How to Cook Packaged Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and Cheese is one of the easiest dishes to cook on the stove, especially when you can just make it out of the box.

To make it taste even better, you don't need to take the extra hour to make it from scratch--add a few simple extras to make it more appealing.

Ingredients

  • Box of macaroni and cheese
  • Water
  • Optional: cheese (the real thing), several different varieties
  • Optional: spices such as salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin
  • Optional: hot dogs, ham cold-cuts

Steps

  1. Image titled Cook Packaged Macaroni and Cheese Step 1
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    Follow the directions on the box, which usually go something like this:
    1. Boil some water on the stove top.
      Image titled Cook Packaged Macaroni and Cheese Step 1Bullet1
    2. Open the box, pull out the powder packet, and empty the macaroni into the pot.
      Image titled Cook Packaged Macaroni and Cheese Step 1Bullet2
    3. Bring to boil again, then let it boil for the allotted time (usually around 8 minutes). Stir the pasta occasionally (especially at first) so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan!
      Image titled Cook Packaged Macaroni and Cheese Step 1Bullet3
    4. Strain the macaroni and put it back in the pot.
      Image titled Cook Packaged Macaroni and Cheese Step 1Bullet4
    5. Mix in the powdered cheese, milk and butter. Stir until it's all smooth.
      Image titled Cook Packaged Macaroni and Cheese Step 1Bullet5
  2. Image titled Cook Packaged Macaroni and Cheese Step 2
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    Now, to add some zing:
    1. Turn the stove back on at a low setting, put the pot back on, and add your own cheese to the mix. Stir it up as it melts all over your meal.
      Image titled Cook Packaged Macaroni and Cheese Step 2Bullet1
    2. Add seasonings to taste: Simple things like salt & pepper are a start, but you can try others too, such as garlic powder and cumin.
      Image titled Cook Packaged Macaroni and Cheese Step 2Bullet2
    3. Cut up a cooked hot dog into bite-size pieces, and add them to the macaroni. Or pieces of sliced ham from the deli are good too.
      Image titled Cook Packaged Macaroni and Cheese Step 2Bullet3
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    Finished.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    Can I add multiple seasonings, such as garlic powder, salt, & pepper?
    Eviejane26
    Eviejane26
    Community Answer
    You can; that is your choice to add the flavors you like. You should make sure you like that flavor combination with the macaroni and cheese before you put it all in the pot though.
  • Question
    If I do not have powder in the macaroni pack, what should I do?
    Eviejane26
    Eviejane26
    Community Answer
    If it is a mac and cheese pack and it does not have a powder pack, then it was not packaged correctly. You can add melted mozzarella cheese or a different cheese of your choice to make it macaroni and cheese, or get a new box at the store.
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Warnings

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About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 14 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 87,504 times.
26 votes - 85%
Co-authors: 14
Updated: May 6, 2021
Views: 87,504
Categories: Macaroni and Cheese
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