usually just as good), you can often find single boxes for $.50 or less, or a package of 6 -10 boxes for under $3.
- You only need 2 staples to add to boxed mac & cheese: milk and butter. And these 2 ingredients are probably up there with the top 5 kitchen staples out there.
- You can customize it to fit your dietary needs. For example, I try to make my mac & cheese a bit less fattening by using skim milk and 1/4 of the recommended butter or margarine when I mix up my mac. Sometimes, I’ll even opt for the “whole wheat” mac & cheese if it’s on sale.
- It’s pantry friendly. Boxed mac & cheese can easily last for a year (probably more) in your pantry, so it’s easy to stock up on sales when you find them.
- One box can create a meal for 2 or up to 5 side-dish servings.
- The add-in possibilities are truly endless, as I hope to show in the rest of this article!
Easy Add-In and Toppers
Before we get into the actual recipe ideas, let’s just marvel at the amount of cheap ingredients that you can add to the boxed stuff to make it different each time you prepare it. These are just some of the things I’ve added into my mac over the last couple of decades:
- Crumbled bacon or Bacon Bits
- Bread crumbs (great use for day-old bread! Simply crumble up, top your prepared mac and cheese with the crumbs, and even stick it in the oven for a few minutes if you want a crispier texture)
- Grated parmesan or Romano cheese
- Shredded cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, etc.)
- Black pepper
- Hot sauce
- Ketchup (great for leftover mac and cheese. May sounds strange, but the kids love it – trust me! Just put a little milk in the leftover mac before heating it up in the microwave. Then add some ketchup in to taste and stir before serving.)
- Chopped hot dogs or ham
- Chopped veggies, such as steamed broccoli
- Peas
- Canned tuna
- Ground beef
- Chopped onion
- Ranch dressing
- Garlic salt/powder
Easy Recipes That Make Boxed Mac Even More Incredible
Here are some of the great recipes from around the web that utilize the boxed stuff. Of the following, I’ve either tried them or am extremely excited to test them out for myself!
- Mac & Cheese and Hot Dog Skillet: I know I mentioned hot dogs in the “easy add-ins” section, but the meal is so cheap, delicious and easy (and kid-friendly!) that it had to be included in full in the recipe section.
- Dressed Up Mac & Cheese by Busy Cooks: this recipe takes 15 minutes in total to prepare and uses chopped onion, mustard or ranch dressing, and frozen peas.
- Beef and Mushroom Macaroni and Cheese: 4 cheap ingredients make for a delicious and filling meal. All you need is a box of the mac, 1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup, 1 pound of ground beef (or you could use ground chicken or turkey), and some shredded cheddar cheese.
- Taco Mac & Cheese: prepare your mac and cheese as you normally would. Next, brown 1 pound of ground chuck, making sure to drain off any grease. Add in 1 packet of taco seasoning mix. Add in the seasoned beef and one cup of cheddar or Mexican cheese to prepared mac. Pour all of this into a casserole dish and top with any of the following ingredients: crumbled tortilla chips, guacamole, tomato, onion, chopped lettuce, sour cream or cilantro.
- Buffalo Chicken Mac: coat 1 pound of cooked, shredded chicken into your favorite buffalo sauce. Boil the macaroni and drain it as usual. When you mix in the cheese packet, also add in 1 cup of gorgonzola or blue cheese. Finally, add in the chicken and 1/3 cup of diced celery and mix well.
- Fried Mac and Cheese Balls: this is a delicious way to use either a full box of mac or any leftover mac you couldn’t finish. They make a great, easy appetizer for any gathering as well!
- Mac and Cheese Sushi Rolls: okay, at first I thought this was just insane. But then I read through the recipe and it’s actually kind of genius. All you need is a sushi roller, seasoned ground beef, some Sriracha sauce and some plastic wrap. Oh, and the mac, of course.
Are you a mac & cheese fiend too? If so, why do you love the boxed stuff so much? What are some creative ways that you dress it up? If you’re not a fan, what’s your argument against it?
We look forward to hearing you weigh in on the subject. Thanks for reading, and as always, thanks for being a Tip Hero!
Download WorldBox: God Simulator PC for free at BrowserCam. Maxim Karpenko published the WorldBox: God Simulator Game for Android operating system mobile devices, but it is possible to download and install WorldBox: God Simulator for PC or Computer with operating systems such as Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10 and Mac.
WorldBox is an interesting sandbox simulator game where you get to play as a god. Being the only god of the world, you take control of everything that happens on it. From spawning species of life, creating new land masses, to destroying the world, you have full control over what you want to do on your own world. Create life, watch it grow, craft attractive and different lands, experiment with the simulations, and do whatever you want with this amazing and free to play simulator game for Android.
The game already has tens of millions of downloads and a rating above 4 stars on Google Play Store, making it one of the most desirable and enjoyable games available out there. So, get ready to create life of your own and watch it prosper.
So, what are the features of this game that make it so interesting among mobile gamers from all around the world? Let us take a look below.
Life Spawning Capability: You are the god in this game, the ultimate power. You get the ability to spawn any form of life you want on your world. From spawning usual species of animals like wolves, sheep, humans, dogs, etc., you may also spawn mystical species as well. These species include orks, elfs, dragons, dwarves, zombies, and various other magical creatures. The game also lets you spawn strange things life UFOs and more. Play the game to find out.
Build Civilizations: You get the capability to build different civilizations with humans in it. Build roads, houses, and more for them. You can also make two civilizations go to war with each other and see how the end follow, who emerges to be the winner, and how the civilizations evolve over time.
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Simulate Disasters: As a god, it is upon you to simulate disasters on the world that you have created and see how the species and civilizations cope up with it. Destroy your world with acid rain, atomic bombs, tornadoes, earthquakes, volcanoes, heat ray, meteorites, and more. Try to destroy your world in various creative ways, analyze the after math, and see how the world recovers.
Create incredible designs: With the help of the various tools provided in this simulator game, create a world of your choice. Use tools like brushes and magic to paint a world according to your desire. Be creative and make artistic land masses in different shapes and sizes.
Let's find out the prerequisites to install WorldBox: God Simulator on Windows PC or MAC computer without much delay.
Select an Android emulator: There are many free and paid Android emulators available for PC and MAC, few of the popular ones are Bluestacks, Andy OS, Nox, MeMu and there are more you can find from Google.
Compatibility: Before downloading them take a look at the minimum system requirements to install the emulator on your PC.
For example, BlueStacks requires OS: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista SP2, Windows XP SP3 (32-bit only), Mac OS Sierra(10.12), High Sierra (10.13) and Mojave(10.14), 2-4GB of RAM, 4GB of disk space for storing Android apps/games, updated graphics drivers.
Finally, download and install the emulator which will work well with your PC's hardware/software.
How to Download and Install WorldBox for PC or MAC:
- Open the emulator software from the start menu or desktop shortcut in your PC.
- Associate or set up your Google account with the emulator.
- You can either install the Game from Google PlayStore inside the emulator or download WorldBox APK file from the below link from our site and open the APK file with the emulator or drag the file into the emulator window to install WorldBox: God Simulator Game for pc.
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You can follow above instructions to install WorldBox: God Simulator for pc with any of the Android emulators out there.