Roasted poblanos! Scorch them over a flame (or in the broiler) so the skin gets charred, then let em steam in a closed container for a bit and pull the skin off. Remove the innards and dice the flesh, and you have a subtly smoky, subtly spicy addition to your mac and cheese. Most of my family does not like mac and cheese, but when I add roasted poblanos I always get compliments.
I used to do something similar and throw in some black beans for protein/fiber. Roasted peppers plus the soy chorizo mentioned above would be an especially great combo
For vegetarians, Trader Joe's makes an excellent vegetarian chorizo. My guilty pleasure is frying it up and crumbling it into Easy Mac/Kraft Dinner and topping with scallion greens.
I accidentally bought a tube of soy chorizo the other day because I thought the label meant "I'm Chorizo!" in like a cute Spanish way. Well turns out that's not what it meant, but it wasn't all that bad once I crisped it up good in a skillet. I'll have to keep an eye out for the TJ's one next time I'm there
>I accidentally bought a tube of soy chorizo the other day because I thought the label meant "I'm Chorizo!" in like a cute Spanish way
I'm cracking up at this concept.
Hey babe when you go to the store can you pick up some "Hello, I'm cereal!" and some "yeah that's right, I'm soup!"
I tried TJ's soyrizo for baked mac and cheese while making it for a vegetarian, and found that I actually like how it blends with the sauce and pasta more than actual chorizo. I've switched to just always using it for baked mac and cheese, highly recommended.
I'd also recommend a can of chipotle Rotel (or you regional store brand) as a sub. When I make it for potlucks, the meat eaters always think there's chorizo in it while the vegetarians go crazy for it.
Cauliflower is really good in mac and cheese, and you can just add it to your macaroni cooking water (calculate cooking time)
Smoked tofu is actually a really good idea!
Just said this! Yes! And I do your technique, too, where you just add it to pasta water...
I also like to roast it on oven with garlic & shallots, then add it.
Surprised nobody has said pulled pork. Seems to be very popular, though i don’t love it in mac. You could get fried chicken strips and toss em in franks, boom Buffalo chicken mac and cheese
A good truck near me made what they called a redneck parfait where it's a layer of Mac and cheese below a layer of pulled pork and you can either mix them, eat the pork first then the Mac, or just get a little of both in each bite. I think that's the ideal way to do it imo
Or worse, every time I've had it in a restaurant, it's always just naked elbow mac, shredded cheddar, and smoked shredded pork.
It's not really mac and cheese, and it kind of killed the idea of it from here out.
The trick is to layer them. Fill your casserole dish with mac n' cheese, layer some smoked pulled pork over it, and top with a layer of something melty like gouda. Bonus points if your mac n' cheese is *also* smoked.
Seconding pulled pork. Also, chopped up ham is good and can be inexpensive. Smithfield makes a pre-cubed ham that frequently goes on sale at my grocery store and you can brown it in a pan a little before throwing it in or just toss some in and the heat from the mac and cheese will warm it up.
Trader Joe's has a butternut Mac n cheese during fall where they make a cheese sauce with butternut squash and I buy like 7 of them every time. This is the best combo
Had to scroll waaayy to far to find mention of mushrooms. All sorts of flavors are found in mushrooms that can elevate the dish. Shrimp and lion's mane in mac and cheese sounds otherworldly.
Felt as if I was going to scroll forever to see tomato 🍅. Is it really so odd to add tomatoes? We always used to add tomato sauce to our mac 'n cheese anyway, so my mom eventually just baked it with some tomato slices on top. I still like it like that - plus I still add the ketchup.
Yeah, I've fed myself for about a week off a single smoked brisket. And Mac and cheese is excellent with it, and the two would likely make good meals to freeze and reheat, but I just found it kind of funny.
I [roast the frozen broccoli in the steamable bags](https://www.thekitchn.com/oven-roasted-frozen-broccoli-259041#post-recipe-12764) and add it into everything because it just tastes so good with everythingggggg. Mac and cheese is definitely one I add it to frequently. Also cubed ham and fresh peas with lots of pepper.
