one aspect of feeding my nerd is turning generic pantry food into something palatable. we have a new baby, so we can't always afford the higher end groceries and meals out that we used to. that being said, our pantry is chock full of blue boxes, canned "emergency food," and those little pre-cooked rice bowls. i absolutely refuse to stoop to the instant stuff- potatoes, rice, etc., but i've found that the blue box mac'n cheese is salvageable, with a little forethought and inspiration.
1 box mac'n cheese (the kind with the powdered cheese. you know... the one in the blue box)
1/3 cup milk
4 tbs butter
4-5 slices bacon (more if you like), cut into 1-inch pieces
handful of asparagus spears, cut into 2-inch pieces
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 cup onion, minced
1/3 cup grated cheese of your choice (i use extra sharp cheddar)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
in a large skillet render bacon until crispy. set bacon aside on a paper towel, and drain the grease. in the same pan, add the asparagus and cook until lightly browned.
cook macaroni according to package, but do not add milk, butter, or cheese packet.
once the macaroni is drained, set aside. in the same pan brown 4 tbs of butter. add minced garlic and onions, cooking until caramelized. add macaroni back into the pan. stir in milk, cheese packet, pepper, and 1/3 cup grated cheese. mix until cheese is smooth, then gently stir in the bacon and asparagus.
