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Stouffer's Frozen Mac & Cheese with Stirring Additions

By Luci


Soft food for a week? That’s the prescription that followed my tooth extraction. Solution: my go-to comfort food, Stouffer’s mac & cheese.


A dedicated fresh food eater, Stouffer’s mac & cheese entered my diet years ago when flu destroyed my appetite, causing an unwelcome weight loss. Two friends said, “Eat mac & cheese.” Stouffer’s won the taste test between it and Marie Callender’s. In addition, a recent online search showed high marks for Stouffer’s. But many meals of the same mac & cheese led to adding ingredients to enliven and prevent boredom. 


I decided, strictly on the basis of my taste preferences, on four: sautéed shallots and bacon, green chilis and cilantro, roasted tomatoes with herbs, and sausage and peppers. I loved them all. So much so that in the future I’ll be using them whenever it’s mac & cheese time. 


Basic Preparation

For variations, prepare the additions first so that they will be ready to add to the hot mac & cheese. Per package directions, cut slits in the plastic covering and microwave the tray for 4 minutes. Put the mac & cheese into a dish or bowl, stir in the additions and microwave for another 2 minutes. Rest for 1 minute and enjoy!.


Bacon and Shallots














Bacon and sautéed shallots work beautifully together to flavor any number of preparations, e.g., potatoes, mushrooms, veggies and, of course, pasta. Did they do their job with cheesy mac & cheese? ABSOLUTELY! The combination was warming, comforting and wonderfully flavorful.


  1. Slowly cook 2 strips of bacon, or more if you LOVE bacon. Chop into small pieces.

  2. Melt 1/2 tablespoon butter in a small skillet and sauté 1 medium, chopped shallot.

  3. Mix bacon and shallot into the mac & cheese.


Green Chilis and Cilantro


















That combination is found in countless recipes. I wondered how such a zippy pair would take to a dish so different in conception and components as mac & cheese. The deliciousness of the outcome surprised me. Certainly savory with fresh, grassy notes from the cilantro; sparkle thanks to the chili’s heat; all contrasting beautifully with the unctuous character of the smooth and cheesy pasta. A delight!


To prepare, simply add 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro and 1-1/2  tablespoons of canned, fire-roasted green chilis to the mac & cheese.


Roasted Tomatoes and Herbs



































You have probably used roasted tomatoes and know how much flavor intensity they gain by roasting, enhancing their sweetness, tartness, and umami. They shrink and get chewy, too, making a nice contrast with the smooth and creamy mac & cheese.


Ingredients

2 cups grape tomatoes, halved

1 teaspoon chopped thyme

1 teaspoon chopped rosemary

1 garlic clove, grated or minced

1/2 tablespoon olive oil


Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 250F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

  2. Mix all ingredients together and spread, cut side up, on the parchment, leaving a bit of space between each half tomato.

  3. Bake until tomatoes reach your desired degree of doneness. Well caramelized, the way I like it, will take about 2 hours. Less well done - about 1-1/2 hours.


    Note: You may not want to use all the roasted tomatoes in the mac & cheese. I had some as a side dish.


Sausage, Onion, Peppers and Herbs


































As an avid pork lover, this was my favorite. The sweet sausage, from Pastosa on Forest Ave., is as delicious as sausage gets. Add onion, peppers, herbs and a bit of red wine to combine with the mac & cheese, and the result is fill-your-mouth, over-the-top umami yumminess.


Ingredients

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, grated or minced

1/2 tablespoon chopped sage

1/2 tablespoon rosemary

1 red pepper, seeded and chopped

1 green pepper, seeded and chopped

1 pound sweet Italian sausage, loose, i.e., not in casings, roughly chopped

3 tablespoons red wine


Preparation

  1. Heat the olive oil in a medium or large skillet. Add the onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until onions change color. Add the garlic, sage and rosemary and continue cooking for about 2 more minutes.

  2. Add the peppers and cook until they have softened but not turned mushy.

  3. Remove contents of skillet to a bowl. Add the broken-up sausage to the skillet and cook over medium heat until nicely browned.

  4. Put the veggies back into the skillet, add the red wine and cook for about 5 more minutes, until all the wine has been absorbed.

  5. Combine with the mac & cheese for the final two minutes of microwaving,


Note: You will not want to use all of the recipe in your mac & cheese. I had plenty left and ate the remainder the following day.

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