Sausage & Baby Spinach: Boil pasta. As pasta is cooking, heat sausages until warmed, according to package directions. Drain pasta, but don’t rinse. Add pasta back to the pot, and stir in a few handfuls of chopped baby spinach. Then add sauce according to package directions. Slice sausage and add to pasta.
Canned Beans & Salsa: Prepare mac and cheese according to package directions. Mix in drained and rinsed canned black beans and 1/2 cup salsa, or to taste. Feel free to experiment with the add-ins, using baked beans in place of canned beans or spicy stewed canned tomatoes in place of the salsa.
Canned Tuna, Peas, Shredded Cheese & Breadcrumbs: Try this take on tuna noodle casserole. Boil pasta according to package directions. Halfway through, add 1/2 cup frozen peas (or drained canned peas). Drain pasta and peas and make sauce as directed. Mix pasta, peas and sauce, along with drained canned tuna, and put into an ovenproof casserole dish. Sprinkle top with shredded cheese and breadcrumbs; broil 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
Chilli & Green Onions: Want to know how to make chilli even better? Mix it with creamy mac and cheese! You can use leftover homemade chilli or canned. Optional: top with chopped green onions.
Broccoli & Ham: Turn mac and cheese into a complete dinner by adding vegetables and meat. Boil pasta along with 2 cups of broccoli florets.Make sauce according to directions. Mix together with chunks of ham.
Beef, Mushrooms & Shredded Cheese: Cook mac and cheese according to package directions. Add in extra 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and mix well. Brown 1 lb ground beef (drain excess fat). After mixing the mac and cheese, add in the ground beef and 1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup. Mix well and serve.
Taco Mac & Cheese: Prepare your mac and cheese as you normally would. Next, brown 1 lb ground beef (drain excess fat). Add in 1 packet of taco seasoning mix to beef while cooking. Add the seasoned beef and 1 cup of cheddar or Mexican cheese to prepared pasta. Pour all of this into a casserole dish and top with any or all of the following ingredients: crumbled tortilla chips, guacamole, tomato, onion, chopped lettuce, sour cream, cilantro. Enjoy!