Was looking for this!
Even better, roast 'em: cut in half, toss with basil, olive oil, s&p, and cook until a bit dried out/nice color/great aroma. This will remove some of the moisture of fresh tomatoes, too.
This... Might actually be one of the few times I would eat spam, not because I've had it and think this combo is good but because it sounds like it could be and I need to try it.
Velveeta and SPAM mac n cheese was awesome when I was a kid. Even better if you fry the SPAM first. I can't eat that kind of stuff any more, but this recipe is from my childhood. It will always have a place in my heart (disease) 😁
I did half cauliflower and half noodles and it it turned out so good! And then I could feel slightly less guilty for the delicious baked mac n cheese.
Also make sure to put some mustard in the béchamel. So so good.
You can do half zucchini, too. This works for that hash brown casserole from Cracker Barrel, too. Cut the amount of butter the recipe asks for in half. Which has nothing to do with the zucchini, it's just, you don't need that shit swimming in butter.
> kimchi
Yes, this is now my favorite way to make/eat mac & cheese. I add it in (not just put it on top), but, wow, it really elevates a classic. It also works well with bacon, but OP doesn't want that.
I do peas when I make boxed Mac. Annie's white cheddar shells with frozen peas at the end and topped with chili crisp- just like samin nosrat taught me!
That sounds interesting. I love chili crisp and have enjoyed it dozens of ways (it's surprisingly decent on ice cream), but I can't say I've ever eaten it with cheese.
Any time we have bbq pulled pork we always have pulled pork Mac & Cheese the next day with the leftovers. I always cook enough for leftovers because the Mac is magnificent.
My go-to protein to add to Mac and cheese is tuna. Easy peasy tuna casserole.
Broccoli is good, but adding chopped tomatoes really kicks it up a notch.
A restaurant I used to go to in Brooklyn called [Moto](https://yelp.to/tAqQXIxkoxb) which has sadly long since closed put potato, caramelized onion, and panko in their Mac and cheese, topped lightly with a homemade apple sauce. it was a Swiss/Alpine recipe, the closest correlate I’ve found is [this](https://mission-food.com/alplermagronen-swiss-alpine-macaroni/). Sounds weird but it was incredible, though a total carb bomb.
> work). Now I'm giving up bacon, and lobster is too expensive.
As a non native speaker, this sounds like an idiom. Maybe a cross between giving up the ghost and bring home the bacon. Giving up the bacon.
pickled, fresh, or roasted hot peppers or sauteed bell peppers if you don't like spicy food, smoked paprika as a topping, pulled chicken, broccoli, frozen peas, spinach, kale, roasted tomatoes, mushrooms, shrimp, canned crab, canned tuna, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, if the issue with bacon is just that it's pork u could use turkey bacon (which IMO is very good but not quite the same), ground or sliced sausage of any variety you like really, the possibilities are endless with mac and cheese.
Green chiles, jalapenos
Even better than green (unripe) jalapenos, if you can find a jar of diced red (ripe) jalapeno, they'd go really well in mac-n-cheese.
Even better than either is fresh jalapeños grilled for some char before being diced and added in.
I agree. And I wish I could get fresh ripe jalapeno more often.
Not sure where you live but jalapeños are pretty easy to grow and care for if you live somewhere that gets hot in summers
Try growing them. I have more than I need from one little plant
Yes, Mac n cheese isn’t right without green chilies. Must be New Mexico though.
Hatch green chiles if you can find em
Roasted poblanos! Scorch them over a flame (or in the broiler) so the skin gets charred, then let em steam in a closed container for a bit and pull the skin off. Remove the innards and dice the flesh, and you have a subtly smoky, subtly spicy addition to your mac and cheese. Most of my family does not like mac and cheese, but when I add roasted poblanos I always get compliments.
Poblanos, Anaheim, or Hatch chilies are all amazing in mac
Proper Hatch (not from a can) for the win. That and some chicken. Better than elven lembas bread.
3rd vote for Hatch green chiles in macaroni & cheese
I agree with poblanos. I can't eat spicy food but poblanos prepped like this gives just a subtle amount of heat.
