Frozen single-serve macaroni and cheese is a favorite in my household and offers a quick comfort food option. With just a few ingredients it is transformed into a whole new dish, Pepperoni Pizza Mac & Cheese. It takes no more time for this frozen mac hack and it will become a new favorite for school lunches and fast dinners alike.
This post is sponsored as part of Boulder Locavore’s ongoing partnership with Udi’s Gluten Free. All opinions are my own.
We are big mac and cheese eaters and I’ll confess I don’t always make it from scratch. Busy kids, busy life, you know? The good news is that there are great gluten-free single serve mac and cheese options that my kids can make myself that taste great. I too love mac and cheese and appreciate having frozen single-servings in the freezer for some spur of the moment comfort food.
Today I’m sharing a secret from a lazy mom (I’m actually not lazy at all but do love to be practical about the time I have on busier days; sound like I’m rationalizing?!). You can easily transform frozen mac and cheese into something completely different with little effort, getting a bit ‘wow’ for the end result. A favorite of ours is Pepperoni Pizza Mac and Cheese! Sound good? My son said it tastes like fresh pizza mac and cheese and I agree.
My goal when turning regular mac and cheese into something new is that it won’t take any more time than preparing the mac and cheese does (that lazy thing again). This recipe includes chopped pepperoni, canned diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning, chopped fresh basil and a sprinkle of grated mozzarella (I buy it pre-grated; now I am really showing my lazy mom cards….). Mixed into the prepared (microwaved) single serve mac and cheese, it becomes a whole new dish.
With Udi’s Gluten Free single serve mac and cheese the macaroni comes out creamy with supple macaroni pasta that stays intact. If you didn’t know it was gluten-free you’d never guess it!
Pepperoni Pizza Mac & Cheese is easy to make multiple portions quickly and feel great about serving up a wholesome gluten-free meal. It would be an excellent choice for lunchbox thermoses for back to school as well as a fast dinner.
How to Make Pepperoni Pizza Mac & Cheese
Recipe
Pepperoni Pizza Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 package Udi's Gluten Free Mac & Cheese (single serve)
- 1/4 cup Canned diced Tomatoes with Italian Herbs drained
- 1/4 cup Pepperoni chopped
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Basil chopped
- 1 tablespoon Grated Mozzarella Cheese
Instructions
- Prepare the single serve mac and cheese as instructed for the microwave on the package.
- While the mac & cheese sits for the specified time after cooking, prepare and combine the tomatoes, pepperoni and fresh basil in a small bowl. Stir in the mac & cheese and top with the mozzarella cheese. Return to the microwave for 10-15 seconds to melt the mozzarella cheese and serve immediately.
Amy Desrosiers says
Holy wow does this look so good! I am all for hacks in the kitchen so this is especially amazing!
Connie says
While plain mac and cheese is great, this looks like a yummy way to dress it up. I will definitely be giving this a try.
Liz Mays says
This is such a clever idea! I’m glad that it can work well for school lunches. I think it will be a new favorite!
Colleen Lanin says
I LOVE to take mac and cheese and turn into something absolutely amazing. I’ve made chili mac and taco mac on a regular basis. I can’t wait to try this variation. Thank you!
Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle says
That looks amazing. My family loves mac and cheese, and one of my favorite things to do is doctor it up like this. I can’t wait to try this!
Jeanette says
I love making mac & cheese for my family. We get so bored with the same stuff I think this twist on mac & cheese is exactly what we are craving!
melissa chapman says
Another gluten free success story, which will always help people who need this. I am not gluten free but the idea of pepperoni pizza mac and cheese is one my family might really like and so quick to make.
Toni Dash says
Absolutely Melissa this can be made with any type of mac and cheese; it doesn’t have to be GF.
Carol Jones says
OMG WHAT? Why haven’t I thought of this?! My kids LOVE mac & cheese and pepperoni, this is perfect!!
Sadie Roach says
This is definitely a comfort food that I could devour! I don’t have a ton of time to cook a meal but I think we’ve all got 5 minutes to spare. Thanks for sharing.
Dawn Nieves says
This looks mouthwatering. I want a bowl right now. I love macaroni and cheese and so do my kids but this, This takes it to a whole new level! I can’t wait to try this!