This Spicy Trader Joe's Dip Is The Secret Ingredient For Flavorful Mac And Cheese

If you're a fan of Trader Joe's, you're well aware that the small-scale supermarket is not only popular for its diverse assortment of seasonal offerings — you can also use the store's private label food items to make a wide variety of creative snacks and meals. For example, if you plan on making a trip to Trader Joe's for ingredients that will seriously upgrade your mac and cheese, consider trading in the usual Greek yogurt and panko bread crumbs for one of the grocer's perfectly spiced, refrigerated dips.

Sure enough, when it comes to the best Trader Joe's snacks for any craving, next to the grocer's spinach and kale Greek yogurt dip, TJ's Buffalo Chicken Dip serves as both a veritable snack as well as a signature ingredient for ultra-delicious macaroni and cheese. With a base that includes ultra-creamy ingredients like cream cheese, sour cream, and Monterey Jack cheese, this zesty dip makes preparing a semi-homemade mac and cheese almost foolproof.

Not to mention, with the addition of cayenne pepper, vinegar, and chunks of white chicken, the flavor of this one-of-a-kind dish is sure to please. After all, who doesn't enjoy meals centered around cheesy, Buffalo chicken? To prepare a creamy and mildly spicy macaroni and cheese with Trader Joe's Buffalo Chicken Dip, simply cook a box of your favorite pasta until it reaches al dente. Then, while it's still hot, mix in a container of Buffalo chicken dip along with some extra shredded cheese.

To make this meal even more desirable, add it to a shallow baking dish and heat it in your oven until it's warm and bubbly. When it comes to incorporating extra cheese, use varieties like cheddar, Monterey Jack, or pepper jack. Or, for a more classic Buffalo chicken flavor, incorporate a small amount of crumbled blue cheese.

You can also amplify this meal's peppery bite with a complementary variety sold specifically at TJ's like spicy Buffalo cheddar. With ingredients like jalapeño peppers, habanero peppers, and hot sauce, this variety is sure to elevate the overall flavor of your mac and cheese. All in all, when it comes to assembling this simple dish, feel free to make your own adjustments. For example, to make your mac and cheese extra creamy, add a small amount of milk when you mix together the pasta, Buffalo dip, and shredded cheese. 

Alternatively, your mac and cheese can be made even saucier with one simple swap. All you need to do is exchange your usual elbow macaroni for a variety like orecchiette to scoop up just the right amount of cheesy, Buffalo-flavored sauce with each and every bite. Fortunately, even if you don't have time to boil a box of noodles, you can still make a delicious Buffalo-style mac and cheese by adding a scoop of TJ's Buffalo chicken dip to a frozen container of warmed Trader Joe's Diner Mac N' Cheese.