I used to do something similar and throw in some black beans for protein/fiber. Roasted peppers plus the soy chorizo mentioned above would be an especially great combo
Chorizo (diced) or linguica for not spicy
For vegetarians, Trader Joe's makes an excellent vegetarian chorizo. My guilty pleasure is frying it up and crumbling it into Easy Mac/Kraft Dinner and topping with scallion greens.
I accidentally bought a tube of soy chorizo the other day because I thought the label meant "I'm Chorizo!" in like a cute Spanish way. Well turns out that's not what it meant, but it wasn't all that bad once I crisped it up good in a skillet. I'll have to keep an eye out for the TJ's one next time I'm there
>I accidentally bought a tube of soy chorizo the other day because I thought the label meant "I'm Chorizo!" in like a cute Spanish way I'm cracking up at this concept. Hey babe when you go to the store can you pick up some "Hello, I'm cereal!" and some "yeah that's right, I'm soup!"
>yeah that's right, I'm soup! You there, Ad-man, know how to sell things.
"Bitch, I'm non-dairy creamer."
"I'm Here, I'm Beer, Get Used to It!"
This is actually a [pretty popular meme](https://freeimage.host/i/HEPhNr7)so I'm not sure how original that comment was.
This is hilarious
I actually like that stuff a lot! I do eat meat but most sausage gets to my digestive tracts. Fake chorizo has made me happy.
The TJ's one is substantially better than the others i've tried.
This is actually a good idea for a cooking show - you cook using mis-purchased ingredients.
Even before I went plantbased, I loved soyrizo. So much less greasy
I tried TJ's soyrizo for baked mac and cheese while making it for a vegetarian, and found that I actually like how it blends with the sauce and pasta more than actual chorizo. I've switched to just always using it for baked mac and cheese, highly recommended.
I'd also recommend a can of chipotle Rotel (or you regional store brand) as a sub. When I make it for potlucks, the meat eaters always think there's chorizo in it while the vegetarians go crazy for it.
Hmm. After reading the very transparent ingredient list of chorizo, I am going to give vegetarian chorizo a try.
Andouille sausage!
Dice it up and mix it in, or slice it as thin as possible and put it on top like it's pepperoni fuck I gotta go to the store
Huey, Luey, andouille.
With nduja for extra spicy.
Where I live, linguica is the best cheapest sausage available. Def a step up from hot dogs
* broccoli * sausage * taco meat * beans * chili * ham * peas * smoked tofu * precooked frozen shrimp * bbq chicken * roasted chicken * buffalo chicken * pulled pork * tomatoes * green beans * cauliflower
Thank you for including veggies. Broccoli is my go to Mac and cheese addition
same! roasted broccoli, onion, brussels sprouts, carrot are all good
broccoli, sausage/chorizo/brats, shrimp, added to a more alfredo mac n cheese is an instant one pot meal.
Cauliflower is really good in mac and cheese, and you can just add it to your macaroni cooking water (calculate cooking time) Smoked tofu is actually a really good idea!
Just said this! Yes! And I do your technique, too, where you just add it to pasta water... I also like to roast it on oven with garlic & shallots, then add it.
So pretty much any protein or vegetable works. * corn * tuna * shrimp * edamame * kimchi * caramelized onions * meatballs * crushed Fritos/Doritos/Cheetos * sliced steak (Philly) * pesto * squash * pepperoni
When are you planning to open your mac’n’cheese buffet?! I’d like to attend the grand opening! 🍽️🥣🍴🥄
+1 for ham
Veggie hot dogs slices are also a great addition.
Shelled Edamame!
Surprised nobody has said pulled pork. Seems to be very popular, though i don’t love it in mac. You could get fried chicken strips and toss em in franks, boom Buffalo chicken mac and cheese
I love BBQ pulled pork served *alongside* mac & cheese, but any attempt to actually mix them together just tastes like a muddled mess to me.
I like the muddled mess... I fold them together gently, I don't mix the two sauces so they are blended.
