Boxed Mac And Cheese Gets A Supreme Upgrade When You Add This Protein-Packed Pantry Staple

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Few foods are more nostalgic than boxed mac and cheese, and while there are many popular brands to choose from today, the blue Kraft box still sparks up the most memories as one of the first things you learned to make on your own. There are also several ingredients to upgrade your mac and cheese, but Spam is one of the few that will keep preparation easy and add a flavor punch of this magnitude. You'll get the rich, creamy, and cheesy flavors along with a salty and crispy texture. This combination also elevates your childhood home-alone lunch to a protein-packed, complete meal.

A 2-ounce serving of Spam has 7 grams of protein, so a full 12-ounce can will add 42 grams to a box of mac and cheese. Some may find a full can overpowers the cheese sauce flavor of the typical 7-ounce pasta box. If that's you, use only half of the canned meat and store the rest in the freezer for a future meal. This also helps you keep the sodium down, as a full can of Spam has 4,740 milligrams of sodium, and a box of uncooked Kraft mac and cheese adds 1,890 milligrams. In addition to that, you can opt for low-sodium Spam. You could also pick boxed pasta options like Annie's Homegrown's Reduced Sodium Mac and Cheese.

You should sear your Spam ahead of time, as tossing it cold into mac and cheese can make it a soggy meal with an unpleasant spongy mouthfeel. You can do it all in one skillet, where you sear the lunch meat, remove it from the pan, and add it back in later when the cheesy pasta is done. Or you can prepare them side by side and combine them at the end for a quicker meal. Start by slicing as much Spam as you plan on using, then cube each slice. Prepare a pan with only a little oil, as the fat from the meat cubes should be enough to prevent sticking. Use medium-high heat and your cubes should caramelize within a few minutes and add a salty crispness that contrasts with the soft and gooey pasta.

As for the mac and cheese, follow the directions you've used for years and you'll be good. That said, there are a few boxed mac and cheese hacks to improve the flavor further. For a final touch, consider garnishing with ingredients that can cut through the rich dish. Chopped green onions tend to enhance any meal, while furikake can turn this into a Japanese-inspired mac and cheese. If you're feeling truly adventurous and have a little leftover curtido, sauerkraut, or kimchi, it will add some tang to the dish. And just like that, you've got a boxed mac and cheese that's everything you remember while also tasting completely new.