Monday Menu Makeover: Mac & Cheese with a Kick

Well, I was going to make yummy turkey burgers last night, but it didn't happen...maybe next week.  Luckily I have a few backup photos of food I have made recently; however, this one was with my old camera.  Sorry it is not as fancy looking as ones taken with my fancy new Canon T3i.  (Apparently I'm like the girls I kidsit and enjoy using the word fancy.)

Mac & Cheese with a Kick

Mac and Cheese with a Kick - Take the good Betty Crocker Red Book recipe and spice it up a bit.

Betty Crocker Ingredients:

2 cups (7 ounces) uncooked pasta (penne, macaroni, it is all pasta - whatever makes you happy)

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground mustard

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 cups milk

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (8 ounces)

Add My Ingredients:

2 additional tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper (aka: cayenne pepper)

1 can Rotel - drained

1/2 yellow onion - diced

1/2 cup crumbled cheese crackers (like Cheeze-its)

Optional:

1 full chicken breast (cooked & chopped up) OR 1 cup cooked shrimp (recommend cutting shrimp into bite size pieces)

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 350.

2.     Cook pasta as directed on box.

3.     As pasta is cooking, melt butter in a 3 quart pan over low heat.  Add Worcestershire sauce and all other dry ingredients (everything except pasta, milk, cheese, rotel), and cook over low-medium heat until bubbly. Be sure to stir frequently to create a smooth mixture. 

4.     Remove from heat and add milk.  Return to heat until boiling; boil 1 minute while stirring.  Remove from heat, add cheese, and stir until cheese is melted. 

5.     Add Rotel, onion and optional ingredients.

6.     Drain cooked pasta and combine with cheese mixture in a 2 quart oven safe dish.  (If you added any meat, than you may want a 3 quart dish.)

7.     Bake uncovered for 25 minutes, or until bubbly.

8.  Add crumbled cheese crackers, bake another 5 minutes and then serve.