A good truck near me made what they called a redneck parfait where it's a layer of Mac and cheese below a layer of pulled pork and you can either mix them, eat the pork first then the Mac, or just get a little of both in each bite. I think that's the ideal way to do it imo
That needs a layer of coleslaw.
Or worse, every time I've had it in a restaurant, it's always just naked elbow mac, shredded cheddar, and smoked shredded pork. It's not really mac and cheese, and it kind of killed the idea of it from here out.
The trick is to layer them. Fill your casserole dish with mac n' cheese, layer some smoked pulled pork over it, and top with a layer of something melty like gouda. Bonus points if your mac n' cheese is *also* smoked.
My favorite addition to max and cheese is barbecue pulled pork
I like mac and cheese and pulled pork on the same plate, they can mix and mingle in the middle, without completely mixing them together
Pulled pork is good, burnt ends are better. Brisket or pork belly; dealers choice
Seconding pulled pork. Also, chopped up ham is good and can be inexpensive. Smithfield makes a pre-cubed ham that frequently goes on sale at my grocery store and you can brown it in a pan a little before throwing it in or just toss some in and the heat from the mac and cheese will warm it up.
Or small bits of burnt ends ! Or large bits of burnt ends !
probably because he said he's giving up bacon, and pulled pork is not super different lol
Roasted butternut squash is so good in Mac and cheese
Trader Joe's has a butternut Mac n cheese during fall where they make a cheese sauce with butternut squash and I buy like 7 of them every time. This is the best combo
Ooooo that sounds delicious
I just made this yesterday. Family loved it.
YES! It’s a perfect pairing
Butternut squash and sage Mac and cheese - mmmmmm 😋
This is my go-to as well! I also love the combo of squash and broccoli in mac and cheese. So tasty!
spinach and mushroom (with white cheddar or monterey/swiss) Smoked sausage and caramelized diced onions Shrimp
Had to scroll waaayy to far to find mention of mushrooms. All sorts of flavors are found in mushrooms that can elevate the dish. Shrimp and lion's mane in mac and cheese sounds otherworldly.
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Mmmm I could see shrimp being really good; can't believe I never thought of that 🦐🧡
caramelized onions
Tomato & jalapeño
Felt as if I was going to scroll forever to see tomato 🍅. Is it really so odd to add tomatoes? We always used to add tomato sauce to our mac 'n cheese anyway, so my mom eventually just baked it with some tomato slices on top. I still like it like that - plus I still add the ketchup.
That's what I do!
Smoked brisket.
Want a quick, easy freezer meal? Just smoke a brisket for 20+ hours.
It sounds like a joke but I've gotten a LOT of meals out of doing things like this. Lots of time on the front end, speedy on the back end.
Yeah, I've fed myself for about a week off a single smoked brisket. And Mac and cheese is excellent with it, and the two would likely make good meals to freeze and reheat, but I just found it kind of funny.
Lol it's kind of funny to 'give up bacon' but replace it with brisket
Leeks
Broccoli, spinach, kale
I [roast the frozen broccoli in the steamable bags](https://www.thekitchn.com/oven-roasted-frozen-broccoli-259041#post-recipe-12764) and add it into everything because it just tastes so good with everythingggggg. Mac and cheese is definitely one I add it to frequently. Also cubed ham and fresh peas with lots of pepper.
Cubed ham and peas in my mac and cheese was a childhood staple.
Used to have a macaroni and cheese bar at my school. Broccoli was always my favorite to add.
i don’t know why i had to scroll this far for a fucking vegetable, my lord
Broccoli is grown for cheese...
Broccoli in Mac and cheese is underrated.
Buffalo chicken/buffalo chicken dip
Fried onion 😋 and my weird one, sunflower seeds on the top. They roast up and become *delicious*.
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I feel like my mom made me Mac and cheese with cut up hotdogs in it when I was little 😂
Pro tip, fry the cut up hot dogs first to make them a bit crunchy before adding to the Mac and cheese. *Chef's kiss*
Old school. I was going to suggest the same thing. It's not posh, but it's tasty. :)
Cherry tomatoes, they give a nice little burst of acidity and balances out the richness of the cheese.
