Healthy HomeOne box of mac ‘n cheese can open up a plethora of simple, easy weeknight meal options for your family! And with Horizon Organic’s gluten-free mac ‘n cheese and a few healthy add-ins, it can pack a nutritional punch!
My firstborn started school last year, and my other two were in preschool.
If I learned anything during that first year of having school-aged children it was that having simple meals on hand is a must!
Honestly, there was a time when I would have said I would never be the type of mom who served mac ‘n cheese for dinner, but, boy, have I been humbled, and learned what an awesome meal a simple box of mac ‘n cheese can make.
For our family, it must be gluten-free, but that’s OK because we can get Horizon’s gluten-free mac ‘n cheese from Kroger or our local Harris Teeter store.
I like to beef up the nutritional content of our mac ‘n cheese meals with several add-ins.
It’s still a one-dish meal and can still be prepped within 15 minutes! I find mac ‘n cheese dinners especially helpful for when we have a special activity or church on a weeknight.
I prefer to add one meat and two veggies.
Taking a stroll through my local Harris Teeter (or Kroger if you live outside of North Carolina!) opens my eyes to a variety of healthy food options that I can add to my mac ‘n cheese.
Check out these suggestions for different meats and veggies you can add to a simple box of mac ‘n cheese:
Possible Meat Add-Ins:
- chopped up deli meat (using a natural version like the Simple Truth brand from Kroger!)
- canned tuna
- chopped up natural hot dogs
- canned salmon
- ground beef
Possible Veggie Add-Ins:
- frozen peas
- diced carrots
- chopped spinach
- diced onions
- chopped black olives
- canned diced tomatoes
- diced peppers
- chopped broccoli
Kroger carries a great selection of organic frozen veggies under the Simple Truth brand!
Here are a few of our favorite mac ‘n cheese meals:
Mac 'n Cheese with Ham & Peas
Ingredients
- 1 box Horizon gluten-free mac 'n cheese
- SILK almond milk*
- 12 ounces frozen peas
- 1 lb. ham deli meat, chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the mac 'n cheese according to the instructions on the box. Stir in package of frozen peas and chopped meat. Serve as a one-dish meal!
Notes
* We like to use non-dairy milks because we limit our dairy. If you do not need to limit dairy, you can simply use an organic milk here, like the Horizon brand.
Spicy "Taco" Mac 'n Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 box Horizon gluten-free mac 'n cheese (available at Kroger or Harris Teeter)
- SILK almond milk (available at Kroger or Harris Teeter)
- 1 lb. ground beef, cooked
- 1 16-oz. can diced tomatoes
- 1 recipe of my homemade taco seasoning
- tortilla chips
Instructions
- Prepare the mac 'n cheese according to the instructions on the box. Stir in ground beef, tomatoes, and taco seasoning. Serve as a one-dish meal!
Italian Mac 'n Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 box Horizon gluten-free mac 'n cheese (available at Kroger or Harris Teeter)
- SILK almond milk (available at Kroger or Harris Teeter)
- 1 lb. ground beef, cooked
- 1 16-oz. can diced tomatoes
- 1 small can of chopped black olives
- Italian seasoning to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the mac 'n cheese according to the instructions on the box. Stir in ground beef, tomatoes, olives, and Italian seasoning. Serve as a one-dish meal!
Looking for even more easy weeknight meals or some healthy lunch ideas for your kiddos? Check out Kroger’s Inspired Gathering for recipes, DIY, tips and tricks, and cleaning hacks!
What are your ideas for an easy weeknight meal?
This conversation is sponsored by WhiteWave Foods. The opinions and text are all mine.
Z
My favorite combinations to add to mac n cheese:
Tuna and peas (0r frozen peas and carrots mix)
Salsa, with ground beef if I have some pre-cooked in the freezer.
(Also, I love throwing frozen chopped spinach into all kinds of things – eggs, spaghetti sauce, taco meat…. and mac n cheese creations are no different!