This is one of my standard cool weather dishes,
which I've posted before.
I saw the
original recipe
on "America's Test Kitchen" (a PBS cooking show), and recommend you read the article
and/or watch their
YouTube video.
Lately, to save on fuel, I've been experimenting with letting pasta "coast" without power/flame after reaching boiling state, so these "Steps" include that technique.
In this version, I added 3 types of dehydrated/freeze-dried veggies (which I often use), and (first time ever) bacon bits. :)
The first time I used bacon bits (as shown in pictures below),
I added the bacon bits immediately before serving/consuming.
Since then, I've been adding them with the cheddar, which I feel tastes better.
As always, please experiment and decide what works best for you. :)
I'm also now adding regular (yellow) mustard at the same time as the process cheese,
which adds a mild zing. :)
I'm using either a single (fast food) packet of mustard,
or (now that it has thawed out from my 2nd full Northern winter) a squirt from a cheap (Aldi) mustard dispenser.
Dollar General sells their house brand of Dijon mustard for $1 so I'm seriously considering buying & trying it.
Note for Fridge Folks:
The original recipe called for 1/2 cup milk and 3/4 cups water, instead of powdered milk.
Note: there's no straining. :)
All ingredients (except milk powder and water):
At the bottom right, note the small plastic container.
This is one of a set of ten (from DollarTree),
which I prepack with a mix of all three of the dry vegetables that I most often use together
(e.g. with ramen).
Batch prepacking saves time and mental energy: they're all pre-measured & ready to dump. :)
Main dry ingredients (including powdered milk), before adding water:
3 process cheese "singles", stacked then ripped up, ready to add:
After cooking (showcasing richly sauced pasta), just before adding bacon bits:
After adding bacon bits & parmesan, ready to eat:
item | Calories | Cost |
---|---|---|
elbow macaroni | 400 | $0.25 |
milk powder | 35 | $0.12 |
processed cheese (3 singles) | 150 | $0.31 |
cheddar cheese (extra sharp) | 220 | $0.50 |
Bacon bits | 43 | $0.24 |
Parmesan cheese | 40 | $0.11 |
Totals: | 888 | $1.53 |
I did not measure the bacon bits & parmesan, so they are estimated above.
I did not calculate the calories & cost of the dry vegetables, so left them out entirely.