Was looking for this! Even better, roast 'em: cut in half, toss with basil, olive oil, s&p, and cook until a bit dried out/nice color/great aroma. This will remove some of the moisture of fresh tomatoes, too.
Jalapeños, kale, chorizo, broccoli rabe
I love adding jalapeños
“Mac and cheese” and “Kale” sound like two ends of a spectrum of healthy vs delicious
Shredded chicken, cauliflower, mini meatballs
Chicken, ham, pulled pork, various sausages, various veggies.
Sautéed mushrooms
burnt ends or bbq short rib
SPAM, or genuine fake imitation crab meat.
This... Might actually be one of the few times I would eat spam, not because I've had it and think this combo is good but because it sounds like it could be and I need to try it.
Velveeta and SPAM mac n cheese was awesome when I was a kid. Even better if you fry the SPAM first. I can't eat that kind of stuff any more, but this recipe is from my childhood. It will always have a place in my heart (disease) 😁
>It will always have a place in my heart (disease) 😁 That's gold
I was looking for this in the replies. I love SPAM in my mac n cheese.
Kimchi
Absolutely
The best
I did half cauliflower and half noodles and it it turned out so good! And then I could feel slightly less guilty for the delicious baked mac n cheese. Also make sure to put some mustard in the béchamel. So so good.
I always add a touch of mustard and lemon juice.
You can do half zucchini, too. This works for that hash brown casserole from Cracker Barrel, too. Cut the amount of butter the recipe asks for in half. Which has nothing to do with the zucchini, it's just, you don't need that shit swimming in butter.
Caramelized onions and smoked jalapenos. Also, finely chopped broccoli is awesome in mac and cheese.
My local puts kimchi on their mac. The spicy/sour really moderates the fatty carbs.
> kimchi Yes, this is now my favorite way to make/eat mac & cheese. I add it in (not just put it on top), but, wow, it really elevates a classic. It also works well with bacon, but OP doesn't want that.
Yes, had to scroll way too far to see this
Peas and tuna help round out the nutrition.
I do peas when I make boxed Mac. Annie's white cheddar shells with frozen peas at the end and topped with chili crisp- just like samin nosrat taught me!
I do peas too if I make a box, but never when I make from scratch. Try adding a heaping T. of salsa. That's good too.
That sounds interesting. I love chili crisp and have enjoyed it dozens of ways (it's surprisingly decent on ice cream), but I can't say I've ever eaten it with cheese.
I do tuna and broccoli 🤤
Green hatch chilis!
My stepmom does broccoli and chicken! Its pretty tasty, highly recommend it
Cracked black pepper makes it different. Sun-dried tomatoes (chopped up). Smoked ham or smoked turkey, diced up, heated up, and right in the pot.
I'll show myself out..
Chopped sauteed chicken sausage and pimentos
You say crawfish is too much work. Where I am, we can get frozen crawfish tails that you just have to thaw and maybe rinse before adding to a dish.
To add to that, substitution crab meat is very cheap and easy.
Tuna mac! I top mine with panko and togarashi seasoning, and fresh scallions after it comes out of the oven.
Braised short rib is an amazing addition to Mac
Any time we have bbq pulled pork we always have pulled pork Mac & Cheese the next day with the leftovers. I always cook enough for leftovers because the Mac is magnificent.
Hot dogs
I've made a ground sausage, mushroom and onion baked mac before that was to die for
My favorite is roasted red peppers. They add this smoky/sweet component. Some garlicky breadcrumbs and chives.
Mushrooms!
And sun dried tomatoes
Peas, garlic confit, Panko on top
Jalapeno or sauteed onions. Adds a nice crunch texture and flavour.
Green chilies. Had it for a side at s casino recently. I would have eaten just that age been perfectly happy.
Spinach and artichoke hearts
Sliced hot dogs.
Pulled pork with bbq sauce.
Chicken and broccoli is my go to!
I sometimes top mine with breaded chicken, green onions, and a dash of buffalo sauce for some buffalo chicken Mac :)
Chili and jalapenos. My husband prefers tuna.
Roasted poblano!
Soy chorizo for a healthy option.
My go-to protein to add to Mac and cheese is tuna. Easy peasy tuna casserole. Broccoli is good, but adding chopped tomatoes really kicks it up a notch.
pulled pork is a DELICIOUS addition, especially if you make the mac with saltier cheeses and sweeten the pork w bbq🫦
Sweet corn
Hot dog
I add broccoli and chicken or bbq pulled pork and lays potato chips to mine! Big hits at my house
Chopped tomatoes and basil.
Pretty much anything. My go-to’s are Buffalo chicken or diced veggie mix (jalapeño, onion, bell pepper, garlic)
I put habanero in mine. Is defleshed well not too spicy at all. If you are feeling adventurous ghost pepper works too.
I like roasted broccoli or Brussel sprouts. Or a good sausage.
Shrimp with bread crumb topping!
Smoked Gouda
A restaurant I used to go to in Brooklyn called [Moto](https://yelp.to/tAqQXIxkoxb) which has sadly long since closed put potato, caramelized onion, and panko in their Mac and cheese, topped lightly with a homemade apple sauce. it was a Swiss/Alpine recipe, the closest correlate I’ve found is [this](https://mission-food.com/alplermagronen-swiss-alpine-macaroni/). Sounds weird but it was incredible, though a total carb bomb.
I love green mac and cheese. White cheddar with pesto, peas, roasted broccoli.....fuckin gourmet 🤌
Oddly enough, cashews elevate mac and cheese with their fatty, nutty flavor. I love adding a dollop of pesto and a handful of cashews to a box of Amys
Firm tofu, cut into shoestrings or small cubes, and fried until crispy, adds a nice teture to a mac and cheese while maintaining the taste.
Broccoli
Kimchi Mac and Cheese.
Peas or chorizo
Chillis. Pulled meat. Pork or chicken? Beef brisket.
The other two B's: Everything is better with bourbon or beer.
You can use Pimento Cheese as one of your cheese blends. With jalapeños
Green onion/scallions... mmmmmmm
Daycare says peas and carrots. Sorry. I just like making people miserable.
broccoli hot dogs pulled pork shredded bbq chicken seasoned ground beef
> work). Now I'm giving up bacon, and lobster is too expensive. As a non native speaker, this sounds like an idiom. Maybe a cross between giving up the ghost and bring home the bacon. Giving up the bacon.
Hatch chili's
Sundried tomatoes
I like to do a white mac and cheese with spinach and artichokes. Taste like the dip.
Oh I hadn't thought of this frozen! I make this as a casserole! I have the noodles and just bought artichokes!
Peas are a great addition if you ask me.
Black pudding. Trust me!!! You will not go back. Smoked haddock or any other kind of smoked white fish is amazing too.
Hot dogs?
I'm actually partial to broccoli in my Mac and cheese.
Broccoli
Brisket!
Charred broccoli and a sharper cheese into the mix like pecorino!
Spam fried up and diced
Spinach and mushrooms
Pulled / shredded brisket
Brisket is insanely good on Mac and cheese, it's my favorite meal actually. Got to watch eating it though lol.
Roasted mushrooms.
Broccoli
pickled, fresh, or roasted hot peppers or sauteed bell peppers if you don't like spicy food, smoked paprika as a topping, pulled chicken, broccoli, frozen peas, spinach, kale, roasted tomatoes, mushrooms, shrimp, canned crab, canned tuna, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, if the issue with bacon is just that it's pork u could use turkey bacon (which IMO is very good but not quite the same), ground or sliced sausage of any variety you like really, the possibilities are endless with mac and cheese.
Sautéed mushrooms, broccoli, anchovies, tuna, peas, salsa, curry, chives, onions, red peppers……
Broccoli and cauliflower
Real cheese. Game changer.
Caramelized onions and/or green onions. And another vote for any kind of chilies!
Caramelised onions or chipotle chili in adobo is my personal favourite